Horse

Horses are the primary mode of transportation in the American west at the time of Red Dead Revolver as well as Red Dead Redemption.

Horses are fast, adaptable, carry equipment and allow the rider to utilize weapons while riding. In-game horses come in a vast variety of breeds, appearances and colors; several of which have different pattern variations.

Horses can be purchased from ranchers/stores, or stolen by force or guile. Additionally, the player can locate wild herds and attempt to tame a captured horse. The player can lasso enemies from horseback, gun down foes or even trample them with the mount. Horses, just like the characters, will each have unique personalities, temperaments and performance characteristics.

Horses can be killed in combat or by wild animals. If the player is stranded in the wilderness without a horse, they are presented with a situation to attain one.

Horses can also travel through water and jump. It has been said that the player may also purchase new horses with a "fast horse" costing $1,500 to obtain.

Overview
The horses in Red Dead Redemption utilize the Euphoria engine to create realistic procedural animation. As seen in GTA IV and Star Wars: The Force Unleashed. Depending on where you acquire your horse, there are varying levels of loyalty between you and your steed. Essentially, if you choose to lasso a wild horse and break it in for riding, this horse may not be too keen on the idea and may buck you off. However, after some time passes between the horse and Marston, the horse will learn to trust its rider. Apples are a good way to build trust. A loyal horse is much less likely to buck or rear. Of course, the way you treat your horse will also play a role in their loyalty. If you spur your horse nearly to death, your horse may opt to buck you off. The same goes for a horse that is forced to run for very long periods of time without any rest. Basically, don't allow your horses to become jaded and they will have much more positive feelings on you. The origins of your horse also plays a part in how much health the horse starts off with, i.e. a horse that was taken from a farm will have more health than a horse taken from a roaming gang.

The horses are very realistic in their movement and behavior. Unlike cars in Grand Theft Auto games, horses are living, thinking animals, which will have some kind of self-preservation, meaning the horse will sometimes think of itself before Marston (ex. It won't want to jump off a cliff that the player might want it to and it will buck the player if he or she overworks it).

With that in mind, don't expect your horse to stay exactly where you left it. Horses may wander if they have not been tied, or shy away from gunfire and animals (especially snakes). Don't worry though, you will be able to whistle for your horse, who will return to your side. If the horse does not trot to your side, then it is likely that the horse has been killed or died in some way or another. If the horse has died, you will have to continue on foot until you can find another horse.Try not to get too attached to your mount, as it seems it will be quite easy for it to die in the rough west.

Tack
There is no known way to modify the tack of your mount.

Breeds
Please visit the Horse Breeds article for more detailed information on Horse Breeds, behaviours, abilities and locations.

Current confirmed horse breeds are:


 * Kentucky Saddler(Misson Related- Wild Horses, Tamed Passions)
 * American Standardbred(Location - Tanner's Farm - West Elizabeth)
 * Hungarian Half-bred(Location - Near Ojo Del Diablo - Nuevo Paraiso)
 * War Horse (Pre-Order incentive)
 * Lusitano (Shown in the Multiplayer trailer)
 * Turkmen (Shown in the Multiplayer trailer)

Horse Taming
The player is able to capture and tame horses for later use. Visit the Horse Taming page for more information on this activity.

John can only maintain one horse at a time. If you tame a wild horse while actively using another, the newly tamed horse will not become John's primary mount (comes when you whistle) until it has been hitched at a town.

Horse Power
Horses also provide the physical power for stagecoaches, wagons and carts. Between one and four horses pull the weight of vehicles of various weights, and at various speeds. The player can drive these horses by occupying the driver's seat of the trailers.

It is confirmed that the player cannot detach horses from wagons, carts or stagecoaches.

Other Mounts
It has been confirmed that other ridable mounts included in the game are Mules, Donkeys and sometimes Bulls.

Achievements
The taming and riding or killing of horses are included in the completion of the following two available achievements:
 * Buckin Awesome: Break the Kentucky Saddler, the American Standardbred, and the Hungarian Half-bred.
 * Unnatural Selection: Kill one of every animal species in the game in any game mode.