Horses of Hoofprint Bay Updates: Patches and Future Plans
Horses of Hoofprint Bay updates: the plan after release, the v1.0.2 patch of November 8, 2026, every demo patch from v0.1.6 to v0.1.12, and what isn't planned.
Horses of Hoofprint Bay updates after release will be bug fixes and minor requests rather than big content drops: the developers say the game released as a finished product, deliberately without a content roadmap. A tiny patch in launch week fixed a crash when loading the next day, and the first proper patch, v1.0.2, followed on November 8, 2026. This guide to Horses of Hoofprint Bay updates covers the official plan, the patches so far and the features that are not coming.
Knowing the plan helps you decide whether to wait for more content. Patch notes and announcements appear on the official Horses of Hoofprint Bay store page on Steam under the game's news.
The Plan After Release
The developer's official FAQ on the Steam forum, posted on launch day, answers the main questions:
| Question | The developer's answer |
|---|---|
| Will there be major updates after release? | "No, for the most part the game is releasing as a finished product." Future additions aren't ruled out, but there is deliberately no content roadmap |
| What will be fixed? | They will keep an eye on bug reports and minor requests and tackle them as needed |
| Will there be DLCs? | Not sure yet, no promises; they want to keep the project contained and finished |
| New breeds or disciplines? | Major new features such as other horse breeds or other disciplines are not planned |
The August 2026 release date announcement said the same: "no Early Access, no feature addition roadmaps". When a player asked for draft horses, the developer replied in September 2026: "Other breeds are not planned! :)" For changes players make themselves, see our Horses of Hoofprint Bay mods guide.
Launch Week Fixes
The first problems after release were reported on the official Steam forum:
- Crash when loading the next day: a player's game crashed every time they moved to the next day after riding or training. Another player replied that the bug had been identified and a tiny patch released about 12 hours earlier, and asked them to update.
- Stuck end-of-day button: on release day, a player reported that the button turned grey at the end of day 2 and the new day didn't start; another player said they had to restart the game to begin each new day.
- Achievements locked: several players saw "this save was edited outside the game" after crashes, which locked achievements on that save; it was reported to the developers on the official Discord.
If you hit a bug, players recommend reporting it on the official Discord with the bug report template. See our Horses of Hoofprint Bay Discord guide.
Patch v1.0.2 (November 8, 2026)
The first proper patch arrived on November 8, 2026. It mainly targets the bug that invalidated save files when the game or the PC crashed, the cause of the "edited outside the game" message above. According to the patch notes:
| Change | What it does |
|---|---|
| Save validation for backups | Backups get their own validation files, so you can roll back to a backup without losing achievements; achievements can be re-enabled and demo saves loaded from the backup files |
| Hangs | A few bugs that let the game hang are fixed |
| Two items on the mouse | You can no longer pick up two draggable items at once (brush, feed, medicine, tack, clothes, yard tool, yard horse) |
| Stat loss after a foal | Mares lost stats when having a foal; horses with low stats now lose far less, at most 1/10 of their endurance and never more than 5 |
| Hay racks | Clearer fill stages, so hay no longer seems to get lost |
| Error messages | A new option turns on error message popups |
Other fixes cover the Esc key in the wardrobe, horses that could be exported more than once, wrong available courses for a senior horse with a foal, imported horses whose medical issues might never resolve, and a save that could be overwritten because the name check was case sensitive.
The developers named one limit: the fix does not repair saves that were already invalidated. They can't tell a wrongly invalidated save from one that was really edited, so those saves can't be revalidated; you either start a new save or keep playing without achievements.
Demo Patch History
Before release, the demo got several patches. The main changes, by post:
| Date | Versions | Highlights |
|---|---|---|
| February 25, 2026 | v0.1.6 and v0.1.8 | More settings and accessibility (zoom in lessons, sounds can be disabled), pause on Escape, horses can be switched between full stable groups, jump-off indicator popup, boarder icons, special horse color notification, fixed boarders getting hungry too much, breeder shows 3 new horses a day instead of 1 |
| February 26, 2026 | v0.1.9 | Fixed lessons not starting in a freshly installed game; fixed impossible competitor times in the Low competition |
| March 17, 2026 | v0.1.10 to v0.1.12 | New boots, skippable lesson tutorial, filter and sort at the breeder, right-click to zoom out the yard, Space as the default jump key, stats and potential on the training end screen, relaxed care rules for full boarders |
The v0.1.9 fix followed a bug that the previous update introduced: after v0.1.8, players on Windows and Linux who freshly installed the demo got a grey screen at their first riding lesson, and the developers fixed it the next day.
Bigger Changes Before Release
Most new content arrived between the demos and launch, announced in dev updates:
| Dev update | What it added |
|---|---|
| May 27, 2026 | Leopard patterns, beach trail rides, staff overhaul, rebalanced starter horses and Caprilli tests, later building stages |
| August 12, 2026 | Prestige, walks with foals, desensitization training, personality traits, cross country competitions, Maria |
| October 9, 2026 | Updated Steam Next Fest demo with these features; October demo saves carry over to the full game |
The October announcement warned that between Next Fest and release there would be very little time for further fixes, so the team would strictly prioritize. That makes the launch-week patch and future bug fixes the main kind of update to expect. For the launch itself, see our Horses of Hoofprint Bay release date guide.
What Players Are Asking For
Players have asked for features on the official Steam forum; the developers' answers set expectations:
| Request | Status |
|---|---|
| Other breeds (draft horses, Arabians) | "Other breeds are not planned" (developer, September 2026) |
| Dressage and other disciplines | Not planned (developer FAQ) |
| Controller support and Steam Deck controls | Planned, according to the developer in February 2026 |
| Mac, mobile, consoles | PC first; "may come later" (developer FAQ) |
| A retirement field at home | A player suggestion; no answer in the thread |
Horses of Hoofprint Bay Updates FAQ
Will there be big Horses of Hoofprint Bay updates?
The developer's FAQ says no for the most part: the game released as a finished product without a content roadmap, but bug reports and minor requests will be handled.
Was there a patch after release?
Yes. In launch week, a tiny patch fixed a crash when loading the next day, according to a player answering on the official Steam forum. The first proper patch, v1.0.2, followed on November 8, 2026, with fixes for invalidated saves and hangs and a smaller stat loss for mares after a foal.
Will new horse breeds be added?
No. The developer answered "Other breeds are not planned!" in September 2026.
Will there be DLC?
The developers say they're not sure and won't promise anything. The optional Supporter Pack and soundtrack launched with the game.
Related Guides
Discord: How to Join the Server
How to join the official Horses of Hoofprint Bay Discord: the in-game link, the invite on the developer's website, why it isn't on Steam and what it's used for.
Mods: Where to Find and How to Make
Horses of Hoofprint Bay mods: no Steam Workshop, tack mods on Nexus Mods, Patreon and Discord, and the developer's own guide to making custom tack yourself.
Review Roundup: What Players Think
A Horses of Hoofprint Bay review roundup: Steam ratings, what The Bridle Paths said about the demo and full game, what players love and what they criticize.
Similar Games: Horse Games Like It
Horses of Hoofprint Bay similar games: the horse games the developers themselves recommend, the classic it was inspired by, and upcoming horse sims on Steam.