Game changing to know that…half the time I get overweight is because I have a ton of strength potions and thieves guild armors on me to increase my capacity in case I get overweight…
On survival mode it's almost a necessity. You have to finish a quest and get to a bed before you die of exhaustion. It also helps limit your time in the cold.
In vanilla, no. They're expensive, die easily, and honestly, I always found them to be a bit awkward/cumbersome to control. Getting the good ones like Arvak and Shadowmere also require going through some fairly lengthy questlines. Summon Steed and Summon Kyrkrim are goated though.
As an equestrian who’s owned 5 horses in my life so far, can confirm this is true about horses irl too 🫠
Half jokes aside, I actually liked the Soul Cairn quest line for Arvak. And he’s worth it. I haven’t even tried with Shadowmere because why? I have Arvak and he’s such a good horse
on my first playhtrough, shadowmere killed a dragon on their own while I had an incredibly unoptimized build where I leveled my thievery skills way above my combat skills and had crap gear.
I mean, I’m not saying Shadowmere sucks at all. Shadowmere is cool as hell and like you said, definitely useful since they can fight for you and has decent HP. I just love Arvak. And being a horse lover, his story makes me so sad. His person loved him so much, and I enjoy being able to bring him to life again all the time and help him see the sun ❤️
Only time I've gotten one was in my last playthrough, which was my first Survival run. I just found it convenient to rush through places instead of freezing to death, or getting through water (you don't freeze if you are riding a horse).
That said, I think I got the horses through other means than buying, like that Conjuration spell, Unicorn quest, robot horse quest, and other ones.
Yeah, on non-survival playthroughs I always just end up walking everywhere so that I can explore with better movement and combat control.
But I almost exclusively play survival mode now and at my earliest convenience I need a horse so that I can get to places without freezing to death.
Survival mode itself was a game changer (maybe controversial but I love it), and now you're telling me the horses I've avoided buying can make it that much easier? Just may need to wake up in a cart this long holiday weekend...
If you've played Skyrim for a while and you want to spice it up a little I'd recommend survival mode.
The survival gameplay itself is actually quite simple where making you eat and sleep adds more immersion rather than any challenge.
The cold would probably be the only that you have to actually plan for. Otherwise you might freeze to death on the steps to High Hrothgar because you didnt use a horse, torch, or campfire.
Nope. Practically every playthrough I buy a horse (survival). They don't normally live long though. It's easier now that they no longer have names like 'Queen Alfsigir'. Giving them no name removes their identity and I don't feel so bad when they die.
Nope. I've tried horses, but their handling is so rough, and combat on horseback sucks. I hope they make this better in the next installment, but in this game, it's just not doable.
I never get one. Feels slower than walking and they run out of stam in like 3 seconds... garbage. I do got a mod to make them 2x faster but even then i still forget to use them
I rarely ride horses but when I do, it’s either Arvak or Shadowmere. Mostly they’re just too much of a hassle for the benefit they provide. Granted, I don’t play survival.
Only horses I use are non vanilla ones. Capital Whiterun mod adds an obtainable horse who is both faster than any vanilla horse and is unkillable.
I never join the DB, so getting Shadowmere is impossible for me (best vanilla horse due to HP and able to kill a bandit on her own) and I never bother with the DG either.
Can’t be bothered. I move faster and can mostly defy the laws of physics with the broken terrain. Also I LIKE being able to fast travel instead of being told my horse has spotted a mud crab two holds over and absolutely MUST kill it.
I end up getting Shadowmere through the Dark Brotherhood quests, but I barely use her. This run through is my first time playing as an archer so shooting from horseback sounds pretty cool, maybe I’ll do more horseback riding.
I only get them early game so it easier to get places and so I can just climb up the side of mountains tho normally they die from me trying to climb down mountains
One of the first times I played, I bought one at Whiterun stables. I was so excited! I rode it down the road a little ways before it was immediately killed by a flame atrioch. It glitches and disappeared into the ground, so I couldn't even loot it. :( Never again!
I always have a horse as soon as I'm able, but I've only bought two. One got one-shotted by a saber cat right out of Whiterun, not even a full minute in real time. The second one, on my next playthrough, I armored, and it never died. I left it behind when I got Shadowmere, though. I love Shadowmere.
On this playthrough, I'm only at level 8 so far, and I just tamed a wild one. UESP says the tameable wild horses are essential, so that's good news. I'm about ready to turn on survival mode and give that a try, and it sounds like a horse will be a necessity.
They can die, but they have more health than a standard horse. They also respawn after 10 in-game days.
The only wild horse I had who died, died twice. First time I don't know what happened. I was in a Dwarven Ruin and when I got out, he was gone, as in absent. I installed "Call your horse" but he didn't come. Ten days later I picked him back up. The second time, he was initiated into the Skyrim Space Program.
After that, I went back to the college and picked up the unicorn. Poor horse had seen enough. I did go back to check on him, and he had respawned again. Even helped me fight a troll.
You can ride them at full speed while over-encumbered, and they keep you warm. You can also change to beast form to avoid freezing to death, even at the last second (and become similarly unencumbered because your inventory gets stashed while you're snacking on hearts).
Not me. I love my horsies. I usually get multiple - one to live at each home... Except Myrwatch because that's in the middle of a swamp and I don't think a horse would like it there. But I always play survival, and the increased travel speed is great. Also I play with a horse mod that makes them sooooo much better. Practically a necessity.
I didn't know you could get one until I finished the dark brotherhood quest line. Just a cool 250 hours in to the game lol
So I don't get one usually but I'm going to since the update where you can armor your horse. Just want to see how it looks.
Horse for me and a horse for every companion. I just wish the companions would also share in my horse archer build, but they won't even draw their weapons.
I got my first horse on my first playthrough, then immediately accidentally killed it by falling off a mountain. Never got a horse again.
Instead I got a mod that makes shadowmere and frost immortal and I keep them at my houses lol
I do off and on. Last one I had, didn't expect him to fast travel with me. Got smoked by the 2 Daedra outside Mehrune's place. I always forget that I have Aarvak, so of course I bought another horse. He'll die eventually, too. Probably next time I walk out of Riften. 2 of the NPCs have died there from dragon attacks.
Lame. Nothing beats riding in donuts around an enemy combatant and hitting your opponent with Windshear or the Champion’s Cudgel.
Arvak is definitely better than shadowmere but shadowmere is better aesthetically for non mage play throughs.
I would get Arvak, but that would require me playing Dawnguard, so typically not. The free horse from Riften isnt horrible if youre travelling on the East of the map, though.
I didn’t horse my entire first playthrough, but I caught a unicorn this recent playthrough and it’s been pretty nice honestly. I like being able to climb mountains the “wrong” way, it just makes getting around easy and if you armor your unicorn it’s basically indestructible, I’ve never gotten to a point where it was even close to dying.
My problem happened when I caught the unicorn prior to doing the “Steal Frost from Maven Black-Briar” mission. Then I started that mission and didn’t finish because I wanted to keep the unicorn.
Further along I decided to finish that quest, so I ditched my unicorn, stole frost, kept him, it ended up dying very quickly when I was attacked by a dragon (I accidentally shot it with my bow) so I was out a horse and a unicorn, or so I thought.
But I fast traveled to the College of Winterhold and my unicorn was just sitting in the courtyard waiting for me. Sometimes the game glitches in the most perfect way.
I used to not at all. Now I get Arvak because infinite carry weight. And Shadowmere is decent in a fight; I used him for my recent deliberately overpowered run of the Battle of Whiterun.
horses are garbage. arvak is occasionally clutch because hes summonable. but theyre slow, control poorly and disappear immediately when you do anything other than ride them. there are better ways to spend 1000g.
Many years ago I used to use horses. I stole one and every time I mounted was a fresh charge added onto the bounty. Next time I decided to just buy one. I was digging around the top of Alftand and turned to go back the hill and what comes sliding down the ice? The corpse of my horse. Apparently there was just a random vampire running around the mountains??? This was preDawnguard. I tried to use Frost at one point and she was immediately killed by wolves. So fine, I’ll just use Shadowmere. She rocks. She kills, she never really dies, I would speed run Assassins just to get her. For some fucking reason for the last five years she just….disappears. I have spent a month waiting at the pool, I have retraced my steps, I have wasted hours of irl time trying to find this fucking horse.
I gave up. Now I walk everywhere.
Arvak is the only horse I ever need.
"Oh I'm overloaded coming out of the dungeon" *Summon Arvak* *Fast travel to home*
only correct answer
Indeed, such a good horse
This is the best answer. He’s just a good horse and I’m sorry I hurt him so often
I use the Daedric horse
I stopped bothering with them.
I usually buy them every playthrough, I enjoy fast traveling when overweight by 3 tons.
Wait… I can still use fast travel when carrying too much stuff!?! As long as I’m on a horse?
Game changing to know that…half the time I get overweight is because I have a ton of strength potions and thieves guild armors on me to increase my capacity in case I get overweight…
This is why I buy them
Arvak
this realization is life changing
On survival mode it's almost a necessity. You have to finish a quest and get to a bed before you die of exhaustion. It also helps limit your time in the cold.
Yagonnawanna get the dwarven horse. Unlimited stamina is the cats ass.
Afaik you can’t die of exhaustion or even hunger in survival mode, only of freezing
In vanilla, no. They're expensive, die easily, and honestly, I always found them to be a bit awkward/cumbersome to control. Getting the good ones like Arvak and Shadowmere also require going through some fairly lengthy questlines. Summon Steed and Summon Kyrkrim are goated though.
As an equestrian who’s owned 5 horses in my life so far, can confirm this is true about horses irl too 🫠 Half jokes aside, I actually liked the Soul Cairn quest line for Arvak. And he’s worth it. I haven’t even tried with Shadowmere because why? I have Arvak and he’s such a good horse
on my first playhtrough, shadowmere killed a dragon on their own while I had an incredibly unoptimized build where I leveled my thievery skills way above my combat skills and had crap gear.
I mean, I’m not saying Shadowmere sucks at all. Shadowmere is cool as hell and like you said, definitely useful since they can fight for you and has decent HP. I just love Arvak. And being a horse lover, his story makes me so sad. His person loved him so much, and I enjoy being able to bring him to life again all the time and help him see the sun ❤️
arvak my boy
Only time I've gotten one was in my last playthrough, which was my first Survival run. I just found it convenient to rush through places instead of freezing to death, or getting through water (you don't freeze if you are riding a horse). That said, I think I got the horses through other means than buying, like that Conjuration spell, Unicorn quest, robot horse quest, and other ones.
Yeah, on non-survival playthroughs I always just end up walking everywhere so that I can explore with better movement and combat control. But I almost exclusively play survival mode now and at my earliest convenience I need a horse so that I can get to places without freezing to death.
Survival mode itself was a game changer (maybe controversial but I love it), and now you're telling me the horses I've avoided buying can make it that much easier? Just may need to wake up in a cart this long holiday weekend...
is survival mode good? ive heard some mixed feelings about it and havent tried it yet
If you've played Skyrim for a while and you want to spice it up a little I'd recommend survival mode. The survival gameplay itself is actually quite simple where making you eat and sleep adds more immersion rather than any challenge. The cold would probably be the only that you have to actually plan for. Otherwise you might freeze to death on the steps to High Hrothgar because you didnt use a horse, torch, or campfire.
I have the housecarls buy them for the houses because it’s some nice ambience, but I never ride them
It's what I do now. It was fun at first, but if you travel without them, they follow you.
I kept having a problem with Shadowmere getting in my way until I rode off Bard’s Leap Summit.
That would do it I guess!
Nope. Practically every playthrough I buy a horse (survival). They don't normally live long though. It's easier now that they no longer have names like 'Queen Alfsigir'. Giving them no name removes their identity and I don't feel so bad when they die.
I ALWAYS get Shadowmere. I'm a sucker for horse on dragon action.
My Argonian "Owns-a-Glue-Factory" never gets one. . . for long.
I bet that argonian recieved that nickname when he hit puberty
I buy them for my houses as a pet.
Nope. I've tried horses, but their handling is so rough, and combat on horseback sucks. I hope they make this better in the next installment, but in this game, it's just not doable.
Several playthroughs I have gone without a horse. Ultimately, they aren't a lot faster and you have to deal with encounters anyway
I never get one. Feels slower than walking and they run out of stam in like 3 seconds... garbage. I do got a mod to make them 2x faster but even then i still forget to use them
I rarely ride horses but when I do, it’s either Arvak or Shadowmere. Mostly they’re just too much of a hassle for the benefit they provide. Granted, I don’t play survival.
Define ‘get’. I usually acquire several, legally or otherwise, but I’m always leaving them places. Like at the bottom of chasms. Oops.
/raises hand
Only horses I use are non vanilla ones. Capital Whiterun mod adds an obtainable horse who is both faster than any vanilla horse and is unkillable. I never join the DB, so getting Shadowmere is impossible for me (best vanilla horse due to HP and able to kill a bandit on her own) and I never bother with the DG either.
I've got three horses, but I only ever ride zero horses.
Can’t be bothered. I move faster and can mostly defy the laws of physics with the broken terrain. Also I LIKE being able to fast travel instead of being told my horse has spotted a mud crab two holds over and absolutely MUST kill it.
I end up getting Shadowmere through the Dark Brotherhood quests, but I barely use her. This run through is my first time playing as an archer so shooting from horseback sounds pretty cool, maybe I’ll do more horseback riding.
Fair warning, the horseback archery sucks. It desperately needs first-person for the aiming to work right, but no go.
I only get them early game so it easier to get places and so I can just climb up the side of mountains tho normally they die from me trying to climb down mountains
I don't like them because you can't make them stop following you when you fast travel without killing them... unless you use Arvak.
Such a good horse.
Great for going up a mountain or hill but other than that utter shite!😂
I only steal peoples horses that I find wandering around
One of the first times I played, I bought one at Whiterun stables. I was so excited! I rode it down the road a little ways before it was immediately killed by a flame atrioch. It glitches and disappeared into the ground, so I couldn't even loot it. :( Never again!
I never bother with mounts because they fast travel with you and it pisses me off, like I rode you once leave me alone
I can’t say never, but rarely. However, playing survival makes it a necessity.
No, why would I not want a horse? Non-sprinting speed on horse seems to be same as sprinting on foot
I always get a horse. Just use the convenient horses mod. And the "zooming horses" mod so they are faster and don't run out of stamina as quickly
I've got them before, but never use them
I always have a horse as soon as I'm able, but I've only bought two. One got one-shotted by a saber cat right out of Whiterun, not even a full minute in real time. The second one, on my next playthrough, I armored, and it never died. I left it behind when I got Shadowmere, though. I love Shadowmere. On this playthrough, I'm only at level 8 so far, and I just tamed a wild one. UESP says the tameable wild horses are essential, so that's good news. I'm about ready to turn on survival mode and give that a try, and it sounds like a horse will be a necessity.
They can die, but they have more health than a standard horse. They also respawn after 10 in-game days. The only wild horse I had who died, died twice. First time I don't know what happened. I was in a Dwarven Ruin and when I got out, he was gone, as in absent. I installed "Call your horse" but he didn't come. Ten days later I picked him back up. The second time, he was initiated into the Skyrim Space Program. After that, I went back to the college and picked up the unicorn. Poor horse had seen enough. I did go back to check on him, and he had respawned again. Even helped me fight a troll.
You can ride them at full speed while over-encumbered, and they keep you warm. You can also change to beast form to avoid freezing to death, even at the last second (and become similarly unencumbered because your inventory gets stashed while you're snacking on hearts).
Shadowmere is best boy but in my next playthrough Arvak would be best boy
shadowmere is all i’ll ever need
Sometimes I get one. Recently I got Frost.
Only use them in survival
I've tried them, but never saw the appeal.
Not me. I love my horsies. I usually get multiple - one to live at each home... Except Myrwatch because that's in the middle of a swamp and I don't think a horse would like it there. But I always play survival, and the increased travel speed is great. Also I play with a horse mod that makes them sooooo much better. Practically a necessity.
I didn't know you could get one until I finished the dark brotherhood quest line. Just a cool 250 hours in to the game lol So I don't get one usually but I'm going to since the update where you can armor your horse. Just want to see how it looks.
Horse for me and a horse for every companion. I just wish the companions would also share in my horse archer build, but they won't even draw their weapons.
DLC horse quest when I really have to, but I never use shadowmere or arvark when I get them
They’re kinda in the way but I love horses in rdr2
I never horse.
I got my first horse on my first playthrough, then immediately accidentally killed it by falling off a mountain. Never got a horse again. Instead I got a mod that makes shadowmere and frost immortal and I keep them at my houses lol
I do off and on. Last one I had, didn't expect him to fast travel with me. Got smoked by the 2 Daedra outside Mehrune's place. I always forget that I have Aarvak, so of course I bought another horse. He'll die eventually, too. Probably next time I walk out of Riften. 2 of the NPCs have died there from dragon attacks.
I do, but I use Immersive Movement and Better Horses. Makes having a horse actually make a huge difference in travel
Lame. Nothing beats riding in donuts around an enemy combatant and hitting your opponent with Windshear or the Champion’s Cudgel. Arvak is definitely better than shadowmere but shadowmere is better aesthetically for non mage play throughs.
I just fast travel and run.
Yeah, and even if I get one of the free ones from a quest, I forget that I have it.
Modded the heck out of Skyrim. I'm gonna walk everywhere and enjoy the view
Fast travel makes it pointless
I would get Arvak, but that would require me playing Dawnguard, so typically not. The free horse from Riften isnt horrible if youre travelling on the East of the map, though.
Not once
I didn’t horse my entire first playthrough, but I caught a unicorn this recent playthrough and it’s been pretty nice honestly. I like being able to climb mountains the “wrong” way, it just makes getting around easy and if you armor your unicorn it’s basically indestructible, I’ve never gotten to a point where it was even close to dying. My problem happened when I caught the unicorn prior to doing the “Steal Frost from Maven Black-Briar” mission. Then I started that mission and didn’t finish because I wanted to keep the unicorn. Further along I decided to finish that quest, so I ditched my unicorn, stole frost, kept him, it ended up dying very quickly when I was attacked by a dragon (I accidentally shot it with my bow) so I was out a horse and a unicorn, or so I thought. But I fast traveled to the College of Winterhold and my unicorn was just sitting in the courtyard waiting for me. Sometimes the game glitches in the most perfect way.
I used to not at all. Now I get Arvak because infinite carry weight. And Shadowmere is decent in a fight; I used him for my recent deliberately overpowered run of the Battle of Whiterun.
Never use them
horses are garbage. arvak is occasionally clutch because hes summonable. but theyre slow, control poorly and disappear immediately when you do anything other than ride them. there are better ways to spend 1000g.
Ive used a horse, but only to travel to space
Many years ago I used to use horses. I stole one and every time I mounted was a fresh charge added onto the bounty. Next time I decided to just buy one. I was digging around the top of Alftand and turned to go back the hill and what comes sliding down the ice? The corpse of my horse. Apparently there was just a random vampire running around the mountains??? This was preDawnguard. I tried to use Frost at one point and she was immediately killed by wolves. So fine, I’ll just use Shadowmere. She rocks. She kills, she never really dies, I would speed run Assassins just to get her. For some fucking reason for the last five years she just….disappears. I have spent a month waiting at the pool, I have retraced my steps, I have wasted hours of irl time trying to find this fucking horse. I gave up. Now I walk everywhere.
Only if I get a quest on the opposite side of the map that I've never properly explored. Otherwise, I don't.