Everyone who’s ever had a pet knows that no two animals are exactly alike, and the horse traits included in The Sims 4 Horse Ranch expansion pack are here to see to implementing that in-game, too. With 11 traits to choose from, the combinations of horse personalities in The Sims 4 are almost endless.
In our guide, we’re breaking down all 11 horse traits in The Sims 4 Horse Ranch. We’ll explain what each horse trait impacts, how to assign traits to your Create-a-Sim horses, and how to check the traits of horses you’re buying or adopting in Chestnut Ridge.
What Do Horse Traits Impact?
In The Sims 4 Horse Ranch, like your human Sims, your horse's traits decide what kind of personality they have.
This is important for a number of reasons, but a major one of them is that training is impacted by personalities, with more stubborn horses proving more difficult to train and raise.
You'll find several horse traits that might make training your horse more difficult, especially if their traits make them excellent in one area, and lackluster in another.
For example, some traits make social skills easier to train, while others emphasize physical skills.
A horse's traits also decide how your horse interacts with Sims and other horses, changing the way you bond with your horses.
Friendlier horses have an easier time making friends and building their Temperament skill, while more aggressive horses may struggle to socialize.
Your Sim may struggle to build relationships with more complicated horses, as your Relationship bar rises and falls just like with human Sims.
There are also a few traits that will change your horse's mood more often than not. For example, Fearful horses are easier spooked than others, leaving them Scared for a while after.
You can check your horse's traits by opening its Profile from the Relationships tab.
You Can Only Pick Your Horse's Traits If You Make Them In CAS
We've got a whole guide on the various avenues you can take to get a horse in The Sims 4 Horse Ranch, but beware that adopted or rescued horses' traits are randomly assigned.
Thankfully, you're able to check a horse's traits before adopting or rescuing them, by hovering over their portrait to pull up their three traits.
Rescued horses are significantly cheaper than purchased horses, but adopted horses almost always have negative traits that make them harder to train.
If you're seeking a more docile horse, you may have to pay the full price.
Every Horse Trait In The Sims 4 Horse Ranch
Below, we've outlined all 11 different horse traits in The Sims 4 Horse Ranch, and have given a brief description of each.
All Horse Traits And What They Do
Trait | Description |
|---|---|
Aggressive | These horses are meaner toward Sims and other horses, making them difficult to befriend, and will try to resist their training. |
Brave | Jumping and Agility come much easier to these horses, and they're less afraid of things like bad weather. |
Defiant | In addition to a general difficulty in training them, these horses are more likely to mess up Jumping and Agility trainings. |
Energetic | Your horse's physical skills build faster, but at the expense of their Temperance building slower than normal. |
Fearful | These horses are easy to spook and will require fairly constant reassurance. |
Free Spirit | Outdoor environments are best for these horses, who get upset if left indoors for too longer without outside time. |
Friendly | These horses are easiest to befriend and train in Temperament, and will often tend to do well in Community Jobs. |
Independent | Their social need decays quicker, and these horses are okay with being left alone for longer. |
Intelligent | These horses build all training skills faster than normal. |
Mellow | Temperament is easy to build in these horses, but they may be slower to gain physical skills as a result. |
Needy | These horses require far more attention from their Sim and can often be found approaching human Sims for affection. |
Aggressive, Defiant, and Fearful are traits most often seen in rescue horses, as they're the most challenging to deal with when training.