Sims 4 Horse Ranch: expansion pack release date on PS4 and Mac, horses explained, items, animals - and price

Despite approaching its 10th birthday next year, The Sims 4 continues to be a massively popular game, one that its publishers EA continue to support with regular new content updates.

Over the years, these content updates have brought upgrades to the game, extended key features, added new gameplay situations, and more character customisation possibilities. But if there's one thing that's been sorely missing from the The Sims 4 experience since 2014, it's horses.

Well, all of that's about to change, as the latest expansion pack promises to bring equine friends to the game for the first time, and allow you to live out your pony farmer fantasies. Here is everything you need to know about the Horse Ranch pack.

What is the Horse Ranch pack?

The Horse Ranch expansion pack won't actually mark the first time horses have been seen in The Sims. They first made an appearance in The Sims 3's pet-themed expansion, but were conspicuously absent from the latest game's Cottage Living pack - which did bring fans llamas, cows, chickens, rabbits, and foxes - and The Sims 4: Cats and Dogs.

But where Cottage Living introduced a more picturesque, farming lifestyle for your Sims, Horse Ranch goes the whole hog and has your virtual avatars saddling up for a day on the ranch.

Players can explore the rural setting of Chestnut Ridge and create their dream ranch life, whether that be a barn full of animal pals or a peaceful house on the prairie, and can also raise and train horses, which you can then ride to wander into town. Once there, Sims can socialise at the bar, let loose in the dance hall or practise riding at the equestrian park.

Your Sims will get to experience every aspect of ranch life, from harvesting prairie grass for the animal feeder to keeping all of your animals - which also include "mini" sheep and goats - healthy and happy, including the unenviable task of mucking out the horses.

You can even craft your own "Nectar" - which appears to be the in-game version of moonshine... - by stomping a variety of fruits, potatoes or even "trash", and EA says the resulting liquid can be "consumed in multiple servings and it will have different effects". Hmm...

The pack also includes food, furnishings and attire that incorporate aspects of Native American culture, and The Sims team is making a charitable donation to Sacred Healing Circle, a 100% Indigenous founded and led organisation that supports Indigenous communities by preserving traditional methods and practices.

How will horses change the game?

The introduction of horses brings some changes to the game that are sure to be exciting to those with an equine bent, and you'll be able to create new hoofed pals in Create a Sim, or obtain new horses in-game by rescuing, breeding or buying them.

You can alter your horse's body mass, length of coat, mane, tail, and other features by selecting from a variety of real-world breeds, and each has its own personality and four skills that it can work on: Temperament, Agility, Jumping, and Endurance.

EA says "players can have their horses nuzzle under the stars to make the perfect little foal" - an aspect of the game which it describes as the "very best part" - and foals will learn from both the family and the trainer.

Once your steed is ready to ride, Sims can go on exploration trips riding through Riders' Glen or travelling downtown to New Appaloosa. Galloping Gulch, an area of the in-game National Park, offers a variety of paths that wind among rock formations and camping and picnic areas.

You can also train up your horse's skills and have them enter into competitions at the Equestrian Centre, working your way through a variety of competitions that culminate with the Ultimate Horse Championship.

When can I play it?

The Horse Ranch expansion pack will be made available to Sims 4 players on Thursday 20 July. It will be available to players on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PC via EA app for Windows, Origin, Steam, and Epic Games Store.

The pack costs £34.99, and can be pre-ordered through the EA website.

Players who purchase the Horse Ranch Expansion Pack between 22 June and 31 August will be granted access to some additional "Rockin’ Rancher Digital Content", which features a resonator guitar, wagon wheel art and a rustic rocking chair for your Sims to relax in.