What does blup mean on howrse.com?

A blup is a term used in the online equestrian game Howrse.com. Blup is actually an acronym, which stands for "best linear unbiased prediction". You gain blup points the better your horse or pony performs and they almost act as a form of currency. Put simply, a horse with more blup points than another is expected to be the better horse.

• Blup points are earned by competing in and winning events as well as good training methods and routines.

The highest amount of blup points any horse can have at any one time is 100. You can gain points by entering your horse into shows and competitions. The more your animal competes and ultimately wins, the more points you acquire, the more valuable your horse is as an asset and the more likely it will perform better at shows and events. Your training regime will often generate more blup points, especially in the areas you are specializing in, though be warned, it is possible to gain negative blup points.

• Blup points are taken into account when breeding horses and will affect the make-up of a new born foal.

There is a blup genetic index for horses in Howrse.com and this will decide the genetics of a foal born due to breeding techniques. The areas that are taken into account are the age of the horses breeding, the results of shows and events and the training level for each horse, notably its best three skills.