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The Sims 4: Horse Ranch is the latest Sims 4 expansion pack released by EA. In the package, players are introduced to the world of Chestnut Ridge, a wild-west-themed town filled to the brim with new Sims to meet, new places to explore, new animals to befriend, and some massive new gameplay features in store. Fans of The Sims 4 have been looking forward to a horse-themed expansion pack for a while now, expecting EA to follow the hugely successful precedent set by The Sims 3: Pets. However, the task of sifting through all the new features can be intimidating, so we’ve compiled a rundown of everything you’ll need to know about The Sims 4: Horse Ranch.
You Can Own and Raise Horses, Sheep & Goats
Right off the bat, one of the most prominent new features of Horse Ranch is the ability to own and raise horses. The ability to have farm animals isn’t necessarily new to The Sims 4, especially to those who have played the Cottage Living expansion pack. However, The Sims 4: Horse Ranch has brought ranch life to new heights. In the new expansion pack, you can create a horse in Create-A-Sim or buy or rescue one at a couple of places in-game. Your sim has the option of getting an adult horse or a foal, allowing you to either start riding right away or take the extra time to raise a horse from a baby.
In addition to horses, The Sims 4: Horse Ranch also allowed players to buy two new animals for their ranch: mini sheep and mini goats. Available for purchase from the Ranch Animal Exchange, mini goats cost 150 Simoleons each, while mini sheep cost 400. Aside from being some of the most adorable additions to The Sims 4 since we got Cats & Dogs, mini sheep and mini goats are also useful around the farm. Once your sim has a close enough friendship with the goat or sheep, they can help out with gardening around the ranch, which is extra useful considering the new Nectar hobby.
You Can Ride Your Horse and Enter Competitions
When it was first announced, one of the main draws behind The Sims 4: Horse Ranch was the new ability to ride horses and enter competitions. If your sim has an adult horse, they can take their horse for rides all around Chestnut Ridge, from the wilds of Galloping Gulch or the bustling town of New Appaloosa. Horse riding gives your horse exercise and lets your sims build the new “Horse Riding” skill, which allows them to be more confident while on horseback.
In addition to horse riding, The Sims 4: Horse Ranch also introduces equestrian competitions. These are divided into four events with four different difficulty levels. Your sim and their horse can participate by going to the Equestrian Center in New Appaloosa or using a community board. Each competition event requires your horse to have a certain level in the new agility, endurance, jumping, or temperament skills, and winning a competition earns you a trophy and a cash prize. Win all the competitions, and you can even become the Ultimate Horse Champion.
You Can Make Nectar and Earn Money Doing It
Another new feature added in The Sims 4: Horse Ranch is Nectar. Nectar-making is a new hobby your sims can have, complete with a skill that unlocks new kinds of Nectar for you to make. Making Nectar is fairly simple since all you need is a Nectar machine available for purchase in Build Mode. You’ll also need a few spare crops, which your sim can either grow with a garden plot or buy from the machine.
Once the Nectar is made, you can store the bottles in aging racks, and this is where you have the opportunity to make the most money. The value of the Nectar increases exponentially with every new level of aging reached. A finely-aged bottle of Nectar can be sold for thousands of Simoleons. Additionally, as your sim levels up the Nectar-making skill added in The Sims 4: Horse Ranch, they’ll be able to turn out better quality bottles. An Excellent-quality bottle of Nectar sells for far more than a Poor-quality bottle of the same type.
