The Sims 4 Equestrian Center - 5 Tips for Winning Horse Competitions

Horse competitions at The Sims 4: Equestrian Center have proven to be significantly more challenging than Simmers had imagined. With varying difficulty levels and a limit on how often one can participate, it can be discouraging to repeatedly experience defeats as a rancher.

Fortunately, we have found a few ways to help you win horse competitions in The Sims 4: Equestrian Center more reliably. With diligent training, the right mindset for your Sim and their horse, and maybe even a little save loading, here are five tips on how to win horse competitions in The Sims 4.

5 Happy Horses Are Winning Horses

One of the easiest ways to improve your horse's chances in horse competitions is to take the time to fulfill your horse's needs before the start of the competition. All the basic horse care tasks that you dedicate time to on the ranch should also be done before the competition!

To reach the Equestrian Center in the old Appaloosa neighborhood of Chestnut Ridge, simply bring your horse to Duke's Hall located directly to the right of it. There, you will find a complete self-service stable with everything you need to take care of your horse. Let them rest, make sure they have had enough food and water, offer them some friendly socialization from your Sim and others nearby, and let them play a little before competing.

Just like with Sims, you can check your horse's mood in the household Sims menu at the bottom of the screen, and the colors on their portraits correspond to those of your Sims. You cannot directly control your pet, but you can hover the mouse over them to see what's going on if their mood is less than optimal.

4 Train Hard And Often To Improve Consistently

No one really brings a completely inexperienced horse to a show, do they? Before taking your horse for its big debut at the equestrian center, make sure you have trained it extensively. Competitions assess two different skills, with guidelines and parameters unique to each competition type.

Only enter your horse in competitions where its skills are high, and save participating in other shows until you have invested more time in these skills. You have a chance to win as long as your horse meets the entry requirements, but you have a better chance if its skills are higher than the required level.

3 Raise Your Horse Riding Skill

However, the responsibility for winning horse competitions in The Sims 4: Equestrian Center does not solely lie with your horse - Sims with higher riding skills naturally have better chances of winning. By spending time taking care of your horses, interacting with them, and training them on your ranch, you will reliably improve your own skills as well.

Riding horses is the fastest way to build the Riding skill, as the name suggests. However, you can also purchase books on the Riding skill either from a bookshelf or through a computer. They will never be the most practical way to learn a skill, but horse riding books may be more portable than horses and allow you to build your skills both on and off the ranch.

2 "Encourage Training" Just Before A Competition

There is plenty to see and do alone in Old Appaloosa, and like in the other neighborhoods of Chestnut Ridge, your Sims also have access to horse training equipment. You can find them right outside the equestrian center itself, in the fenced area on the side.

With competitions taking place constantly from 7 AM to 7 PM, take some extra time to make use of the nearby training equipment before registering your horse! Successful training can help your horse feel confident in its abilities, and that should assist them in showcasing that confidence on the show stage after training at the equestrian center. However, be careful not to exhaust them completely.

1 RNG Makes Winning Tough, But Save-Scumming Can Help

Ultimately, your chance of winning a horse competition seems to be entirely random. We've had horses that barely met the requirements and won first place, and we've also had horses with top-notch skills that didn't place at all. However, since each horse can only compete once a day, you can somehow use this to your advantage.

If you travel to the equestrian center and save your game just before entering a horse competition, you can reload your save file if you lose. This will place you right before the competition again. It doesn't feel great to rely on this method, but if it's a matter of chance whether you win or lose, why not try to influence the odds in your favor?