Horse racing is a massive equestrian sport, producing legends like Secretariat, Man O’ War, War Admiral, Seabiscuit, and Seattle Slew. Ranches and horse owners from around the world raise and train their steeds and make them compete in various races to earn cash and prestige. Winners usually end up siring foals which will almost always be profitable for ranchers.

With this in mind, there aren’t many horse racing games that put you into the teeth of this sport. There are only a few examples, like Rival Stars Horse Racing. Rarely do we see one that lets us race in the American Triple Crown or the Victor Chandler Chase in the UK. And yes, it’s a long time coming, but how would it work, and how would a game like this look like? Well, let’s start conceptualizing one:

A Monster Rancher-inspired setting

Managing a horse in Rival Stars Horse Racing

A horse breeding and racing game can emulate how Monster Rancher, an old yet discontinued franchise, did things. Here, you can raise monsters, train them to become stronger via a plethora of rigorous methods and make them compete in countless tournaments. It’s a mix of monster management plus real-time battles.

In the case of a horse racing game, it can take a leaf or two out of Monster Rancher’s book. You can train your horses to increase their stats and have them compete in tournaments to improve your ranch. Apart from this, you may also prepare and hire jockeys and trainers, and stable hands to improve overall training performance. There’s potentially a lot of sports management and simulation aspects to dive into, and people who love these elements on FIFA, Football Manager, and NBA 2K will be in for a treat.

Competing in tournaments and progression

We need a game with these races like this

Of course, racing in tournaments is a crucial element in horse racing games. Like Monster Hunter, they don’t have to be composed of major tournaments. The racing calendar can be chock-full of minor competitions and local derbies where horses can prove their worth first and earn enough prestige so they can compete in national and international tournaments in the long run.

For example, your new young stallion, Brazen, needs to make a name for himself first, so he’ll end up joining county fair and Maiden races before entering state competitions which act as a springboard for national tournaments. Meanwhile, your veteran mare, Stagerose, may not a statewide champion but has earned enough fame to compete in national tournaments.

Plus, these races don’t have to be one-dimensional flat horse sprints. Some can be endurance races, steeplechasing, and quarter horse types. As a stable manager, you’ll have multiple horses, and you can then specialize them in certain kinds of races. Most importantly, you can also control them while racing, as if you’re the jockey.

Simulation: ranch and training facility upgrades

Apart from managing horses, you also have to manage your stable

Of course, you can’t train your horse well without having decent facilities. As a stable manager/owner, you’ll be in charge of not only raising horses but also upgrading your facilities. You may need to improve the stable where the horses sleep, modify the track where they train, and even build an office and a trophy house and museum where people can visit for added income. Apart from this, you’ll also need to hire staff to suit your office and horses’ needs.

So, these are some of the basic concepts of an ideal horse breeding and racing game. The management aspects can be akin to Monster Rancher and other sports games on the market. The horse racing elements can be varied depending on the type of race, although it can generally be something akin to a third-person racing game. There’s a lot of potential for horse racing games in the genre, and we honestly hope there will be a developer who’ll create a deep and captivating experience.