The Sims 4: Horse Ranch expansion pack introduces a thrilling new gameplay feature: horse breeding. This guide will walk you through everything you need to know to breed top-quality foals, whether for a profitable business or a delightful hobby. You’ll learn how to select breeding pairs, care for pregnant mares and foals, and understand the factors that contribute to a horse’s value.
Mastering Sims 4 Horse Breeding
Successful horse breeding in The Sims 4 involves strategic pairings and attentive care. By understanding the traits, skills, and competition history of your horses, you can significantly increase the value of your offspring. This guide will provide you with the knowledge to become a proficient horse breeder in the game.
Mating a Mare and a Stallion
To initiate Sims 4 horse breeding, you will need both a mare and a stallion. Interact with either horse, select “Friendly” interactions, then choose “Encourage To” > “Encourage to Breed With,” and finally select the other horse. A successful attempt will be indicated by the horses touching muzzles with hearts swirling around them. Don’t be discouraged if it doesn’t work on the first try; continue to build the bond between your horses.
After a successful breeding attempt, it will take several in-game hours to determine if the mare is pregnant. You will receive a notification if she is expecting a foal.
Caring for Pregnant Mares
During pregnancy, a mare cannot be ridden, trained, or entered into competitions. Ensure she remains comfortable and happy by brushing her, interacting with her, keeping her feed bin full, and her stall clean. Mares are typically pregnant for about three in-game days, during which their belly will visibly grow. On the third day, the mare will go into labor, a process that can take a few hours. Your Sim can help by using the “Soothe Horse in Labour” social interaction.
When the mare gives birth, a foal will appear beside her. You will then be prompted to name your new colt or filly. The foal will inherit one random trait from its dam and one from its sire, along with a third base trait of its own. This is why considering the dam and sire’s traits is crucial for Sims 4 horse breeding if you aim for foals with specific personalities. The foal’s appearance, including body shape and coat coloring, appears to be a 50/50 inheritance from both parents.
Foal Care Essentials
Newly born foals are clumsy but require minimal direct care, as their dams provide essential nursing and grooming. However, Sims can also bottle-feed and brush their foals. To train foals to eat hay, you can hand-feed them prairie grass or call them to eat from a patch or feed bin.
It’s vital to interact with your foals early on to develop their Temperament skill. A foal can only age up with the highly coveted “Well Mannered Foal” reward trait if they have a high Temperament skill. This trait provides a significant boost to all of the horse’s skills, making them more valuable and easier to train. Foals cannot be ridden or enter competitions; you must wait until they mature to start building their Agility, Jumping, and Endurance skills. You can check how many days remain until your foal ages up by hovering over its portrait in your Sim’s relationship panel.
Understanding Breedable Traits
For those looking to profit from Sims 4 horse breeding, understanding how to acquire specific traits is key. Certain traits can only be obtained through breeding and raising horses from foalhood. In addition to the three base traits inherited at birth (partially influenced by the parents), foals can be born with additional “breedable traits”:
- Playful: Foals may be born with this trait, indicating a love for playing with toys and Sims.
- Curious: Foals with this trait are more likely to investigate objects and will enjoy using jumps and barrels when they grow up.
- Champion Genes: This trait is inherited if either the dam or sire possesses the “Champion Horse” trait, which is acquired by winning 20 equestrian competitions. Both traits significantly increase a horse’s value and boost skill gain.
- Well Mannered Foal: While not present at birth, foals can develop this trait upon aging up if their Temperament skill was sufficiently developed during foalhood. This trait enhances all skill gains.
Maximizing Horse Value
To make Sims 4 horse breeding a lucrative business, understanding how to increase a horse’s value is paramount. Horses begin with a base value of $1,000, which increases based on several factors. To maximize profit, carefully select breeding pairs known for favorable traits, high skills, and competition success.
Ideally, consider these factors for Sims 4 horse breeding:
- Favorable Traits: Choose dams and sires with traits conducive to competitions to increase the likelihood of the foal inheriting them, leading to faster skill building and better performance.
- Champion Traits: Prioritize breeding horses with the “Champion Horse” trait to produce foals with “Champion Genes,” as these directly impact monetary value and skill gain.
- Competition Wins: Horses with numerous competition victories are more valuable, and this value extends to their offspring. Continue competing even after achieving the “Champion Horse” trait.
- Mature Sales: While foals can be sold, a higher price can be fetched by raising them to adulthood and securing some competition wins.
Highly skilled horses with numerous competition wins and desirable traits will produce the most valuable foals. While the pre-made horse Duke Gooseman is valued at $17,400, players have reported breeding horses worth up to $45,000.
