Starter Mare Guide — Horses of Hoofprint Bay

On the ferry into Hoofprint Bay you choose one of ten starter mares. Search traffic asks for the “best starter mare,” but the honest answer from public sources is simpler: there is no stat upgrade hiding in the list. Grindnstrat and the TMQ Horse Game Database agree the mares share identical baselines and differ only in coat color and pattern. Pick the horse you want to look at for the first dozens of rounds, then invest in /guides/training-guide/ and later /horses/breeding-guide/ when competitions outgrow the starter ceiling.

Screenshot: official Steam store page.

What every starter mare shares

Both community guides describe the same template:

Grindnstrat does not spell out every integer but explicitly says basic stats match—use that as your “no wrong horse” rule. Exact integers come from a single wiki table, so note them as reported until your horse sheet matches.

Round length is quirky: TMQ notes a round is both one farm day and a longer in-game span, not a literal year. That matters for planning, not for picking among the ten mares.

What actually differs (and what does not)

Coat and pattern are the guaranteed differences. One option deliberately resembles the Mein Pferdehof starter mare—a nod for returning players, not a secret OP pick. If you care about nostalgia, choose that coat; if you prefer a bay or pinto aesthetic, choose that instead.

Personality traits may still differ under the hood, but they are not shown on the ferry screen. Traits surface through daily care, riding quirks, and vet testing (full list on /horses/personality-traits/). Restarting the game to fish for Good Inheritance is a lifestyle choice, not a requirement for the /guides/beginner-guide/ route.

Color presets (Default, MPH, Rainbow) live in settings and remap horses onto alternate color squares when you switch presets. That system changes how existing horses look after you unlock customization—it does not break starter parity on day one.

Practical pick strategies (analysis)

Because stats tie, think in maintenance and long-term goals:

1. Pure cosmetic — Choose the coat you will enjoy in menus and competitions. Zero gameplay downside.
2. Low chores — After a few rounds, hope to reveal Easy Keeper, Neat Freak, or Sure Footed (see /guides/horse-care-guide/). If you hate grain math and mud, a reroll save hunting those traits is valid—but optional.
3. Breeding save — Good Inheritance and Good Mom matter later when foals inherit potential (see /horses/breeding-guide/). Starters are mares, so you already have half of a future foal program once you add a stallion.
4. Competition rush — /competitions/caprilli-guide/ is tuned for beginners; any starter can qualify with training. Novice show jumping and above expect higher stats from training time and breeding, not ferry RNG.

Traits you might notice in week one

Even with full confidence, hidden traits change feel:

• Hard Keeper — More grain work; pairs badly with early money pressure unless you read /guides/make-money-guide/.
• Rebellious / Energetic / Chill — Gait fights during riding; see /guides/controls-and-keybindings/ for counter-inputs.
• Snacky / Cuddly — Faster confidence from treats and scritches—helpful, not exclusive to starters.

None of these appear on the ferry UI. Treat any “tier list” of starter coats as fan fiction unless it cites discovered traits on a named save.

After you arrive: first training priorities

Your mare already has full confidence, so early progression is about strength and endurance caps, not bonding min-maxing. Build the riding arena (round-zero quest), run license-friendly courses, and read /guides/training-guide/ before you overwork the pink exercise bar.

When stats plateau against the grey potential markers on the horse sheet, that is the game telling you to breed up, not to restart the ferry choice.

Sources and verification

Compiled 2026-11-05 from the grindnstrat Hoofprint Bay guide, TMQ Horse Game Database — Horses of Hoofprint Bay, and the Steam store page. Items marked “reported” come from community guides and were not independently confirmed in-game.

Not verified on this page: exact trait rolls per starter coat; whether any coat guarantees a specific trait; precise round-to-calendar conversion beyond the wiki note.