18 Horse Ranch Gameplay Ideas To Try | The Sims 4 Guide

A guide revealing 18 different gameplay ideas or things to do which are made possible or greatly enhanced from The Sims 4 Horse Ranch expansion pack. The aim of this guide is to highlight some of the key features of the pack and to help inspire your gameplay, and potentially consider some gameplay ideas you might not have thought about before. Please like and comment, and Subscribe here: bit.ly/2ZM0L4h
The gameplay ideas in this guide are wide ranging. Some, like going for a secret swim or running a ranch day event can be smaller side hobbies. Others, such as running a ranch or becoming a horse trainer can form the base of your gameplay.
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Chapters
0:00 Introduction
0:12 Camp At Saddle Summits
0:37 Have A Pet Horse
0:49 Grass Cutting Riches
1:33 Explore Dreadhorse Caverns
2:35 Rescue Horse Trainer
3:16 Competitive Horse Rider
5:13 Embrace The Cowpoke Dance
5:45 Horse Painter/Photographer
6:17 Mini Animal Farm
7:31 Horse Breeder
8:47 Secret Swim
9:11 Nectar Vineyard/Winery
10:20 Licquor Store
11:11 Live Forever
11:35 Horse Manure Business
12:05 Community Jobs
12:40 Ranch Gathering Event
12:57 Run A Ranch
13:36 Outro

[@TheOG-GG]

Adding to #15, my scientist sim ran with this idea! Since he has the SimRay, he transforms the horse poop into furniture, objects, etc then sells them for some really huge profits!

[@MWcandyMarie]

Neat I might hat to try that

[@PeteyPlaysIt]

I love this ahaha, turning the poop into something better :)

[@Leto85]

Now, that's an amazing idea. And the nectar can be cloned on the cloning machine too.

[@shannaandersonzongo8128]

I love the idea of a horse painter because it’s such a real niche in the art world. There are definitely people earning comfortable livings just making picturesque horse paintings.

[@UnassumingLlama]

I caved and bought the pack. I’ve been having a blast but I made the rookie mistake of doing too much too soon. A single sim with a needy horse, a garden, 6 mini sheep and 6 mini goats, andddd off-the-grid 😵‍💫. Overconfidence is an insidious killer 😂 (side note, I already had the dog, garden and off-the-grid lot challenge, I just got way too excited about the new pack to really think about the effort needed) Awesome video as always Petey!

[@lthomas6022]

😆

[@PeteyPlaysIt]

Ahahaha I love that you did everything at once, lol it sounds so chaotic and fun :).

[@marvinbrauer7523]

Yep I sometimes go crazy too. 😂

[@alyssaybanez1310]

I did the same thing, but a bit different, i got the horse ranch pack, and cottage living at the same time, and then cats and dogs a day after, so now i have 1 sim with 2 horses who had a baby, 2 dogs 1 cat, a lama, a cow, and chickens, and fruit / dragon fruit as my income, all the horses are needy, and the dogs and cat always crave attention. i need help 😭😭😭

[@itzelgc4637]

I wanted a community garden, but then I got my sim family to run a plant based empire. Flower arranging, candle making; simple living food, and in the future we shall make nectar 😂

[@nelixe1078]

Love this gameplay ❤️

[@jinnieslabios9467]

Also, it would've been cool if EA added a "wine tasting event" I think that would've been AWESOME. Unfortunately it'd prolly be buggy like almost every other event but that still would've been really cool

[@PeteyPlaysIt]

That would be way cool! I wish they'd do that!

[@reading1713]

Thats a really great idea! And since we already have food sampling mechanic in city living it should be possible

[@YouKnowImOnMyPeriodYah]

You probably could fake it, but yeah it would’ve been better if they added it. I’m trying to give the team SOME slack since I know they can’t think of everything

[@tugbatok9008]

nectar making could be part of a different pack....this pack lacks of social event, tho

[@barbiquearea]

Another gameplay idea that involves photography is to take photos while your sim is mounted on a horse. I find this to be a pretty useful option when it comes to taking pictures at an elevated height, as it allows you to point your camera at angles that you otherwise wouldn't be able to get with your sim's feet planted on the ground. Although with this trick you also have to position the horse correctly as your sim is riding them, as parts of their body (especially their head) could stick out in your camera's line of sight.

[@PeteyPlaysIt]

Ooh I love that so much barbiquearea! Such a great idea!

[@LadySpadesQueen]

I had another idea with horse ranch! My sim had a goat/sheep yoga studio on her lot. As weird as it sounds, it exists in real life 🤣

[@PeteyPlaysIt]

That sounds so incredibly fun! I love it!

[@emmamarkel8410]

Yup! It's weirdly sorta popular... (I'd actually do it if I wasn't scared of the goats pooping on me )🤣

[@SamJones-qx9hz]

Some great ideas and your horses are gorgeous! 😍 I am loving this pack. One more idea to add is - get your sim kids to camp out and try to see the ghost horse that appears across the broken bridge... great for storytelling.

[@PeteyPlaysIt]

Thanks so much Sam! Haha I've become way too attached to my horses! Also yes to seeing the ghost horse! That's an awesome addition!

[@mimimason]

For my city slicker sims I have them befriend the ranchers, visit and pretend its a riding school. My city slicker sims befriend the horses mount them and go for a ride. I then have the visiting sims gift the ranchers simoleons before they leave.

[@kesomon]

I've started a playthrough with a cross-pack where its a mom, a spellcaster daughter, and an elderly horse - the plot being the daughter grows up with the horse, is traumatized when it passes away, and dedicates her life to learning the Dark Arts of necromancy - inspired by a tumblr post: Necroprancer.

[@mbanana4566]

Love the nectar idea, might start a store!

[@saipirunc.6261]

Never knew taking horse photo is so cuteeeeeeeee

[@paulbrown7369]

Thanks Petey! I'm already loving this pack and these ideas will help the game stay fresh a bit longer.

[@CM-kt3pw]

The nectar selling is ridiculously OP (and I’m okay with this lol). I did a rags to riches playthrough with a character, starting with 0 simoleons, and was able to make a million Simoleons selling nectar before she’d reached Adult. It was pretty awesome. (I think I had over 100 bottles aging at any given time and eventually I opened a retail store to sell them at marked up prices)

[@angelaliao9167]

seeing everyone try out nectar making makes me so giddy! also LOL at the "run a liquor store" and then immediately "become immortal" on the list

[@notwithoutpizza4702]

Youre my comfort channel ❤️

[@PeteyPlaysIt]

Awe shucks thank you! This makes me so happy :D

[@streamerellla]

Absolutely love this video! Made me want to play these scenarios so bad that I turned my computer on and logged into sims 😅 your videos are always really great, keep up the good work! 🎉❤

[@shineeshaymin]

I'm back playing The Sims, thank you so much for all of your Horse Ranch videos ❤

[@pattiy8240]

Lots of great ideas! I am so enjoying this pack. 👍

[@jinnieslabios9467]

Omg, the vine yard?!! I need that so bad. I wish they added it to base game, I love it😭

[@sunniiai]

0:15 not the most related but it’s like camping related. there’s a base game way to get tents if u want them! Lookup sims sessions in the gallery and put one of the rooms on your plot (one that you can see has tents in it) and then put one or more of them in your sims inventory. I think they show up as just **debug**

[@shabadooble]

thank you! i’m currently making a horse-focused save file and this is very helpful.

[@brandoniswhoiam]

I just won the pack via a giveaway! What great timing! ❤

[@lotusflower4937]

this made me excited to play the pack!

[@MsShabriaGxo]

Lots of great ideas ❤

[@kathyomier8221]

Well, now that we have horses, nectar making, and cave exploring, how about a "Stardew Valley Sims Challenge." Also, Equestrian Clubs for my more well-off sims.

[@tomiraye7396]

I had a bottle of Vitality nectar sell for 99,000$

[@txtallydti]

How? Did you set the price? If so how?

[@tomiraye7396]

@@txtallydti no i never set a price, it was finely aged vitality nectar

[@clotildeturner8900]

Hey, if the range hand picks up the manures does it go into your inventory? Great job with your videos I refer to them often.

[@tugbatok9008]

i didnt know that horses can strike a pose to camera!

[@sabrinaloizides-merideth9874]

Pro tip: never try to ride your horse in Sulani...OMG the glitches! It's kinda funny but a little freaky.

[@faithssims6159]

Good to know!

[@lthomas6022]

I have a sim with a rescue horse that lives in Sulani. Mine doesn't glitch. I put barrels and jumps on the public beaches.

[@mbanana4566]

Yes Petey!!

[@Deolinchen]

Uuuuh, with this nice ideas i wanna buy the pack 😅 but i want to resist till it get to sale 😢 bc the criticism of being not worth a expansion pack 😮

[@PeteyPlaysIt]

Waiting for it to go on sale is always a good idea, as the packs are pretty expensive!

[@Deolinchen]

@@PeteyPlaysIt yeah but sometimes it's hard... I wanna make nectar sooooo hard, it would fit my story ATM so perfectly! And... These mini sheep? Purrfect 😍

[@mayberry9557]

I’ve felt bored with the sims 4 for a good.. two years now? This pack has sucked me right back in 🙈

[@Deolinchen]

@@mayberry9557 Uh, nooo that's another point on the 'throw money to ea' pro List 😱😁 ty 😅

[@marvinbrauer7523]

I resisted until the sale!

[@boas9087]

You can get the market table with only base game from the gallery, it was part of a old event😊

[@kerriesherrard]

I have to say, I was REALLY bummed to find out that selling nectar on the table did not count toward the sales needed for the nectar maker aspiration….. 😢

[@ashlaay]

Any info about the Ranch Hand cake making glitch? If there’s no chores for the Ranch Hand, they’ll come into my house and will start making white cake. Sometimes, they’ll just take out the prep from the fridge and leave it on the counter or start making it and then abandon it half way😅 If had to fire and rehire to see if that works but it doesn’t.

[@ragabashmoon1551]

They really need to fix the Ranch Hands to not quit every day. That's honestly the only complaint I have about the pack.

[@kimreed5160]

Somehow I got lucky and have the perfect ranch hand who comes every day and is so good! I want to tip him or something so he doesn’t leave us but it won’t let me?

[@ragabashmoon1551]

@@kimreed5160 Yea they seem to be weirdly bugged in the other way now. They stay and work until their day ends, but then they stick around to socialize and depending on your Sims' schedules, they ight end up staying until their next shift LOL

[@Chuggsservicedog]

Mine actually sticks around but he doesn’t leave like at all

[@purplecosmonaut]

Thanks for another video! I have to ask, what pack is the pair of pants your sim is wearing from? This sim at 0:06

[@anakalee3829]

I could be wrong but I believe those pants are from the paranormal stuff pack. 😊

[@evanrachelhood]

I’m doing idea #19: Recreating Westworld 🤗

[@sunny_fxiry21]

whats the diffrence between rescue horses and normal horses(other that price and tratits)? ❤amazing vids!

[@Chuggsservicedog]

There is no real difference between a rescuer horse and a bought horse besides rescue horse have worse traits (aggressive,defensive, ect) and bought horse have better traits(brave,intelligent ect) witch doesn’t affect the game play. defiant horses hate being ridden and have a harder time with skill level unlike intelligent is smart and has a better time with skills Hope this helps

[@thewildman1000]

How about the unicorns?

[@blazebardgames5939]

Has anyone figured out what, if anything, happens when you complete Dreadhorse Caverns? Back when this pack first came out I felt like everyone was posting different and often contradicting things about whether or not it was possible to fully complete Dreadhorse Caverns and what would happen if you did, but nobody ever really made an actual full walk-through or guide of that little text-based minigame.

[@tomjohnson4922]

Oh.... so I can't make nectar out of just any fruit but only certain ones? Bummer.... I wanted to see about plasma fruit.

[@blazebardgames5939]

Apparently vampires can make plasma fruit nectar. PeteyPlaysIt already made a video on the different kinds of nectar and what ingredients you need to make them.

[@Robert_Burnell-Jones]

It Would've been nice if Nectar-Making was done more like Juice Fizzing in that you can put almost any produce in and out comes a drink. I was hoping to be able to make Strange Nectar.

[@anakalee3829]

At higher levels there is “fruit nectar” made from whatever fruit your sim has on hand

[@marvinbrauer7523]

How is it possible that every person who plays SIMS isn’t subscribed to your site? I just don’t get that!

[@shabadooble]

thank you! i’m currently making a horse-focused save file and this is very helpful.