Disney Dreamlight Valley: What’s the Best Way to Level Your Horses?

If you’ve been playing Disney Dreamlight Valley’s latest expansion, Wishblossom Ranch, then you’re certainly riding around on the back of one of several trusty steeds! It could be a well-known friend, like Maximus, or a horse you’ve designed and named yourself. Either way, leveling them up is the key to progressing in the expansion’s story.

Pet, Brush, Feed

Shortly after unlocking your first horse, you’ll learn how to pet, brush, and feed your new friend. Like the villagers, your horse-friend will have favorite foods it wants to eat. Some will be as simple as an Apple or a Carrot, and others will be uncommonly frustrating, like Button Stew. (See my article on Button Stew for why that is.)

These are relatively simple tasks, and you can get the benefit of brushing and petting the horse once a day. Providing the desired foods is once a day as well. While it is a good idea to do these things for the boost they give, it isn’t the main way you’ll level the horse.

Riding and Jumping

Riding your horse seems like a rather obvious way to gain friendship with them. And jumping is just plain fun! As you ride around the new biomes, you’ll see fences and hay bales, which are great for jumping over. Just ride straight towards them and start to gallop (by pressing Shift if you’re using a keyboard or the Sprint/Glide button on your controller). The horse will jump automatically when it reaches the obstacle.

For some added fun and faster leveling, add more obstacles all around the biomes. Create your own obstacle course (or steeplechase course if you’re a horse nerd like me). By strategically placing short fences, hay bales, or other obstacles, you can make a winding course that’s fun as you ride around.

Gathering Skills

While riding your horse, you can gather most things. So, it’s beneficial to do exactly that. Gather flowers, spices (like Button Mushrooms), fruit, and planted crops while sitting on your horse. When the horse levels up and you can choose a gathering skill, snag mining first.

Once you’ve trained the horse to mine, you can ride up to a rock spot and press the appropriate action button. The horse will rear up and smash the rock with its hooves. Do this again and again until the rock is destroyed, then ride around to collect anything that flew off.

You’ll Be Best Friends in No Time!

OK, maybe not in no time. But it leveling your horses will go much faster with these tips. So, go make your jumping course, gather up the resources all around the biomes, and just ride your horse everywhere you go. Don’t forget to have fun. Racing around is the best part!