Tabulated Pedigrees on the Screen
Messenger Mate has a powerful and unique way of handling tabulated pedigrees on the screen. You can set any number of generations to be analysed, from six upwards, and you can also set the number of generations to be displayed on the screen. Small screens (14 inches) can display six generations, and high quality or larger screens can display seven generations. The program treats the screen as a window into the larger pedigree so if you are analysing eight generations and displaying six generations on the screen you can move the screen around in the pedigree by double clicking on different horses to view six generation sections of the pedigree.

Messenger Mate displays the best winning mile time where it is known for horses displayed in the first three generations on the screen.

The following picture shows a seven generation screen, giving the first seven generations of an eight generation pedigree.

Line of Inheritance of the X-Chromosome
The line of inheritance of the X chromosome can be highlighted, allowing, for example, analysis of the inheritance of the large heart factor. Messenger Mate underlines those horses in the pedigree from which the subject horse could inherit its X-chromosome. In addition, duplicated horses are highlighted in different colours.

Certain mares have been designated as ‘double-copy’ mares. These mares are believed to carry the large heart factor on both of their X-chromosomes. These mares can be entered into the database and the program can highlight them in each pedigree.

The program can also print a table that shows the influence of either the horses duplicated on the line of inheritance or of each horse on the line of inheritance. This picture shows a screen displaying the first six generations of Voodoo Hanover's pedigree with the line of inheritance underlined and duplicated horses highlighted in colour.

Highlighting
Messenger Mate has extensive colour highlighting options, all of which are designed to give you information about the pedigree that you are analysing. You can control which colours are used. By default, simple linebreeding is highlighted. Highlighting options include:

Linebreeding: See above

Relationships: See above

Specific ancestors: Ancestors believed to be important within a particular pedigree can be specified and they and their descendants can be highlighted within that pedigree.

Families: Horses from the same family are coloured similarly within a tabulated pedigree.

Modern taproot: Horses with the same modern taproot are coloured similarly within a tabulated pedigree.

Line of inheritance of the X-chromosome: See above.

Double copy mares: See above

Important ancestors: Horses of particular merit or influence to the breed can be designated and then highlighted in every pedigree where they occur.

Tail Analysis
This feature allows you to generate a list of the ancestors on either the tail male or tail female line for a particular horse. Clicking on one of these, and then clicking Show Pedigree will take you to the pedigree of that horse.

Search Pedigrees
This is a powerful feature which allows you to search one or more individual pedigrees back as many generations as you wish for a list of specific ancestors. The search displays a list of each occurrence of each ancestor, plus a summary table, for each horse searched.

Test Mating
The keywords Test Mating, Foal, Colt, Filly or Mare can be used to automatically create a theoretical mating and allow full analysis of the resulting pedigree. It is also possible to quickly and simply generate a Test Mating to compare any two horses from within the current pedigree.

Data Entry
Data entry is simple and easy. Names are entered on the screen into the pedigree as if they were being written into a pedigree on a sheet of paper. The program prompts for the details for new horses. Names can be ‘rubbed out’ from a pedigree and replaced with another name. This feature is particularly useful when you are using Test Mating to analyse theoretical matings and you wish, for example, to try many stallions against one mare.

Printing
Messenger Mate can print from five to eight generations on an A4 sheet of paper. You can specify number of generations printed, the font and the colours used. The highlighting scheme currently in use on the screen is printed to the printer. All tables, such as linebreeding and relationships, can also be printed.

HTML Pedigrees
Messenger Mate can generate seven generation HTML pedigrees to enable information to be easily shared over the Internet.

Database
The database contains approximately 16000 names of horses, with a comprehensive selection of New Zealand, Australian and American horses. Sire, dam, sex, family number, country of origin, year of birth, colour and best mile time are also stored where known. Stud details can also be stored for stallions, and there is a facility for entering racing and breeding records, and comments. It is very easy to add new names, and the database has no limit to its size.

This database has been developed by people who use it regularly, has as few errors and spelling mistakes as possible, and a very low number of redundant or useless records.

This ensures that you can generate complete pedigrees with minimal gaps or mistakes. Where a horse is not in the database, it is easily entered. Often you need to enter only the sire and dam for Messenger Mate to generate the entire pedigree. Any horses you enter are automatically saved to the database and periodic free database updates are provided.

Messenger Mate provides a safe and easy to use method to remove misspelt or otherwise redundant records from the database, which allows for easy database maintenance.