I searched and didn't find a discussion around this particular topic, so figured I'd create one. I have the Horses expansion and I was really excited to do some off the grid living and manage my own ranch. I have the cottage living expansion too so I plan on doing it all. However, I've noticed that owning a horse is incredibly annoying. Horses require too much social interaction. My sim has a hard time doing ranch chores because the horse is constantly following her around trying to get attention, getting in the way, and sometimes it cancels the action out and my sim has to start over. Can't get through one meal without getting up 3 times to "listen" to the horse. I had the "Horse Lover" trait and I used cheats to remove it in hopes that would help, but it hasn't made a difference. Has anyone else been having this frustration? I want to get the mini goats and sheep but I'm honestly nervous to do so out of fear that they'll be just as needy. Has anyone come up with ideas on how to alleviate this nonsense? A mod perhaps?

Found a cheat I didn't know existed to edit family in CAS with full edit mode so I used this to change the horse's "Friendly" trait to "Independent." The moment I quit CAS the horse tried another social interaction lol. Hopefully this at least reduces how often the interruptions occur. Fingers crossed, folks.

In addition to Friendly, is it possible that Needy was one of your traits?

Nope, didn't have that one. She has Intelligent, Brave, and I swapped out friendly with Independent. The horse is still interrupting actions that allow for Sim multi-tasking, like eating. It doesn't seem as bad as it was but it's still moderately annoying.

In my first save with the Horse Ranch expansion, I had my horse into a big fenced area that she couldn't leave, and I think that helped "containing" her and avoiding some of the spontaneous interactions.In my new save, I left my horse free to roam around the lot, and I noticed that sometimes the game queues social interaction with the horse, but I haven't noticed them being that disruptive of my game, even if my horse is needy. Now I have added a second horse to the family, and the two horses interact a lot with one another, so maybe you can try that too and see if being busy with another horse divert the other horse attention.

part of the reason, I suspect, that goats and sheep were included with this pack is that it's actually fairly common to have a "companion goat" for horses, especially if you have only one, so that they don't get lonely.Maybe see if that helps distract the overly friendly horse.

Horses are too social! | EA Forums

AmyMcc911
2 years ago
Found a cheat I didn't know existed to edit family in CAS with full edit mode so I used this to change the horse's "Friendly" trait to "Independent." The moment I quit CAS the horse tried another social interaction lol. Hopefully this at least reduces how often the interruptions occur. Fingers crossed, folks.
amapola76
Seasoned Hotshot
2 years ago
In addition to Friendly, is it possible that Needy was one of your traits?
AmyMcc911
2 years ago
Nope, didn't have that one. She has Intelligent, Brave, and I swapped out friendly with Independent. The horse is still interrupting actions that allow for Sim multi-tasking, like eating. It doesn't seem as bad as it was but it's still moderately annoying.
PiffleP
2 years ago
In my first save with the Horse Ranch expansion, I had my horse into a big fenced area that she couldn't leave, and I think that helped "containing" her and avoiding some of the spontaneous interactions.

In my new save, I left my horse free to roam around the lot, and I noticed that sometimes the game queues social interaction with the horse, but I haven't noticed them being that disruptive of my game, even if my horse is needy. Now I have added a second horse to the family, and the two horses interact a lot with one another, so maybe you can try that too and see if being busy with another horse divert the other horse attention.
DaWaterRat
New Vanguard
2 years ago
part of the reason, I suspect, that goats and sheep were included with this pack is that it's actually fairly common to have a "companion goat" for horses, especially if you have only one, so that they don't get lonely.

Maybe see if that helps distract the overly friendly horse.
AmyMcc911
2 years ago
Alright....time to get some goats and sheep! I have a dog, and the horse does interact with the dog sometimes. But the dog is another animal fighting for my Sim's attention so sometimes social interactions from both of them stack up in my queue. The horse doesn't interact with the cow at all, and the chickens jump in fear every time the horse enters the area with the chicken coop! I'd like a second horse, but I've been afraid that both horses would just annoy the crap out of me.

If this doesn't work, I'll resort to locking the horse up behind a fence. I'd hate to do that because I like to let it run around the property, but it would solve the problem. And also prevent my horse from walking into my house. That's getting on my nerves too. I would just lock the horse out of the house, but I have it set to lock for all except family members so I can keep the pesky neighbors from randomly walking in uninvited.
Babykittyjade
Rising Observer
2 years ago
They need companions. Mine interacts with all my other animals especially my other horses.
l_LilMagician_l
2 years ago
@AmyMcc87 Just lock the doors for everyone but your currently controlled Sim, then control each Sim in your household and click the door selecting the "Allow " option. That should at least stop the horse from going inside your house.
bshag4lv
Seasoned Adventurer
2 years ago
I am definitely going to have to try this...getting another horse. My sim is just like the OP's horse, very needy. Although my sim doesn't get up from eating, good grief! :D

I will try independent trait...hopefully the combination of trait and companion will work.

Good luck everyone! :)
dreaming22
2 years ago
They’re definitely social in real life. Mine was hanging around me while I was mucking so I kept hugging him and he finally got fed up with that and walked away. I break out the horse ball for him to nudge around and we sort of play soccer with it. And he does like to go out for rides. We’ve been muddling along, just the two of us since I lost my mare in December, but I haven’t found him a permanent companion yet. He had a pony buddy for a while, but the lil squirt was a bit pushy towards the end and I think that annoyed my gelding.

Kind of tempted to try a goat, but don’t want to bring in any animals as long as VSV is going around.

His sim-horse self is pretty independent and free spirited so he doesn’t really seem to be very needy. Of course he has my previous horses as companions though.