This post has an easy read (stop when you get to the red), and a more in depth read.

Horses are coming in the future with no dates given yet. When they land, this page will cover horses the best we can, so check back often! To prepare, save up your mascot coins, show animal tokens (until we know when horse mascots and show animals will be added), some apples and dandelions to make feed with, and some feed for all your animals, so you can dedicate your mills to horse feed when it comes. Be prepared that there may be some pain with new stables, but we will get through it! I'm excited to see horses.

New features and items always has the potential to raise some concern and worry among players, which is understandable.

• We know the horses are coming. We don't know when.
• We know they are stables, will produce horses, will be requested in the market, etc.
• We know that every stable introduced starts with growing the crop, then harvesting the feed, them milling feed, then collect the animal (or it's product).
• We know that horse feed uses dandelions and apples.
• We know that each stable has a mascot and a show animal.
• We know that mascots and show animals are added to the loot table when they are unlocked.
• We know that each stable has at least 1 co-op project (except sheep).
• We know that very few features have ever been added without forgetting something, or having all the components implemented all at once.
• We know that horses "will first be used in some contracts when they arrive, giving you a chance to explore and enjoy the new addition, with more ways to feature them coming down the line."
• We know they will take land, and that there is a space flexibility feature coming.
• We know that high level projects were not considered when the community chose a new co-op project to keep things accessible for all players
• We know that Big Farm is first and foremost a business, and you don't develop a feature unless there is money to be made from it.
• We don't know how much they sell for in the barn or contracts, or what their demand will be.

That is a lot of stuff we do know.

Horses are the same as other stables

Either right away, or down the road, there will be mascots and show animals. If you think about rabbits, you can't get rabbit mascots or show animals in the chests (loot tables) until they are unlocked, so wisdom says to save up coins and tokens to open a bunch of chests AFTER rabbits unlock, when you have a chance of getting them. Horse will be the same. If you want a good chance of getting a mascot or show animal, save up those tokens and coins till after they release horse mascots and/or show animals. (Let's hope it happens before the fishing tackle boxes!)

The general advice?

I can't tell you what features will be and won't be present at introduction. My crystal ball only works for 100 gold, 19 times out of 20. Whether horses and mascots and co-op projects and show animals and... drop next week or next month, or they drop in 5 weeks and horse mascots drop in 12 weeks, you can:

• make sure you have apples and dandelions planted if they announce an update in 30 mins. If you need them afterwards, great! If not, also great!
• keep some apples and dandelions stocked up in your barn (on weekdays. They don't do updates on the weekends.)
• have enough feed on hand that you can spend a day or two focusing on horse feed if needed.
• store up your show animal and mascot coins (unless you have empty stables or missing animals, then it's your discretion)
• be mentally prepared for some hiccups.
• market demand changes at level 100. If horses are lower levels , more like goats than sheep, there is the possibility that your level 1 stable won't keep up because the game expects you to have a level 5, 6, 7, etc, or multiples. This will lead to some pain while you get established.
• (Don't run long upgrades over common update days unless you have multiple construction slots)
• Let your inner hoarder run the show!

which raises the question... can your farm handle some negative happiness if you need to temp in a horse stable or two for a week to get up and going?

Flexibility

flexibility - the ability to bend without breaking, and willingness to change or compromise.

Big Farm chose the word flexible. I don't know how that works across the German to English language barrier. I don't know what this feature will look like, but it might require us to look at things in a new way. Either way, flexibility is exciting and gives you more potential to farm your way.

Big Fam gives us the box, and we find the best way to play within it.

Have a great weekend!

Smart