You can get a horse in Skyrim by buying one, taming a wild horse, completing specific quests, or acquiring unique named horses tied to certain factions or storylines.
Traveling across the vast world of Skyrim on foot can be slow. A trusty steed can save you time and sometimes even your life. Whether you are looking for the fastest mount or just a reliable way to travel between cities, this guide shows you every way to acquire a horse in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. We cover buying them, finding wild ones, and meeting the most famous four-legged companions in the game.
Acquiring a Horse Through Purchase
Buying a horse is the simplest and most direct method for any player, regardless of their current progress or faction allegiance.
Skyrim Buy Horse Locations
You can skyrim buy horse at almost every major city that has a stable. These stables are usually easy to spot near the city gates. Most standard horses cost 1,000 gold pieces. This price is consistent across most stables.
Here are the primary locations where you can purchase a standard horse:
| City/Hold Capital | Stable Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Whiterun | Outside the main gate | Easy to access early in the game. |
| Solitude | Near the main entrance/stables | Standard purchase point. |
| Markarth | Just outside the city walls | Located near the main road. |
| Riften | Near the main gate | Often busy with Thieves Guild activity nearby. |
| Windhelm | Near the bridge entrance | Standard purchase point. |
| Morthal | Small stable area | Less frequented, but a reliable source. |
| Dawnstar | Near the main path | Standard purchase point. |
| Falkreath | Small stable area | Standard purchase point. |
When you approach a stablehand (the NPC tending the horses), they usually offer the option to buy a horse for the standard price.
Choosing Your Mount at the Stable
The horses you skyrim buy horse are typically generic brown, white, or black mounts. They have the same basic stats. They are functional, reliable, and they will wait for you indefinitely unless they are attacked and die. Remember that purchased horses are not essential, meaning they can be killed by enemies, dragons, or even friendly fire.
Taming Wild Horses in Skyrim
If you prefer a rugged, free companion over a purchased one, you can try skyrim taming wild horses. This method is free but requires a bit more patience and luck.
The Process of Skyrim Taming Wild Horses
To tame a wild horse, follow these simple steps:
- Locate a Wild Horse Herd: Wild horses are often found in the open plains, particularly around the tundra regions between Whiterun and the Rift.
- Dismount: If you have another horse, get off it first.
- Approach Carefully: Sneak toward the horse if you wish, but it is not strictly necessary. Walk slowly.
- Mount the Horse: When you get close enough, the prompt to “Mount” will appear. Activate it.
- The Struggle: Your character will attempt to tame the horse. There is a chance of failure. If you fail, the horse will buck you off, and you must try again.
- Success: Once successfully mounted, the horse is yours! It will now follow you.
Important Tip for Taming: Unlike many other creatures in Skyrim, wild horses do not usually fight back if you dismount. You can keep trying until you succeed. Keep a little distance and approach again after being thrown off.
Finding the Best Stable Location
For repeated access to horses, knowing the skyrim best stable location is helpful. Whiterun is often cited as the best starting point. Its stable is near the entrance, making it easily accessible right after leaving Helgen. Solitude is another excellent spot due to its central location in Haafingar Hold.
Seeking Out Unique and Named Horses
Not all horses are created equal. Skyrim features several skyrim unique horses that possess special traits, higher health, or even unique abilities. These are generally the skyrim best horse options available, though some require significant effort to obtain.
Shadowmere: The Undying Steed
The most famous horse in all of Tamriel returns in Skyrim. Skyrim shadowmere location is directly tied to the Dark Brotherhood questline.
How to Get Shadowmere
- Join the Dark Brotherhood: You must progress through the initial Dark Brotherhood quests.
- The Cure for Madness: Shadowmere first appears during the quest “The Cure for Madness” when you are asked to save Astrid’s daughter, Babette, or kill Cicero.
- The Resurrection: After the quest where you choose a side or complete the initial initiation, Shadowmere will be summoned by the Night Mother or linked to the Sanctuary.
- His Immortality: Shadowmere is one of the few named NPCs who are flagged as essential and automatically resurrect a short time after being killed. He is robust and fast, making him a fantastic companion throughout the entire game. If you lose him, return to the Dark Brotherhood Sanctuary; he often reappears there.
Arvak: The Spectral Horse of the Soul Cairn
If you own the Dawnguard DLC, you gain access to the Soul Cairn, where you can find skyrim getting arvak. Arvak is a spectral, glowing horse that is highly useful.
How to Get Arvak
- Travel to the Soul Cairn: This involves progressing through the Dawnguard main questline until you must enter the Soul Cairn.
- Search for Arvak’s Skull: Deep within the Soul Cairn, you will encounter the spectral horse, Arvak. He is mournful and trapped.
- Return the Skull: You must find Arvak’s skull, which is usually guarded by various spectral enemies.
- Summoning: Once you return the skull to Arvak’s spirit, he is freed. He will grant you the ability to summon him anywhere, anytime, via a new spell called “Summon Arvak.”
Arvak is arguably the skyrim best horse because he is always available via magic, does not take up stable space, and can be summoned even if he is “killed” in the living world.
Frost: The Frost Mage’s Horse
Frost is a unique white horse found during a specific Daedric quest.
How to Get Frost
- Start the Quest: Find the quest “Promises to Keep” in Riften. The quest giver is Louis Letrush.
- The Task: Louis asks you to steal a horse named Frost from Indaryn Maryon.
- The Choice: When you complete the quest, you are given a choice: either keep the horse for yourself (naming him Frost) or give him to Louis.
Frost is slightly faster than a standard horse and has a higher health pool, making him a durable early-game mount.
The Stormcloak Horse
If you side with the Imperials during the Civil War, you might wonder about a skyrim stormcloak horse. There isn’t a unique, named Stormcloak horse you can reliably keep throughout the game like Shadowmere or Frost.
However, during the questline, you might briefly ride captured Imperial horses or generic horses used by the Stormcloaks. Once the war ends, any generic horse you pick up in a Stormcloak-controlled area will behave like a standard purchased horse. The key is that there is no guaranteed unique faction mount for the Stormcloaks akin to Shadowmere for the Dark Brotherhood.
Horse Management and Survival
Horses are useful, but they are also fragile (unless they are Shadowmere or Arvak). Effective skyrim essential horse management requires planning.
Why You Need a Horse
Horses are vital for several reasons in the harsh lands of Skyrim:
- Speed: They significantly cut down travel time between distant locations.
- Carrying Capacity: They increase your carry weight by 100 points. This is huge if you loot heavily.
- Combat Advantage: While risky, some players use horses to kite enemies or gain elevation in fights. They can also act as a minor distraction for weaker foes.
Keeping Your Horse Alive
Standard and purchased horses are not essential NPCs. This means a stray firebolt, a clumsy dragon breath attack, or a misaimed arrow can kill them permanently.
Tips to Protect Your Mount:
- Dismount Safely: When entering a town or a dangerous ruin, always dismount away from immediate combat zones.
- Fast Travel Safety: When you fast travel with a horse, it travels with you. If you fast travel directly into a dangerous area (like a dragon attack or a bandit camp), your horse is immediately vulnerable upon arrival.
- Use Arvak or Shadowmere: If you have access to either of these, they are your best bet for worry-free travel, as they either resurrect or cannot die.
Where to Store Your Horses
If you have multiple horses (which is possible if you own several unique ones and buy extras), they will usually default back to the last stable or location where you acquired them or dismounted them for a long period.
If you want a dedicated spot, the Whiterun stable is a popular choice for keeping owned, non-unique horses.
Deciphering Horse Stats and Capabilities
While most horses look similar, some players strive for the skyrim best horse based on statistics, even though the game mechanics for horse stats are somewhat vague compared to other RPGs.
Speed vs. Stamina
In the base game, all purchased and most tamed horses have roughly the same speed. The main difference often comes down to AI pathing and perceived responsiveness.
- Tamed/Wild Horses: These can sometimes be slightly slower than purchased ones, but this can vary based on terrain.
- Unique Horses (Frost, Shadowmere): These often seem marginally faster or handle slightly better than standard mounts due to higher base health pools, which makes them more resilient to taking damage that might otherwise cause them to flee or stop responding well in combat.
Horse Combat Behavior
A major factor in choosing the skyrim best horse is how it handles combat.
- Standard Horses: They will often try to run away if they take too much damage. If they die, they are gone for good (unless you reload a save).
- Shadowmere: He is aggressive and usually stays in the fight until the threat is eliminated, or until he resurrects.
- Arvak: Since he is summoned, if he dies, you simply wait a short time and summon him again. He is the most low-maintenance choice.
Special Situations: Horses of the Civil War
Exploring skyrim where to get a horse during the Civil War can sometimes lead to temporary mounts.
Imperial and Stormcloak Camps
If you are deep within a camp controlled by either faction, you might find a spare horse tied up. You can usually mount these horses and ride them away. However, these horses are treated as temporary property. If you travel too far from the camp, they might disappear upon fast travel, or they might revert to being hostile if you return them to a faction-controlled stable. They are generally not worth relying on as permanent companions.
Horse Ownership and Crime
Unlike stealing items, taking a horse that is not actively guarded (like one tethered outside a fort or wandering in the wild) generally does not count as a crime. However, if you steal a horse directly from a stablehand or an NPC who is actively riding it, you might incur a bounty. Stick to buying or taming wild ones to avoid trouble.
FAQ Section
Can I have more than one horse in Skyrim?
Yes, you can technically own multiple horses, but only one can be actively following you at a time. If you ride a new horse, the previous one will typically return to its last known location (usually its home stable or where you last dismounted). If you own Arvak, you can switch between him and one other horse easily.
Are horses essential in Skyrim?
No, standard purchased or tamed horses are not essential. They can die. Unique, named horses like Shadowmere and Arvak are essential or have resurrection mechanics tied to them.
How do I dismiss my horse?
The easiest way to “dismiss” a standard horse is to ride it to a safe location (like outside a city gate) and simply jump off. Walk away, and the horse will stand guard at that spot indefinitely until you return. If you summon Arvak, dismissing him is done by simply summoning a different horse or waiting for him to despawn if you leave the cell for a long period.
Is it worth paying 1000 gold for a horse?
For players who value time and convenience, yes, 1000 gold is a worthwhile investment early on, especially if you are far from owning a horse like Shadowmere or Arvak. It frees up stamina for sprinting and allows faster traversal when burdened with loot.
Where is the best place to find a wild horse to tame?
The plains east of Whiterun, near the tundra between Whiterun and the northern edge of the Rift, are good spots. Look for small groups of horses wandering without riders or stable hands nearby.