The Sims 4 Horse Ranch Guide: All You Need to Know About Horse Care
The Sims 4 Horse Ranch Guide: All You Need to Know About Horse Care
Quick Links
It’s no surprise that owning, raising, and caring for horses is the main draw in The Sims 4 Horse Ranch expansion. But let’s be real, it’s not all rainbows and unicorns. With care, training, and socializing all to worry about, you’ll have your hands full with ranch duties more often than not!
RELATED: Everything You Need To Know About The Sims 4 Horse Ranch
In this guide, we’re going to walk you through all the important info you’ll need to get started on caring for your horses in The Sims 4 Horse Ranch. It’s hard work, but a peaceful life on the ranch is worth it.
What Do I Need To Care For Horses?
Like with all animals in The Sims 4, horses have a few specific requirements to make caring for them a smooth process.
Find Horse Care Items In The Outdoor Room Section Of Build Mode
If your lot doesn’t have a horse stable, you’ll need to build one if you’d like your horses to be happy and healthy. Because let’s face it, horses don’t thrive in a cramped apartment.
- The Sims 4 Horse Ranch: Horse Training Guide
- Baldur’s Gate 3: Spells, Magic, and All You Need to Know
- Civilization 6: Information Era Tips
There are four essential items the game suggests you purchase if you hope to raise horses:
- Animal Feeder
- Horse Water Trough
- Horse Bed
- One Big Ball
You can find all these items in the Outdoor room section of Build/Buy Mode, under the chicken coop icon. Just think of it as a “one-stop shop” for all your horse care needs.
Choose Either Jumping Or Agility
While training your horses in various skills is essential, it can be a bit challenging when you’re low on funds or space. Training items take up a lot of room, so choose wisely.
The new lots in Chestnut Ridge offer plenty of wide-open spaces, which is great for training. However, keep in mind that you’ll need separate equipment for Jumping and Agility training. These items are quite large and will take up valuable real estate on your lot.
RELATED: The Sims 4: How To Paint Ceilings
How To Tend To Your Horses
AssGameTopic Your Horse To A Bed, And Then Keep It Clean
Despite what your horse may say, they need their beauty sleep too. After all, even majestic creatures need some shut-eye.
So, when you first place stables on your lot, make sure to assGameTopic a horse to a bed. You can only assign one horse per bed, so if you’re raising multiple horses, you’ll need multiple beds. And hey, don’t forget about those piles of hay in each bed—they’re not for decoration.
As time passes, the hay will shift in the bed and eventually begin to stink. That’s your cue to change your horses’ bedding. Trust us, they’ll appreciate it.
To keep your horses happy, click on their bed and choose to clean it. Just like your horse stays fresh and clean, make sure their sleeping area is too.
Keep The Feeders Full, And Hand-Feed Your Horses
Horses are known for their appetites, and they can eat—a lot. So, make sure to have enough Animal Feeders for each horse. Otherwise, they’ll give you those adorable, pleading eyes that make it difficult to resist their demands.
Each feeder costs 30 simoleons to refill, so keep an eye on the food levels to ensure everyone is well-fed and in good health.
By the way, did you know that you can hand-feed your horses with fruit or vegetables from your Sim’s inventory? Not only does it satisfy their hunger need, but it’s also a bonding moment between you and your horse. Just picture yourself feeding them an apple while they give you a grateful nuzzle. Ah, the sweet joys of horse ownership.
Talk To Your Horses And Respond To Their Moods
Making friends with your horse is critical—trust us, it’s not just horses who want to be your friend. The better you and your horse get along, the better behaved they’ll be. It’s a win-win situation!
And just like any friend, horses have moods too. By hovering your cursor over your horse, you’ll see a pop-up menu with their needs and current mood. It’s like having that one friend who can’t hide their emotions on their face.
Also, can we take a moment to appreciate the fact that horses have colored backgrounds on their portraits to indicate their mood? It’s like a vibrant horse mood ring. How cool is that?
Each mood has unique socializations that can either make your horse’s day or turn their frown upside down. So, if your horse gets spooked and ends up feeling afraid, you can calm them down in various ways. It’s like becoming a horse whisperer!
Just remember that you’ll gain and lose relationship points with horses, so socializing should be a top priority. After all, who doesn’t want a horse BFF?
Care For The Horses Regularly
Horses, like any creature, get dirty throughout the day. Brushing them regularly will help maintain their hygiene. They might not enjoy it, but it’s necessary for their cleanliness and your sanity.
Additionally, don’t forget to clean their hooves. It’s not the most glamorous task, but it’s all part of keeping them in tip-top shape. Trust us, a clean horse is a happy horse.
Also, make sure their Feeder is stocked with food, and their bed is clean. Happy horses are a product of good care, just like happy gamers are a product of good gaming sessions.
Check Your Horse’s Skills And Behavior
While you can’t control your horses directly in The Sims 4 Horse Ranch, you can still keep an eye on their progress.
To do this, find your horse in the Relationships panel. Clicking on their portrait will give you the option to open their profile. Think of it as a scrapbook filled with vital information about your beloved horse.
Here, you can keep track of several important pieces of information, including their biographical details, traits, competition history, skills, and your Sim’s relationship with them. It’s like having a horsey LinkedIn profile, but way more adorable.
This tab makes it much easier for you to track your horse’s training progress and important event information. So, go ahead and be the horse’s number one fan.
NEXT: The Sims 4: How To Breed Animals
