Horses in Legacy can earn money from showing or in jobs.
Only the top 5 placing horses will win money at a show, and shows cost money to enter, so shows are a risky, but lucrative, way to earn money. Jobs, however, always bring in some money, but far less than a show purse would be. But, if your horse isn't ready to show, or just doesn't do well in the show ring, or has passed their peak in shows, then jobs may be the best way for them to earn money!
There are 16 different jobs your horses can potentially have, but they can only do 1 at a time. These jobs are:
Almost. The exception is miniature breeds. They cannot do anything that involves riding or pulling very heavy weights, so miniature breeds will only be able to do the following jobs:
It depends on the job and it depends on the horse. Each job has a maximum amount it will pay, but how much you get paid will depend on how well suited your horse is for that specific job. We'll cover what makes a horse good for each job in a bit, but for now, here is the maximum pay information:
| Job | Max Pay/Rollover | Max Pay/Game Year |
| Rodeo Pick-Up | $1,620 | $38,880 |
| Logging | $1,620 | $38,880 |
| Hunting Pack | $1,430 | $34,320 |
| Carriage | $1,300 | $31,200 |
| General Pack | $1,450 | $34,800 |
| Police | $1,200 | $28,800 |
| Ranch | $960 | $23,040 |
| Pony | $960 | $23,040 |
| Actor | $960 | $23,040 |
| Circus | $1,200 | $28,800 |
| Rodeo Bronc | $1,013 | $24,312 |
| Trail | $650 | $15,600 |
| Parade | $788 | $18,900 |
| Lesson | $600 | $14,400 |
| Therapy | $600 | $14,400 |
| Petting Zoo | $450 | $10,800 |
Keep in mind these are the maximums a horse could earn.
Jobs are a guaranteed, passive income. They are not meant to be as lucrative as shows, and do not require as much ‘work’ from the player to do. But, with good breeding and careful management of your horse's expenses, you can turn a profit with these.
Each Job looks at 2-4 qualities in a horse to determine their pay. Because of this, some horses will earn more at a specific job than another horse. Most Jobs depend on a horse's personality or talents, but a few take into consideration their performance abilities as well.
Here are the details about what each Job wants:
| Job | Quality 1 | Quality 2 | Quality 3 | Quality 4 |
| General Pack Horse | Low Spookiness | High Stamina | High Surefootedness | |
| Rodeo Pick-up Horse | Low Spookiness | High Responsiveness | High Agility | |
| Hunting Pack Horse | Low Spookiness | High Desire to Please | High Surefootedness | |
| Police Horse | Low Spookiness | High Responsiveness | High Submissiveness | |
| Logging Horse | High Desire to Please | High Strength | High Determination | |
| Ranch Horse | High Desire to Please | High Energy | High Cow Sense | |
| Parade Horse | Color | High Knee and Hock Action | High Charisma | |
| Film Actor | High Playfulness | High Intelligence | High Responsiveness | |
| Circus Horse | High Charisma | High Intelligence | High Playfulness | |
| Pony Horse (at the races) | High Submissiveness | High Energy | High Responsiveness | |
| Carriage Horse | High Submissiveness | High Desire to Please | Color | High Charisma |
| Trail Horse | Low Spookiness | High Surefootedness | High Energy | |
| Therapy Horse | Low Spookiness | High Submissiveness | High Desire to Please | |
| Lesson Horse | Low Spookiness | High Submissiveness | High Desire to Please | |
| Petting Zoo | High Desire to Please | High Playfulness | Color | |
| Rodeo Bronc | LOW Submissiveness | High Energy | High Agility |
You probably noticed that Carriage Horse, Petting Zoo and Parade Horse look for color. Basically they will pay more for a flashier horse.
Also note: For the jobs that consider Performance Abilities, they look at your horse's CURRENT stat, and not their maximum! So you will have to train/exercise your horse to get them to their max to get the most pay.
There are several things to consider when picking a job. First, each job looks at different qualities, so some horses will earn higher pay in some jobs versus others. Second, some jobs require more work (training) to be able to do, which can affect a horse's immediate and lifetime earnings. Third, some jobs, particularly strenuous ones which usually are the most lucrative, have age maximums, so it may not make sense to train an older horse for one of these.
Not exactly. The game never reveals what job might be ‘best’ over your horse's entire lifetime, but, if you have a Ranch subscription, the ranch manager can help you find the best job for your horse at that moment in their life.
Horses will need some training before they are ready to work. Below is a list of training requirements for the specific jobs.
| Job | Groundwork | Undersaddle | Basic Driving | Specialized |
| Therapy Horse |
x |
|
|
|
| Petting Zoo |
x |
|
|
|
| Lesson Horse |
x |
x |
|
|
| Parade Horse |
x |
x |
|
|
| Trail Horse |
x |
x |
|
|
| Carriage Horse |
x |
|
x |
x |
| Logging Horse |
x |
|
x |
x |
| Rodeo Pick Up |
x |
x |
|
x |
| Hunting Pack Horse |
x |
x |
|
x |
| General Pack Horse |
x |
x |
|
x |
| Police Horse |
x |
x |
|
x |
| Ranch Horse |
x |
x |
|
x |
| Pony Horse |
x |
x |
|
x |
| Film Actor |
x |
|
|
x |
| Circus Horse |
x |
|
|
x |
| Rodeo Bronc |
x |
Not allowed |
|
x |
No. They will automatically do their job and you will receive payment at rollover. But, doing a Job takes some energy from your horse. So, you will need to manage their feed and Condition.
Horses can begin working a job as young as 2 years old, but retirement age varies across jobs, with a few not requiring retirement. Once your horse has reached the maximum ages listed here, they will need to be switched to a different job.
|
Job |
Maximum Age (Years) |
| General Pack Horse |
15 |
| Rodeo Pick-up Horse |
15 |
| Hunting Pack Horse |
18 |
| Police Horse |
18 |
| Logging Horse |
15 |
| Ranch Horse |
18 |
| Parade Horse |
20 |
| Film Actor |
18 |
| Circus Horse |
18 |
| Pony Horse |
15 |
| Carriage Horse |
18 |
| Trail Horse |
20 |
| Therapy Horse |
none |
| Lesson Horse |
25 |
| Petting Zoo |
none |
| Rodeo Bronc |
15 |
Jobs subtract 0.5 Condition per rollover. While your horse doesn't need to be at any specific Condition to do the job, you will need to be careful and make sure they are on the right feed so they don't lose too much weight and become emaciated. Remember, horses can die from emaciation in the game!
As a general rule, if your horse is doing a Job, they will need at least Supplemental Feed to maintain their Condition.