This article explains how to adjust the ride settings in Horse Club Adventures: Ride West to improve your horse’s performance and make the controls feel easier. You’ll learn what each setting does, how to choose the right combination for your skill level, and how to fix common control issues players run into.
Formula
The calculator above works out your horse’s average pace and speed from a ride’s total time and distance. The formulas are:
- Average pace = Total time (minutes) ÷ Distance (km). Result is in minutes per kilometer.
- Average speed = Distance (km) ÷ (Total time ÷ 60). Result is in kilometers per hour.
Variables: t = total ride time in minutes, d = distance ridden in kilometers. For miles, convert distance to km first (1 mile = 1.60934 km) or use the pace in min/mile by dividing time by miles directly.
Worked Example
Using the defaults (t = 50 min, d = 10 km):
- Pace = 50 ÷ 10 = 5.00 min/km
- Speed = 10 ÷ (50 ÷ 60) = 10 ÷ 0.8333 = 12.00 km/h
So a 10 km ride finished in 50 minutes means you averaged 5 minutes per kilometer, or 12 km/h.
What the Ride Settings Actually Do
In Horse Club Adventures: Ride West, the ride settings control three main things: steering sensitivity, camera behavior, and assist options. The game offers a “casual” control scheme and a “pro” scheme, but within those, you can adjust individual sliders. The most important ones for performance are:
- Steering sensitivity – how far you need to move the stick or wheel to turn. Low sensitivity makes the horse turn slowly and smoothly; high sensitivity makes it turn sharply.
- Camera follow – whether the camera stays behind the horse automatically or you control it manually. Auto-follow is easier for beginners.
- Speed assist – whether the horse maintains a steady gallop without holding the button. Turning this on reduces finger fatigue.
- Jump assist – automatically times jumps over obstacles. Off gives you full control but requires precise timing.
How to Choose Settings for Easier Controls
If you’re struggling with the default controls, start with these changes:
- Set steering sensitivity to around 30–40% (low). This prevents over-turning, which is the most common complaint from new players.
- Turn camera follow to Auto. Manual camera control while riding is a major source of difficulty.
- Enable speed assist so you only steer, not hold a button.
- Leave jump assist ON until you can clear obstacles consistently, then turn it off to gain more control over jump height.
These settings reduce the number of simultaneous inputs you need to manage, letting you focus on navigation and race lines.
Common Problems and Fixes
Players often report three specific issues:
- Horse turns too sharply – Lower steering sensitivity. Also check if you’re pushing the stick diagonally; the game reads diagonal input as a sharper turn.
- Camera swings around during races – Switch camera to “Fixed behind horse” instead of “Free look.” This is different from auto-follow; fixed means the camera never rotates unless you press the look button.
- Can’t jump reliably – If jump assist is off, press the jump button slightly before the obstacle, not at the last second. The horse needs a few strides to prepare. If it’s on and you still fail, you may be approaching at too sharp an angle.
Performance vs. Control Trade-offs
There’s a trade-off between easier controls and top performance. Low steering sensitivity makes the horse more stable but slower to respond in tight turns. In timed races, you might want a slightly higher sensitivity (50–60%) to shave off seconds, but only if you’re comfortable. Similarly, jump assist can slow you down because it uses a conservative jump arc; turning it off lets you jump earlier and faster, but risks knocking down rails. For casual play, keep assists on. For competitive races, gradually reduce assists and increase sensitivity as your skill grows.
Costs and Alternatives
All ride settings are free within the game – there are no paid upgrades for controls. If the default schemes don’t work for you, the game also supports custom key remapping on PC, letting you bind actions to different keys. On consoles, you can swap button layouts in the system settings, but the in-game options are limited to the presets. Some players prefer using a controller on PC because the analog stick gives finer steering control than a keyboard.
Safety and Real-World Context
While this is a video game, the settings mirror real riding principles. In real horseback riding, a loose rein and light leg aids produce smoother turns, similar to low steering sensitivity. Jumping too early or too late is a common beginner mistake, just as in the game. If you’re using these settings to practice for real riding, remember that the game simplifies physics – real horses have momentum, balance, and their own will. Always wear a helmet and ride under supervision when you transfer these skills to real life.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What is the best steering sensitivity for beginners?
Start at 30–40%. This gives you enough turning ability for most courses without overcorrecting. You can raise it to 50% once you’re comfortable with the tracks.
Q: Does turning off jump assist make me faster?
Yes, potentially, because you can jump earlier and take a flatter arc over obstacles. But it requires precise timing. If you knock down rails often, you’ll lose more time than you gain.
Q: Can I change settings mid-race?
No, the pause menu locks settings during a race. You must change them before starting or after finishing.
Q: Why does my horse drift wide on corners?
This is usually caused by high steering sensitivity combined with holding the stick fully in one direction. Try lowering sensitivity and tapping the stick instead of holding it.
Q: Are there hidden settings outside the options menu?
On PC, you can edit the configuration file to set values beyond the slider ranges, but this is unsupported and may cause glitches. Stick to the in-game sliders for stable performance.
Related
Formula used
in t | Finish time | min | 50 | 0 in d | Distance | km | 10 | 0 | 100000 out pace | Average pace | min/km | t / d | 2 out speed | Average speed | km/h | d / (t / 60) | 2
Each line is one input (in, sel, list) or one result (out: label, unit, formula, decimals). How the calculators work
Method: the standard formula for this calculation, rounded as each result states. See how the calculators work or report an error.
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