 | ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. |
 | OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
Horseland
Common Sense Media says
Jr. site kid-OK; World site a "neigh" for teens.
Parents say
QUALITY
Kids say
QUALITY
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that there are two separate games offered in this site, both based on the cartoon series: Horseland Jr. for kids who are 6 to 12, and Horseland World for teens. Both sites are about owning, training, and caring for horses within a virtual community. The simplified Horseland Jr. will probably be most engaging to kids under 8 years old as graphics are simple and activities are very easy and safe. Horseland World is for a more mature audience. Teen players need to be on their toes to keep clear of hostile community members in the limited and very hard-to-read chat rooms. There's a filter, but you can post bad things if you're a creative speller, and the filter doesn't edit out any grown-up talk about sexual assault or taking drugs. There's also talk of horses in the game being slaughtered or abused. It's free to play as a basic player, but $30 a year gets you more options. Ads pop up a lot in the chat rooms and there's a link to buy Horseland products.
What's it about?
On HORSELAND.COM, horses are featured in a game that gives kids and teens a taste of what's involved in owning a horse. For the under-13 set, there's Horseland Jr., but the bulk of the site's community is tied to Horseland World, the game for teens and up that offers a simulated network of horse owners, trainers, club presidents, and stable owners. Playing requires an email address, your age, gender, and postal code. Once in, there are plenty of opportunities for learning about the care of horses. Horseland Jr. lets you select a horse (choosing from characters you'll also find in the Horseland cartoon series), which you then care for daily. Once kids grow out of Horseland Jr., it's on to Horseland World, which is a much more complicated, interactive game.
Is it any good?
You can't play without interacting with members of the online community, and the chat rooms can be friendly and fun, but they can also be full of hate, violent, or sexual talk -- that have nothing to do with horses.
Horseland Jr. activities will be very exciting to the younger set, but they become limiting once the most challenging jumps are mastered. And the daily care can become problematic for parents who prefer that kids only use the computer on occasion. In Horseland World, players must buy a horse and find a place to board it; already there's a feeling of hostility, as existing members write that they won't sell to "noobs" (those new to the game). Finding a stable can also be a challenge, with stable owners (premium members) advising "noobs" to stay away or saying that a horse won't be fed. The horses that are valued have higher lineage, better training, and trophies from shows. All of this takes money, which can be made by training others, selling horses, or other legit means -- but beware of show trainers who steal horses, stable owners who over-charge, and hackers who will take money. Is the goal of this game to learn more about the responsibilities of horse rearing, or to be superior in the show arena, own more horses than others, and control stables?
What families can talk about
Families can talk about safety online, especially in the Horseland World section where teens can chat with other members. What information should you share online, and what should you keep private? Families can also use this game to help kids understand the huge responsibility of horse ownership -- the care, time, and resources necessary to keep a horse healthy and happy. What sacrifices in a kid's busy schedule will have to be made to meet the daily requirements of the horse?
- Show:
- All members
- Parents
- Teens & kids
AGE
super horses
horses are fun. horses are sweet. horses love us. they are the best!
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Kid, 11 years old
December 21, 2009
AGE
LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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AGE
Used to love it, hate it now.
Last post messed up somehow.....
Ok.
Been playing the game since 2005, and it used to be a fun educational game. Now, if you don't wanna spend your hard earned paycheck, it's so extremely hard to advance in the game, it's ridiculous. Also, the moderators do not do their jobs. I messaged them on several occasions about broken rules, and I never even got a thank you response or even acknowledge they revived it. The game is full of bullies. I have recently quit t play other sim games. Want a better alternative for a younger player? Equiscape.net, and ponybox* are great!
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Kid, 8 years old
February 6, 2011
AGE
horseland is so fun
i have bin reading and watching horseland a lot of times its so awsom.
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AGE
Been playing since 2005. Used to be a great game,
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