How can I find or recall my horse?

Question

Lately, I've been finding my horse to be more of an annoyance to use than an asset to have. But, maybe I'm missing something that could resolve this - or maybe it's the game that's missing this. I'm hoping someone here can help.

First, there's the bit about not being able to fight while on horseback. Okay, I'll acknowledge that's a game limitation and we have to live with it. But, it's still no less annoying and actually leads in to the problem I'm really asking about here.

There's often times where I'll get off my horse to do battle, or perhaps explore something in the area that's caught my eye. Then, in the course of natural events, I'll shortly find:

• I've wandered too far from my horse, in too many odd directions, to quickly find my way back to it.
  OR
• Something's attacked or otherwise spooked the horse into wandering from where I'd left it.

In either case, I'm then left out in the middle of nowhere (a description that probably fits about 85% of the land area in Skyrim) and often times I was well on my way to somewhere that I don't have a nearby Fast Travel location I can jump off from to get to.

My options here are:

• Wander around aimlessly and hope I stumble across my horse.
  OR
• Walk the rest of the way to my destination.
  OR
• Fast Travel to the nearest available location (which may not really be so near) and start my trip over again with my horse, who's then magically teleported nearby.

Two much more ideal options would be:

• Whistle for my horse to come to me. (Must be within a certain range of the horse.)
  OR
• Add a horse tracker to my compass.

Are these features that I'm missing, or features that the game is missing? Does anyone have other suggestions as to how I can avoid these situations, or better recover from them?

Answer 1

Cast the Alteration spell, Detect Life, or use the Aura Whisper dragon shout (longer range than Detect Life) to try to find your horse. The horse will usually be within the range of Detect Life or Aura whisper, after a battle.

If that fails, you can fast travel to any nearby location. You should find your horse waiting nearby the fast travel spot (or in the nearest stable, if you fast traveled to a city).

Tip mentioned by agf: "Rather than fast travel to a far location, go to whichever icon is the least greyed out on your compass -- that's the closest location. Then you can fast travel to there from there and not lose any distance."

For those playing on the PC, there are mods like Horse Whisper, which will allow you to call or summon your horse.

Answer 2

If you get the Dawnguard DLC, there is a side-quest that will grant you a conjuration spell to summon a horse. Arvak allows you to have a horse with none of the down-sides.

• He's free. - The only cost is the mana to cast his spell.
• You can never really lose him. - If you can't find him, just summon him again.
• He never really dies. - If something does manage to take him down, or his summon timer runs out (which will not happen while you're riding him), just summon him again.

Answer 3

Getting on and off the horse is a bit of a pain in itself. I guess it comes down to, do you want to head straight to the destination you're after, with as little distraction as possible, or battle things along the way, picking up ingredients, soul trapping etc...

One easy way of fast travel in the middle of nowhere, is to look on your compass for icons which indicate there is something nearby that you could use as a new fast travel point. It could be a mountain, or road-side ruin, etc...

Make a bee-line for those as much as possible once you're far enough away from your source point and want to be able to fast travel, but you're not ready/able to blast straight through to where you're going.

That said, a horse locator would come in handy after battle. I wouldn't object if they put one in. :-)

Answer 4

I also got my horse to disappear on me... What I did:

1. saved game;
2. loaded previous game where horse was there;
3. activated console and found out its ref-id by clicking on it;
4. loaded latest game;
5. typed in console: player.moveto <horse-ref-id> where horse-ref-id is the number I found earlier (000XXXXX);
6. got my damn horse back...

It was in Kynesgrove (wtf?! stolen maybe) and its moving around slowly... thats weird...

Answer 5

I do not have a horse but my dad level 80 has three horses. He doesn't have a horse summoner but here is a way to find your horse:

• if play in on Xbox, press the select button and choose the amount of time you would like to wait. The horse should appear at your side because it found you.

• if wandering off because you felt it you should have:

  • ride the horse with you to the place you wanted to explore or

  • if you can trace the direction you were wandering you will get yourself back to horse such as if you went left straight right memorize the pattern you went in.

• Use a horse summoner (the lamest most uncool way to find your horse.) If you cannot find your horse go back to the load game where you didn't go leave your horse somewhere nonsensical.

• If all else fails walk by foot you lazy ass!

Answer 6

you could always place a custom destination marker on the map where your horse is that way you'll find it and if it's moved it won't be that far from that marker

Answer 7

your horse WILL always be At the stable you purchased it. If you need your horse you'll have to fast travel to the stable. Though it may be farther away from your destination. I have yet to see how I can keep my horse at home. When I get a home, so we shall see.

Answer 8

The Mod "Convenient Horses" is helpful for finding your horses, and making them more convenient (Duh)

http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/14950/?