Häst & Ponny: I stallet

Summary
In this interactive game you will learn about the many responsibilites of owning a horse.

Game Design
The game is primarily 3D graphics, with the horses and their tack being hand-drawn. The horses are mostly static, but have blinking eyes and will neigh from time to time.

The game uses the computer's clock and changes the in-game time of day accordingly. This affects gameplay in a few ways, and the game tries to simulate the responsibility of owning a real horse by reminding you to come back the next day whenever you quit.

Gameplay
The main aspect of gameplay is to learn about horses and how to take care of them, and what to know before you become a horse owner. This is primarily done by reading.

The Care tab has information about the daily maintenance of horses and stables - feeding, mucking out, hoof care, etc.

The Conformation tab has information on colours, markings, and the general physique of the horse. There is a diagram with numbers marking the names of the different body parts, and you can toggle a skeletal view as well. There is also a painting minigame where you can pick markings for and colour in one of four different templates.

The Lexicon tab contains information on horse breeds. It uses photographs of real horses, and each horse is marked with several coloured circles. Clicking on the circles will open up a tab with some trivia about the breed. There is also a size comparison of the horse with a human figure. At the end is a register listing all the breeds alphabetically.

In the Stable mode, you can buy your very own horse. There are three to choose from - the Connemara gelding Amigo, the Arabian mare Saphir, and the Welsh Mountain mare, Trixie. You are not limited to just one, and can own all three at the same time. There are three other named horses in the stable, but they are owned by NPCs who are never seen in-game.

Interaction with the horses is limited. You can enter their stalls and click on them to get a closeup of their faces, but there is little purpose behind that except admiring the art. You can also feed and groom them, and equip them with a selection of halters, leg wraps, blankets, and saddle pads.

The feed room contains a variety of hay, grains, and supplements. Each horse has an individual meal plan that can be found on the wall. The game enforces adherence to this plan by not letting you feed horses except at certain times of the day.

In the tack room, you can pick up the saddle, bridle, and grooming kit for one of your horses. After doing so, you will be automatically moved to the shower stall. Grooming is done by clicking and dragging the various tools over the horse. Horses do not get dirty so there is not much incentive to do this.

Riding gameplay is almost nonexistent. After saddling up your horse, you will have the option to take part in a dressage competition. This will take you to a top-down view of an indoor arena, where you and your horse are represented by a small silhouette. An animated horse shows your current gait, and a text box indicates what patterns to ride. If you make a mistake, a whistle will sound and reset your position. Four mistakes results in elimination. The game promises a nice surprise if you complete this competition, but it is notoriously difficult to do, and might actually be bugged so that it's unwinnable.

System Requirements & Compatibility
Operating System: Windows 95/98 Processor: Pentium 90 Memory: 12MB RAM (16MB recommended) Graphics: Graphics card 256 colors, 640x480 resolution Audio: 16-Bit SoundBlaster compatible sound card