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Updated October 23, 2026

The Sims 4 Horse Ranch guide

How to get a horse in Sims 4 Horse Ranch: buy, rescue or breed, riding competitions, Nectar making, cheats, and whether the pack is worth it.

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What is The Sims 4 Horse Ranch?

Horse Ranch is an expansion pack for The Sims 4. It adds horses, mini goats, mini sheep, ranch work, and Nectar making. It also adds a new world, Chestnut Ridge.

The pack came out on July 20, 2023, on PC, PlayStation 4 and 5, and Xbox One and Series X|S. Steam lists the regular price as $39.99. You need the base game and all game updates to play it. This guide uses the EA pack tour, the Steam page, and fan guides that we opened on October 23, 2026.

Where is Chestnut Ridge?

Chestnut Ridge is the world that comes with the pack. EA says it takes ideas from the American West. It has three neighborhoods:

  • Riders’ Glen, the ranch neighborhood.
  • Galloping Gulch, a national park with trails, campfire spots, and picnic areas.
  • New Appaloosa, the town with a bar, a dance hall, and an equestrian park.

Your Sims can also explore Dreadhorse Caverns. A long trail connects the places on the map. Sims can ride their horse into town.

What else does the pack add?

EA lists two town events. At a Ranch Gathering, Sims cook out and dance. On Ranch Animal Day, Sims meet the animals. When the ranch work grows, you can hire a Ranch Hand. For a farm life with chickens and cows instead, read our Cottage Living guide.

How do you get a horse in The Sims 4?

First, get the Horse Ranch pack. Then use one of four ways. Make a horse in Create a Sim, buy one, rescue one, or breed two horses.

Make a horse in Create a Sim

This way is free. Open Create a Sim and add a horse from the pet options. EA says you can pick real-world breeds. You can also change the head shape, mane, tail, feathers, body mass, and coat length.

Buy or rescue a horse

Go to the Equestrian Center in New Appaloosa, or use a community board in Chestnut Ridge. Sims Community says that a bought horse costs §1,000. A rescue costs only §250.

Rescue horses are cheaper, but most of them are old. Some also have bad traits. Fan guides say these traits can make training harder. Buy a horse if you want to compete soon.

Does a horse join the household?

Yes. The horse joins your household like a cat or a dog. It talks to Sims and to other horses, and it needs care. For cats, dogs, and small pets, read how to get a pet in The Sims 4.

How do you take care of a horse in Sims 4?

Keep five needs high: Hunger, Energy, Social, Fun, and Hygiene. You cannot click the horse portrait to see the needs. Hover over the horse to see them.

  • Feed the horse from a feed bin, wild Prairie Grass, or by hand with apples, carrots, or strawberries.
  • Put a water trough on the lot.
  • Brush the horse and clean its hooves. Foals only need brushing.
  • Clean the horse bed about once a day. Pick up the manure.
  • Spend time with the horse. A horse ball also gives Fun.

Sims Community says that a feed bin refill costs §30. It is free if you use Prairie Grass from your inventory. Manure from a happy horse makes better fertilizer for your garden.

How do you breed horses in Sims 4 Horse Ranch?

Put a mare and a stallion on your lot. Make them friends. Then tell one horse to breed with the other.

  1. Select the horse.
  2. Open Friendly interactions, then “More Choices.”
  3. Select “Encourage To…,” then “Encourage to Breed with….”
  4. Pick the other horse.

If it works, a notification says that the mare is pregnant. A pregnant mare cannot be ridden. GGRecon says the foal comes about 30 game hours later. GosuNoob only says “a couple of” days.

What traits does a foal get?

The foal gets a mix of the looks and traits of both parents. EA says a foal can also get a unique trait. GGRecon names three hidden traits: Playful, Curious, and Hardy. The game picks one at random.

Spend a lot of time with the foal. Sims Community says that a high Temperament skill when it grows up gives it better traits.

How do horse riding and competitions work?

Your Sim learns the Riding skill, and your horse learns four skills. Then the two enter competitions at the Equestrian Center. Good pairs win Simoleons and plaques.

What skills do horses have?

Horses have Temperament, Agility, Jumping, and Endurance. Foals can only learn Temperament.

  • Train Agility on horse barrels.
  • Train Jumping on horse jumps.
  • Train Endurance on trail rides in Galloping Gulch.
  • Train Temperament when your Sim spends time with the horse.

You can also pay the Equestrian Center to train one skill. For the Sim skills, read our Sims 4 skills guide.

How do you enter a horse competition?

Go to the Equestrian Center, or use any community board in Chestnut Ridge. Sims Community says that the center is open from 7 AM to 7 PM. There are four competitions: Barrel Racing, Endurance Racing, Show Jumping, and Western Pleasure.

Each competition has four divisions: Beginner, Intermediate, Expert, and Master. Place in the top three to move up. Only adult horses can compete, and each horse can enter once a day.

DivisionEntry fee1st prize
Beginner§100§300
Intermediate§250§750
Expert§500§1,500
Master§1,000§3,000
Ultimate Horse Championship§2,000§6,000

These numbers come from Sims Community. To enter the Ultimate Horse Championship, place in the Master division of all four competitions.

What are the Horse Ranch aspirations?

The pack adds two aspirations. Championship Rider asks for level 10 Riding and a top three place in the Ultimate Horse Championship. Its reward trait, Grand Champ Trainer, makes horse training faster. Expert Nectar Maker asks for level 5 Nectar Making and §100,000 from Nectar sales.

How do you make Nectar in Sims 4?

Buy the Rootin’ Fruit’n Nectar Maker for §350. Click it, select “Craft Nectar,” and pick a recipe. Then sell the bottles or let them age.

EA says Sims make Nectar by stomping fruit, potatoes, or trash. You can buy basic ingredients from the machine. You can also grow your own.

How do you level up Nectar Making?

Make Nectar. The skill has five levels. Sims Community says there are no skill books or classes for it. Each level opens new recipes:

  • Level 1: Apple and Grape.
  • Level 2: Strawberry and Potato.
  • Level 3: Prairie Grass and Trash.
  • Level 4: Energy, plus Moonpetal, Plasma, and Valerian.
  • Level 5: Fruit, Berry, and Vitality.

Moonpetal, Plasma, Valerian, and Vitality are special recipes. To unlock the first three, order that Nectar at a bar. To unlock Vitality, search wild grass and ask the Mysterious Rancher.

How do you age Nectar?

Put the bottles on a Rancher’s Stackable Nectar Storage Rack. It costs §300. EA says aged Nectar sells for more Simoleons. A basement or cellar also makes Nectar age faster, but a rack is faster. For more ways to earn, read how to make money in Sims 4.

What are the Sims 4 Horse Ranch cheats?

Open the cheat console and type testingcheats true. Then use the codes below. These codes come from KeenGamer. KeenGamer says trait cheats do not always work.

  • stats.set_skill_level AdultMajor_EquestrianSkill 10 sets the Riding skill to 10.
  • stats.set_skill_level AdultMinor_RanchNectar 5 sets Nectar Making to 5.
  • traits.equip_trait HorseLover adds the Horse Lover trait.
  • traits.equip_trait trait_Rancher adds the Rancher trait.
  • careers.add_career RanchHand gives the Ranch Hand career.

How do you max a horse’s skills with cheats?

First, find the horse’s ID. Type sims.get_sim_id_by_name and the horse’s name. Then type stats.set_skill_level Horse_Agility 10 and the ID. Use Horse_Jumping, Horse_Endurance, or Horse_Temperament for the other skills.

For the full list, read our Sims 4 cheats guide and the Sims 4 skill cheats.

Is Sims 4 Horse Ranch worth it?

Yes, if you love horses or farm life. If you want a big change to daily life, the reviews say it is thin for an expansion pack. Some reviewers say to wait for a sale.

On Steam, the pack has a “Mixed” rating. When we checked, 50% of 287 user reviews were positive. PCGamesN gave it 8/10 and liked the horse variety and the riding animations. GamingTrend gave it 40/100 because of bugs. GGRecon said it feels more like a Game Pack than an Expansion.

Compare it with the other packs in our Sims 4 expansion packs list.

Where does LifeSim fit?

It does not fit if you want horses. We found no horses, ranches, or Nectar in LifeSim. For riding and competitions, play The Sims 4 with Horse Ranch.

LifeSim is a free game in the browser. You create a character and explore a real-world map. You meet the people around you and talk to them. Read LifeSim vs The Sims for the full comparison.

Questions

Can you get a horse in Sims 4 without Horse Ranch?

No. Horses come with the Horse Ranch expansion pack. After you buy it, read how to install Sims 4 packs.

How much does a horse cost in Sims 4?

Sims Community says a bought horse costs §1,000 and a rescue costs §250. A horse from Create a Sim is free.

Is Horse Ranch on consoles?

Yes. EA lists the pack on PlayStation 4 and 5, Xbox One and Series X|S, and PC.

Can horses compete when they are foals?

No. Only adult horses can compete. Pregnant mares cannot compete either.

Can you sell horses in Sims 4?

Yes. Sims Community says healthy horses sell for more. The Grand Champ Trainer trait also gives better sale prices.

More Sims guides

Sources

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