the rianbow is a bad memory and I am sickened by it | Forums

[BobbieJo2012]

I am part of several animal force rescues...TOO MANY TIMES IN REALITY we have sent our animals to this RAINBOW... to see these RAINBOWS, is a heartache, a horrible memory for me... I dont care if I ever level up, i WILL NOT KILL OFF my horses..let them as you say..go into the rainbow...Come on folks, demand SELL, TRADE..BUT NO KILL...
Second complaint...If I want to save one of my horses about to retire...FORGET ABOUT IT...TO GET AN EMPTY STALL IS TOO MUCH $$$$$$$$$, too hard to obtain..

I have worked on a ranch before...it was hard..but this is TOO MUCH FOR ME...

[SassySeraph]

So don't think of it as "killing" them. Think about it as sending them to a nice retirement stable in some warm place where they can frolic to their hearts content without being bred or kept in a petting zoo (as that's all they can do once retired on the game).

[BobbieJo2012]

Thank you for your reply, I appreciate your attempt to help.. but..sorry, still a heartache for me... have you had to put a horse down? I know, its just a game, but it hit a nerve in me, but again, thank you

[ponyparty]

"have you had to put a horse down?"
Some of us have. I personally have not had to put horses down, but I have had to put other animals down.
Also, you propose a trade. Who would we trade them to? And for what? What value would an old horse have?
And, pardon my bluntness (If it seems like I'm attacking you, I apologize), but if the Rainbow- a rather innocent and otherwise meaningless collection of pixels- triggers you this much, and brings up such bad memories, I really do wonder why you're not avoiding the game. Horses die. That's what everything does.

[BerylMcMillan]

There is another alternative - I play a game called Showcats (not facebook - www.showcats.com), where you breed and show various breeds of cat, and cats that are not/no longer required for the breeding/showing programmes are "forever homed" - that is, retired to pet homes where they live out their lives as pampered pets (which is what happens in real life, too). I was also surprised and rather disappointed to find that horses are 'sent to the rainbow bridge' (killed!) here - someone showed a phenomenal lack of foresight, not to mention compassion/sympathy etc - when they set that up/authorised its use!

Devs - I would strongly suggest you change this to petting out these horses when no longer required, rather than killing them! You would also find it better if we didn't have to retire so many horses, by not having such a ridiculously low age max for the starting point!

[Megannator]

I am breed mastery 6- and my Saddlebreds age out at 29 currently. If you keep breeding, your horses will last longer.

I personally have put a horse down. It broke my heart. I have also witnessed horses being put down due to my involvement with veterinarians. Truthfully, you can't even compare these pixel horses to the real life horses. Sure, we could change the rainbow bridge to a "forever home", but guess what? The pixels are still being deleted. It keeps the server clean.

And before anyone accuses me of being heartless, I'm not. May 31st (17 days from today) will mark the 7th year of my first horse's passing. I still keep a lock of his tail where I can see it.

[Kholran]

Of all the options, I think the Rainbow is the most innocent and easy to deal with. "Retirement homes" are still only temporary- the animal is still going to die at some point. Might make someone feel better to not have to experience the loss firsthand, but it's still going to happen. No animal lives forever. And as for real life pets, it's incredibly stressful to rehome an older animal, even to a "nice" retirement home. Much better for them to stay with their owners until the end- which is how I see the Rainbow. The horse stays with me at my ranch until it's time to let them go. Better a nice happy rainbow (which you can always pretend goes to a "retirement home"...Rainbow Acres or something) than the very real "euthanize horse" or a "your horse has died" message when they reach a certain age. As stated above, either way the pixels are gone forever, so unlike a real retirement ranch, you don't get to go and see the horses again.

I too have lost many pets over the years, and I've worked in an animal shelter (no kill, but we did have plenty that came in too sick or injured to be saved), so I do know what it's like. I also know what it's like to have an older pet be surrendered because an owner can't "deal with" watching it grow old and have to make the hard decision on their own. Those instances made me so sad, because the older pets, no matter how well we treated them and pampered them, were depressed and upset without their owners. I would never put any of my own pets through that, not even to send them to a "retirement home". They belong with me, until their time comes to go over that rainbow. I wouldn't have it any other way.

All games need to clear out old, useless data to make room for new stuff. I'd much rather have it be this way (that can be interpreted however a player wants to interpret it- retirement, death, sent to the moon via rainbow, whatever) than something more realistic, or suggest that the horse is just going to go to some other farm and never die. Besides, at level 20, you can buy "nursing stables" for old horses so as long as you have the cash, I guess, you'll never have to get rid of any of your old horses, if it still really bothers you.

[PinkiePie13]

I can understand why you would be uncomfortable with the rainbow thing. I was a little upset when I first saw the rainbow bridge thing myself. I still think of all the wonderful animals I've had the privilege of loving and being loved by and I get a little misty eyed when I think of the one's who have already crossed that bridge. I worked at a rescue stable for some time and saw terrible things and lost some wonderful horses. I also lost my own horse (RIP Lulu Belle) many years ago. I have a lock of her tail that I'm getting made into a bracelet so I can keep her with me always and I have a picture of her on my bookshelf along with the pictures of all the other animals I have loved. I don't think you should let the memories of love ones lost prevent you from enjoying a game and I don't think they would want you to dwell on them in this way.

I am about to send my first horse (in the game) over the bridge and it does make me a little sad, but it is just a game and I need the space. Plus, it is a natural thing. Unavoidable for any living thing. I just remember the happy times I had with my animals and I look forward to all the new foals I'm breeding.

***Oh, one more thing... You can breed retired horses.***