Can You Call Your Horse Back in Skyrim? A Comprehensive Guide
The vast, sprawling landscapes of Skyrim are best traversed on horseback. However, unlike some other open-world games, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim doesn’t offer a dedicated “call horse” mechanic like whistling in Assassin’s Creed. But fear not, intrepid adventurer! Getting your trusty steed back is surprisingly simple, relying on the game’s fast travel system and a few key mechanics related to horse ownership.
In short, you can’t whistle or use a spell to summon your horse directly in Skyrim. Instead, the game uses an elegant system tied to fast travel. When you fast travel to any outdoor location after purchasing a horse, the horse is automatically moved to the nearest stable or the front gate of any town.
How to Reunite With Your Horse: Understanding the Mechanics
The core mechanic revolves around ownership and fast travel. When you purchase a horse from a stable, it becomes “your” horse. This ownership triggers the game to remember this specific horse as your active mount. When you fast travel to an outdoor location, the game automatically spawns your active horse near your arrival point.
Here’s a breakdown of how it works:
- Fast Travel: This is your primary tool for recalling your horse. Select any discovered location on the map and fast travel there.
- Outdoor Locations: The system primarily works for outdoor locations. If you fast travel to a city (which loads as an interior cell), your horse will be waiting just outside the gates, usually near the city’s stables.
- Ownership Matters: Only horses you have purchased will reliably follow you via fast travel. Stolen horses, wild horses you’ve managed to ride, or horses borrowed from other characters will not behave this way. They will likely return to their original spawn point.
- Active Horse: If you own multiple horses (which is perfectly possible), only the last horse you rode will be considered your active horse and will travel with you. This means you can switch between horses by simply mounting the one you want to be active before fast traveling.
Dealing With Lost Horses
Sometimes, despite the system’s best efforts, you might find yourself separated from your horse. This can happen due to combat, exploring dungeons with multiple exits, or simply losing track of your mount in the wilderness. Here are some troubleshooting tips:
- Check Nearby Stables: Start by checking the stables closest to where you last saw your horse. It might have wandered back there, especially if it’s a location you frequent.
- Detect Life/Aura Whisper: These spells or shouts can help you locate your horse if it’s nearby. Horses are living creatures and will show up on these detection spells.
- Fast Travel to a Known Location: Even if you’re unsure where your horse is, fast traveling to a nearby town or landmark will often solve the problem. Your horse should appear outside the gates or near the stables.
- If All Else Fails: Occasionally, a horse might become truly stuck or glitched. In this case, reloading a previous save is your best option.
Choosing the Right Horse
While the core mechanics of horse ownership are consistent, the type of horse you choose can influence your overall experience. Some horses are inherently better than others.
- Shadowmere: Obtained through the Dark Brotherhood questline, Shadowmere is one of the best horses in the game. It has high health, regenerates health, and will attack enemies. Shadowmere doesn’t wander off.
- Frost: Found during a quest in Riften, Frost is another excellent choice. It has stats similar to Shadowmere and is a reliable combatant.
- Purchased Horses: Horses bought from stables are generally weaker than Shadowmere and Frost, but they still provide a significant speed boost compared to traveling on foot. All purchased horses have identical stats.
The Role of Horses in the Learning Landscape
The dynamics of horse ownership and management in Skyrim can be seen through the lens of game-based learning. Players learn about resource management (gold for purchase), spatial reasoning (locating the horse), and problem-solving (recovering a lost horse). The game subtly teaches players about persistence and observation. For more insights into how games contribute to learning and development, visit the Games Learning Society at GamesLearningSociety.org.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Horses in Skyrim
Here are 15 frequently asked questions to further clarify the nuances of horse ownership in Skyrim:
How do I find my horse after entering a city?
Horses can’t enter cities. If you fast-travel to a city, you’ll find your horse just outside the front gate or by the nearest stables.
What happens if I buy more than one horse?
Only the most recently used horse (the one you last rode) will travel with you when you fast-travel.
Can I tell my horse to stay put in Skyrim?
In the base game, there’s no command to tell your horse to stay. It will remain where you dismount, but it might wander off if attacked.
Will my horse wander off in Skyrim?
If you own the horse, it generally won’t wander off unless it’s being attacked or if the player is in an interior that has reloaded after a period of 3 days.
How do I get my horse to follow me?
Your horse will wait where you dismount. If you leave it outside a dungeon, it will be by the entrance you used. Fast-traveling will reunite you and your horse.
Why does my horse keep leaving me in Skyrim?
If you’re fast-traveling to a city, your horse will be at the stables. An unowned horse will return to its starting point.
Can I keep two horses in Skyrim?
Yes, you can own multiple horses, but only one will actively travel with you. Non-active horses return to their respective stables when you fast-travel with your current active horse.
Can I get a Daedric horse in Skyrim?
Yes, with the Anniversary Edition upgrade you can get a Daedric Horse (actually, the ability to summon one) via the Ghosts of the Tribunal questline.
Can I tame a stolen horse in Skyrim?
No. Stolen horses don’t bond with the player character. They cannot be tamed. The game is likely reading the horse as not the Dragonborn’s property.
Can I buy another horse in Skyrim?
Yes, you can buy as many horses as are available from the stables in various cities.
What is the best horse to buy in Skyrim?
Shadowmere and Frost are the best horses in terms of stats. However, purchased horses all have the same stats. The differences are merely aesthetic.
Can you sell horses in Skyrim?
Yes, ride up to a hostler and sell your horse. You’ll get 70% of the original purchase price.
Is it worth using a horse in Skyrim?
Horses are useful for traversing long distances quickly, but they can be expensive early in the game. Shadowmere and Arvak are valuable because neither can be killed.
Are horses faster than me in Skyrim?
A horse’s normal movement is faster than running but slower than sprinting. Sprinting on a horse is much faster.
Can my follower ride a horse in Skyrim?
Yes, you can buy horses for your followers, and they will ride them instead of running behind you. You can buy horses for followers from any of the city stables.
Conclusion
While Skyrim doesn’t offer a simple whistle to summon your horse, the game’s mechanics provide a reliable system for keeping your trusty steed by your side. Understanding how ownership, fast travel, and active horses work will ensure that you and your equine companion can explore the vast world of Skyrim together, ready for any adventure that awaits.