HGG Community Forums

We don't do threads like that anymore as we now have a built-in messaging system where you can directly talk to your people :)

The built-in messaging system to talk directly to your gifter/giftee was super helpful this last GE!

It may be helpful to know what the auditors are looking for when they evaluate how everyone did at the end of the exchange.

Things that are bad to do
-If you don't send anything you are banned. Please don't come back.
-If you send something at the very end that was low effort, low thought, just to say you sent something it looks shitty. You won't be advancing and might even get knocked down a level. You should actually try.
-Complaining publicly on the forum or generally making drama about the exchange. Don't be that person.

What they are looking for.
-Level 1: Did you make an effort and try to do right by your recipient? Were you polite to the person who sent you things? Great you move up. This is the bare minimum level just to show you are not a flake.

-Level 2: They want to see that you not only sent things the person would like but that you put some effort into it. Buying horses/straws/etc for your recipient looks way better than just sending them stuff from your own barn, and herd helpers you created. Reach out to some other players go shopping in the auctions. Other things that look great are putting cute names, tack, etc on your gifts. Dress things up a little bit. Effort counts. The auditors are not so much looking at what you sent as if you cared about the person you sent it to. As always being polite to the person who sent you things is also important.

They LOVE to hear you paid close attention to the wishlist. They LOVE to hear that you snooped your recipient's barn and figured out what they like. They don't love it when people are careless and buy straws/horses from their recipients to send back to them.

Level 2 is the main part of the exchange.

-Moving from level 2 to level 3: If you want to gift with the level 3 people you have to gift like a level 3 person at level 2 to earn your spot. The auditors are expecting to see real-life money purchases for your person for the move-up on top of really thoughtful gifts that show solid effort. That's the norm. Yes sometimes people get promoted to 3 without spending real money but those people are doing multiple million-dollar GMT edits kind of over-the-top stuff to earn it.

Something that is important to note, is that they have notes for every single time you participate, and every time counts. If you were kind of a low-effort participant for 3 exchanges in a row you have more to prove and a harder time moving up than a person who was a super generous gifter every time.


-Level 3: At this level, you are expected to be the kind of person who spends a fair amount of time hunting down the perfect gifts, and making the experience really special for your recipient. Boosting, maxing, gmt'ing etc are common here. As are large HB gifts, and gifts of RL spending.


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Some tips about your wishlist:

-Do break it up to make it easier to read.
-Do include lots of different options and ideas for you. You don't have to copy the suggested ideas listed on the entry form, but you should include information about what you do or don't like.
-Do share a bit about the projects you are working on, maybe name the ideal horse for those lines. What makes a horse good or bad for that line?
-Do make sure what you ask for is clear and easy to understand.


-Don't use the same wishlist on multiple accounts on the same server. It's a nightmare for your recipients as it puts them in competition.
-Don't say "I am not picky." This is the most dreaded phrase in the gift exchange and causes no end of stress and problems. Just say some things like you like to give your person ideas. They don't know you, so do them a kindness and give them some ideas on how to shop for you.
-Don't be overly rigid. If you are the only purple plaid breeder on the server your person may not be able to get any purple plaid horses not created by you. If you only want ***stars with super-specific gene combos they may not be able to get that. Give them some lower-hanging fruit as well as your specific goals. Maybe just ***star is ok even if it is not as good. Maybe just plaid is ok even if not as good. Maybe they could get you a tattoo design or a stable header, or a stable mascot. Give people options.

Base your Wish List requests off of the level of player most likely participating in that level:

- Most Level 1 players are new to the game and/or don't have any subscriptions, so they don't have access to Breeding Advice or Strict Breeding Advice, the Advanced Breeding Lab, Comparison Testing, etc. I usually won't ask for a really specific, fancy "dream horse" at this level, but I will make sure to mention a couple of Special Rank Foundation* horses I'd really like. I usually don't ask for show horses at this level.
*As for Foundation Horses, try to be mindful of the season! While Ammit was really kind and put a lot more of the Special Rank herd helpers into the Create A Horse rotation, some Special Ranks are still really hard to find, especially if they're specific to the June GE or much older GE seasons.

- For Level 2, some players might have a Basic or Premium subscriptions, and they may have some gene licenses. At a minimum, they do have larger barns and more hbs. At this level, I definitely expect any horses gifted to at least have all the basic testing done already (Color, PT Score, Breeding Papers, etc.). I usually request at least Breeding Advice and Comparison testing at this level, but I usually lower my request to allow for AGA and not just Superior. At this level I will make more specific requests in terms of preferred PT score and Papers according to which Gen the horse is, but I still keep those thresholds lower than what I expect at Level 3. I will ask for rarer genes like Satin, KP, or W8, but still usually won't ask for many that require a gene license (except maybe if I outline a dream horse). I will usually ask for show horses at this level, but usually keep the preferred Total Points to age ratio fair low (i.e., 500pts or more and younger than 16).

- For Level 3, I outline very specific parameters for Papers, PT Score, Strict Breeding Advice, and Comparison testing. I will ask for rarer genes and some restricted genes I'd like. I will also ask for horses with higher papers and PT scores than I would at Level 2. I will usually outline one or two "dream horses" (usually it's a very specific Foundation mare or stallion that would need to be GMT'd or University bred). I will usually ask for some semi-specific horses to add to a breeding project (i.e., bay Warmblood 2nd or 3rd gen mares with gp/gp and het. or hom. Satin, Gray Chestnut or Gray Black Sport Pony or Riding Pony mares with white markings, etc.). And I will usually ask for higher pointed show horses.


- When searching for horses to purchase to gift to your recipient, PLEASE look to make sure it isn't a horse that your recipient bred or previously owned. If they did, they sold it for a reason. You can see horses' purchase history up until the horse is gifted to another player.

- Don't despair if you don't have any horses in your own barn or don't see any for sale that match your recipient's Wish List closely enough! You can always use the Search Horses tool to look for the perfect horse, or base it on as many parameters as were listed in their Wish List, and message people directly asking if they might be willing to sell them to you or sell eggs or straws for that horse. Of course, they might still say no, or you might not be able to agree on a price. But many players, especially the long-time players with overflowing barns of a variety of horses, will be willing to sell (or even give away!) their horses or straws/eggs in the spirit of the season.

- Tips for valuing all of your gifts:
This may not be how everyone does it, but I usually include all expenses related to the horse when I'm tallying the value of the gifts at the end of the exchange. This would include the purchase or breeding cost of the horse, any testing costs, and any GMTs or USD$ used on the horse. HOWEVER, I try not to use any of the testing prices to meet the minimum total gift amount for that level, only the purchase price of the horse and any GMTs or USD$ I spent. Example: If I was at Level 2 and I bought a horse for 10k hbs and did all the basic testing ($100 Gene Testing + $500 PT Score + $1000 Breeding Inspection), I would value that horse at 11,600 hbs, but I would only count 10,000 of that towards meeting my 250k hb minimum gifting requirement. If I used 1 GMT on that same horse to change its gender, I would add 125,000 hbs to the total value of that horse and I would include that amount towards the 250k minimum gifting requirement.)

- Use the "My Herd Helper Collection" page under Account Management on your Stable Overview page to look at the current average sales price of specific herd helpers. That can help you gauge what Herd Helpers you might be able to afford and how easily you might be able to find them. (Usually Herd Helpers that have a high price aren't up for sale as often or are also highly sought after).

- Don't waste money on comparison testing for Foundation Horses!!! All Foundation Horses that are C or Yellow papered are About as Good as Sire/Dam (AGA) and all B or Red papered are Superior to Sire/Dam (SUP). All Special Rank and almost all Rank 5 Herd Helpers will pass Breeding Advice and Strict Breeding Advice. This is not guaranteed for any of the lower ranked Herd Helpers, though usually the B or Red papered ones will still pass Breeding Advice. However, if you purchase any horses from the Foundation Rescue (they will appear with "FR#########" as the horse's name and will always be for sale for only 2500 hbs from the Foundation Rescue), those horses always have at least a 9.8 PT Score, be at least C or Yellow papered, and will always pass Strict Breeding Advice. (That's why they were "rescued" from the auction even if they haven't been tested at all yet!)
For lined horses, there isn't a guarantee for what rank the horse will get for comparison testing based on their Papers and PT Score. However, horses who pass Strict Breeding Advice will always be at least AGA their dam or sire. Usually, if they have a higher Paper level and PT score than their dam or sire, they will usually be Superior, but that's not always the case. For horses that are the same paper level as their sire/dam but pass Strict Breeding Advice, it's likely that they will only be AGA and not Superior to their sire/dam.

- I believe the current game conversion rates for GMTs and $USD are 1 GMT = 125,000 hbs and $1.00 USD = 25,000 hbs.

If some of the horses you gift are from your own barn it is not a big deal. If everything you gift is from your barn it looks like you didn't care enough to go find anything for your person and just gave them your old stuff.


"- When searching for horses to purchase to gift to your recipient, PLEASE look to make sure it isn't a horse that your recipient bred or previously owned. If they did, they sold it for a reason. You can see horses' purchase history up until the secret gifting period opens on Dec. 15th."

This is a big one and it always looks bad when people gift back a horse their person already got rid of. You can see the purchase history of a horse until it has been gifted. The date does not matter.

Notes towards "effort" from the perspective of what I, as a player, try to make note of on my evaluation form at the end of the GE:

- Communication is meaningful. Even if you're pretty detailed in your Wishlist, you might not have space to put every detail in there or what you wrote might still be confusing. Once recipients are assigned, I'll make a note if you messaged first to clarify or add anything. If I message you through the GE portal, I will note on your responsiveness in answering questions. As a recipient, if my gifter spreads the gifts out, I will usually send thank you notes throughout even before my gifter is revealed to me and then send a big thank you note at the end.

- On the flip side, and as Ammit noted above in the message about what the auditors look for, I can tell if the player went beyond my Wishlist. As a gifter, I will try to look through my recipient's barns to see what Foundation horses they seem to have and look at what breeding projects they might have based on how their barns and pastures are organized. (And I can tell what kinds of horses they probably don't want based on what they're selling or putting up for auction. ) You can see what gene licenses and Breeding Characteristics a player has by looking at their profile. If someone requests a "dream horse" in their Wishlist, they probably don't list out every single allele they'd like the horse to have. I will try to look through their barn to see what they might or might not want before asking outright (because that ruins the surprise of it!)

- I always try to do this, and it means a lot to me when my gifter does, too - Try to dress up the horses you're gifting and add a little note in the horse's notes section. You can base it off of how the player tends to tack their horses up or on your own style, and of course there are ways you can decorate them based on the holiday theme. Even if you don't have any of the holiday-related Tack Packs, you can customize a lot of the basic tack options: red and green saddle pad with matching polo wraps, splint boots, or bell boots; glittered hoof polish; colored halter or bridle; add a fancy braided mane or tail; etc. (I believe all Foundation Horse creates during December automatically get the snowy background. But even the basic color backgrounds look nice!).
Example note I might add: "Happy December 2023 Gift Exchange from your Level [X] gifter! I hope he's a great addition to your show herd. "
*Adding tack and notes is completely free, other than if you decide to purchase any holiday Tack Packs for IVs to use, so it doesn't add any hb value to the horses. But it does mean a lot to your gift recipient and will be noticed by the auditors.*

@Ammit has confirmed that each of these things DO get noticed by the auditors and can affect your Level ranking for the next GE.

Related to the horse market and in-game economy during the GE:

- Remember that during the GE, there is a different Special Rank Herd Helper available on the Create A Horse page in addition to your daily 5 free Herd Helper rolls. Also remember that if you roll for Herd Helpers every day, every 6th day you are guaranteed to have a Special Rank HH on your 1st roll of that day. However, there's always a chance that any of your rolls, free or paid for, will be a Special Rank HH.

- Also, during the GE, there is a chance to create a Candy horse, which will automatically come with 1 GMT! This is an easier and often cheaper way to obtain GMTs to either gift your recipient or use for your own horses or a horse you plan to gift out. (And even if you make a bunch of horses you don't want, you can turn around and put them up for auction without doing any of the testing on them. At a minimum, you will recoup the 2,500 hbs you spent to create the horse once the auction ends and reopen that barn/pasture space for more horses.)

- When creating any horse from the Create A Horse page, there's -always- the chance you could win the "lottery" for either 10,000 hbs, 250,000 hbs, or *1,000,000 hbs* (the chance is much lower as the lottery amount increases). But this is also a relatively easy way to try to make more hbs that doesn't cost any $USD.

- If you are trying to look for specific Herd Helpers (of any ranking, but most people are searching for Special Ranks), be sure to check the Forum >> HAJ Discussion >> Herd Helpers tab for each daily thread of Herd Helpers. (This is where your Herd Helpers show up when you press the "Share On Forum" button on the Create A Horse page.) Special Rank and Rank 5 Herd Helpers tend to get snatched up quickly, especially during GE and since the higher rank Herd Helpers allow for fewer Share Bonuses. But being able to snag Herd Helper creates through the Forum means you don't have to pay the Reroll fee if you've already used all your free daily HH rolls, it gives you more chances to make Candy ponies and/or win the hb lottery, and you might be able to create a rare Special Rank horse without having to give up one you already own or pay a lot through the auction or regular sales to obtain one.


This is a riskier tip, so I'm not recommending it for everyone (and definitely only players who are eligible for Level 2 or Level 3):

- You have to have a certain daily show bonus income in order to be eligible to sign up for the various GE Levels (along with the other requirements and whether you've been allowed to move up to either Level 2 or Level 3). But once the GE begins on Dec 1st and you've been assigned your recipient(s), you don't have to maintain that daily show bonus...
If you have higher pointed horses that are between the age of 10-17 as of Dec 1st, and you put them up for auction at the default starting bid price, they will automatically sell at auction for whatever their current Lifetime Payment is (or more if another player bids on them!). If you have high-pointed horses younger than 10, you can set a higher auction price than the default 2,500 hbs and try to make more money off of them (choosing a starting bid higher than the default price means they won't sell if no one bids on them, but you can always put them back up for auction or regular sale). Even if you only put them up for 2,500 hbs, the younger they are and the more points they have, the better your chance is that players will bid more for them (though again, this isn't guaranteed, and if you put a horse younger than 10 up for auction at the default starting bid price, they will automatically sell for 2,750 hbs at the end of the auction if no players bid on them. If they are a Special Rank or are a mare or stallion that is at least Yellow or C papered with at least a 9.8 PT score, they will be put back up for sale for 2,500 hbs by the Foundation Rescue.)

Pros of this trick:
- You will get a big influx of hbs to use during the GE without having to spend $USD to get more.
- You make space in your barn to keep gift horses, new Foundation creates (see notes about new Creates and Herd Helpers during the GE above), or other horses you purchase or create.

Cons of this trick:
- This will reduce your daily show bonus and ability to earn points and winnings from showing your horses until you add to your show herd again.

I sell these older show horses every month to get more hbs to spend on breeding at the beginning of each month. In order to keep my show bonus up, I will go through the auction and sale horses (especially Foundation Rescue sale horses) and look for horses that are younger than 10, have a lot of points, and are for auction/sale for less than their Lifetime Payment amount. Easy way to turn a profit by keeping them, continuing to show them (optional if you want to save on show entry fees), and selling them when they're 10 or older. (You can even start planning for this trick now by looking for 9-year-old high-pointed horses for sale or auction. There will be fewer of them available as the end of the month gets closer, as many players utilize the game economy this way.)

This can also be a way to look for show horses for your recipient if they ask for that! However, you may want to set some of your show horses aside instead of selling them for this same purpose.

Thank you Ammit for explaining, and thanks everyone for your ideas and suggestions.

Is that good or bad or just for information?

JUST A FEW HOURS LEFT TO ENTER!

I'm stumped. My wishlist seems mostly to be don't send this, don't send that. I really can't think of anything I need except show horses.