Sooty (STY)
Sooty is a dominant coat modifier that can darken a horse's existing coat colour.
Sooty horses often have darker, concentrated pigmentation along their topline, shoulders, neck, and hindquarters. In some cases, this can also appear as dappling throughout the coat.
How Sooty Works In-Game
In game, Sooty overlays come in a variety of opacities, meaning two otherwise identical horses may have different levels of dark pigmentation.
The intensity of Sooty can vary, with some horses displaying subtle shading and others having significantly darker coats.
Sooty Inheritance
Because Sooty is dominant in our genetics system, only one copy is needed for the modifier to visually show on a horse.
- STY/STY - The horse has two copies of Sooty and will always pass Sooty to its offspring.
- STY/n - The horse has one copy of Sooty and has a 50% chance of passing Sooty to its offspring.
- n/n - The horse does not have the Sooty modifier and cannot pass it to its offspring.
Sooty & Liver Chestnut
On a chestnut horse, Sooty can darken the naturally red coat colour, creating the appearance known as Liver Chestnut.
Some liver chestnuts are so dark they can appear almost black, although they remain genetically chestnut (e/e) and do not produce black pigment in their coat.
Genetic Testing
The exact gene responsible for Sooty has not yet been identified in real horses. However, our genetics system treats Sooty as a dominant, testable modifier.
Players can have their horses genetically tested at a veterinary office to determine whether they carry Sooty and whether they have one or two copies of the modifier.