The Sims 4 Story Starter Kit: Taming the Wild

If you asked River what his childhood was like, he would talk at length about how he had the most amazing childhood any kid could ask for. He'd tell you all about his parents' successful horse ranch where they bred, sold, and competed with some of the world's finest competition horses. He'd tell you that his mom and dad both instilled their immense love and respect for horses in him from a very young age; especially his mom.

Lyla Hawthorne was a world-renowned horsewoman with hundreds of first place plaques to her name. Everyone thought she was unbeatable... until a devastating accident during a high stakes barrel racing competition took her life. After that, nothing was the same anymore...

Her grieving husband struggled with her death even more than her heartbroken son. He blamed her death on the horses and lost any love he once had for the majestic animals. In fact, he hated them. Unable to stomach the sight of a horse any longer, he sold their sprawling 100 acre horse farm and downsized to a smaller plot where he hoped to transition from raising horses to raising miniature sheep and goats.

The move devastated River. He was furious with his father for throwing away everything his mother had worked for. He felt they should be honouring her memory by keeping her love of horses alive, not abandoning it! He rebelled by skipping school to spend his days in Galloping Gulch, watching the herds of wild horses run free and wishing he could join them.

On one of his excursions, he noticed a wild mustang on her own, away from her herd. She had gotten her leg stuck in a hunter's trap meant for coyotes. Knowing the mare needed urgent medical care and that she wouldn't survive out in the desert without her herd and an injured leg, he quickly ran back home to grab some rope he could lasso her with and get her back to the farm. Unsurprisingly, the wild horse did not appreciate being handled by a human and fought him the entire way home.

When Thaddeus realised what his son had done, he was beside himself with rage. He told River he should have let nature take its course and left the horse for dead. He forbade River from going anywhere near her and started making calls to find a vet that would come and euthanize the injured animal.

Against his father's wishes, River tended to the mare's wounds himself, whom he named Fox Trot. By the time a vet did get out there, they deemed Fox Trot perfectly healthy and would not euthanize her, so Thaddeus was stuck with her. River pleaded with his father to give him a chance to tame the aggressive, defiant, and free-spirited horse but all Thaddeus could think about was losing his only child the same way he lost his wife. He made it clear that River was not to go within 100 feet of Fox Trot and that he would find a rancher who would take her off their hands.

But the fighting spirit Lyla passed down to her son was strong and River has now taken it upon himself to try and prove to his father that Fox Trot is not a lost cause; with enough love and patience, she could be a champion, just like their old horses. Just like mom.

Fox Trot isn't going to make it easy, however. She seems just as determined to fight River and every other human as River is to show his dad she's tameable. Can River turn Fox Trot into the trusting, gentle, championship horse he believes she can be or is Fox Trot truly a lost cause like Thaddeus insists?

• Age: Adult
• Pronouns: He/Him
• Romantic Interests: Women
• WooHoo Interests: Women
• Romantic Exploration?: No
• Traits: Rancher, Loves Outdoors, Hot-Headed, Collector (Bonus)
• Aspiration: Freelance Botanist
• Likes: Orange, Brown, Blues Music, Fishing, Gardening, Handiness
• Dislikes: Pink, Pop Music, Video Gaming
• Skills: Handiness (5), Fitness (4), Fishing (3), Gardening (2)
• Career: Rancher (Self-Employed)
• Relationships:
  • River Hawthorne: Son
  • Fox Trot: Pet
• Packs Used: Horse Ranch

• Age: Teen
• Pronouns: He/Him
• Romantic Interests: Women
• WooHoo Interests: Women
• Romantic Exploration?: Yes
• Traits: Horse Lover, Loyal, High Metabolism (Bonus)
• Aspiration: Championship Rider
• Likes: Orange, Brown, Blues Music, Fishing, Gardening, Handiness
• Dislikes: Pink, Pop Music, Video Gaming
• Skills: Horse Riding (5), Guitar (4), Fitness (3), Charisma (2)
• Career: High School C Student
• Relationships:
  • Thaddeus Hawthorne: Father
  • Fox Trot: Pet
• Packs Used: Horse Ranch

• Species: Horse
• Breed: Mustang
• Gender: Mare
• Value: $1,000
• Traits: Aggressive, Defiant, Free Spirit
• Skills: None
• Competition Wins: None
• Relationships:
  • River Hawthorne: Owner
  • Thaddeus Hawthorne: Owner
• Packs Used: Horse Ranch

• This Sims 4 Story Starter Kit household should be able to purchase their lot with their default starting funds. Make sure you import the family into CAS, then move them in. If you move them into a home straight from the Gallery, they will not have the funds I set for them.

This humble The Sims 4 Story Starter Kit home with 2 bedrooms, a paddock, and small stable isn't much space to run a big ranching operation but might be suitable for a herd of miniature sheep and goats. Still, if one did decide to keep a horse here, they might be able to squeeze one into the one stall in the barn and set up some makeshift training equipment in the paddock...

• Lot Type: Residential
• Price: §29,901
• Size: 30x30
• Beds: 2
• Baths: 1
• Lot Traits: None
• Lot Challenges: Wild Prairie Grass
• Packs Used: Horse Ranch

• Poses by ParisSimmer and SnarkyWitch