firstly, this is not a gripe at all. I love so4 to pieces (even if mark wont marry me - boooo!!!)

however i find it quite funny that the foals we breed have some kind of accelerated ageing?

lets say you put a horse in foal at the start of a season, lets say 2010
so...
october 2010 mare gets put in foal
october 2011 foal appears as a yearling in your banging barn.( ie is born, 0 yrs old
officially should turn 1 in the following january
october 2012 foal appears as a 2yo ready to train? Really he/she shouldnt turn 2 until the following january?

i might be a bit premature as ive done little breeding but im assuming they then turn 3 the following january.

anyway like i say it isnt a gripe because it doesnt affect the game - i just wondered what others thought.

<this is what happens when no kids turn up for school cos its snowing - too much time on my hands!!!!!!>

Yes, I had already noticed that back in SO3... I assume it was made to speed up the game, as obviously it makes it easier to start breeding without getting bankrupt too soon (if you sell ALL your horses at the start, build a breeding barn then buy cheap mares from claimings & co, you can get back on your feet after your first 2yos can get sold, which would be delayed for another year if the game was more realistic... although by chosing the cheapest group-winning non-owned stallion it is often easy to make a real fortune selling them).

Though, I think indeed a sort of "realistic breeding" option could (and probably should) be added... maybe with the added opportunity to sell them as soon as they're yearlings, just as in real life?

YEAH
its bit more realistic than in s03, where they would be born in the december, spend a whole year being 0 then jump to being 2yo.

it is a real good money spinner selling youngsters, although i always have a quick look before selling as you never know if you have a freak on your hands!!!!

i stand corrected!!!! This has been fixed in SO4, now horses spend 2 yrs in the barn instead of 1 and dont miss a year!!!! thanks markxx