Sims 4 horses know no authority, will enter your house without fear

Horses are majestic creatures, known for galloping, prancing, and cantering through fields. But what happens when they tire of being outside, and instead yearn for the simple pleasure of going indoors? The Sims 4 players are experiencing the consequences of this, and it’s as terrible – and funny – as you might expect.

The newest The Sims 4 expansion pack is called Horse Ranch, and as you might expect from the title, it’s all about horses, which are supposed to be on a ranch. But some of these naughty ponies have decided they want to go indoors. There is a horse invasion, and players’ poor Sims just have to deal with that.

The Sims 4 is a complex game, with characters as varied as Santa Claus or the Grim Reaper showing up to cameo in the lives of a Sims family. This has historically led to some pretty funny bugs — and patch notes — cropping up as different expansions and kits of the life simulation game interact and conflict. For instance, sometimes you might be taking a Sim out and vibing in the world, when you get a stern call from your dog reminding you not to break curfew. These kinds of bugs are more goofy than game-breaking, and I enjoy them as part of the Sims experience.

Horse Ranch, despite the name, also allows the players to raise other animals like ducks and sheep, and you can put tiny hats on your animal charges — and invite them inside where other pets like cats and dogs live. It’s just that, for obvious reasons, it’s disruptive to have a horse wander inside too, and decide to hang out with your Sims. Horses are very big, and Sims are very small. After spending hours creating the perfect dollhouse, complete with pieces of fine art and little lived-in touches, you probably don’t want a stallion stomping around with his big powerful hooves.

It looks as though horses simply share a lot of behavior in common with other pets, like cats or dogs, which might explain their overly forward behavior. Other players have reported Horse Ranch broke doorways for their Sims, barring them from entering their own homes. I don’t want to be rude; I just think horses should stay in stables, and Sims should be able to use their own houses.

I imagine it’s an especially frustrating bug for those who put a lot of time into building a barn or stable to house their horse pals. Creators are sharing tutorials and guides online, or posting their structures to a gallery for other fans to download. While you may be able to create the aesthetically perfect horsecore cottage-style barn for your best friend to hang out in, there’s no guarantee the horse will prefer the barn.

Not every player will be creating an equestrian Sim, and not every horse ranch will be plagued by the bug of their horse buddies wandering inside. For now, it’s just a funny bug that’s part of a larger horse experience. Fans can still dress their Sims up in new ranch-related threads, breed foals, and train their horses to their hearts’ content.