Horse ( Skyrim ) Horses are mammals that ease the burden of travel in . Biology . All horses are a type of draft horse which are native to Skyrim . Though horses can be obtained in five colors . Horses can be rented from stable s outside of each major city . " Rented " means only that the horses live in the stable from which they were purchased . The horse belongs to the Dragonborn after its purchase . Special horses are available by completing quests . Endurance . All horses have the ability to rear and jump . Of the quest - obtained horses , Shadowmere possesses higher health than a non - unique horse , Arvak ( ) possesses several unique traits as a summoned creature , and Frost possesses higher stamina than a non - unique horse . Patch 1 . 6 introduced mounted combat . Purchasing . With the exception of the three unique horses Shadowmere , Arvak ( ) , and Frost , horses are available for purchase at any of the stables listed below for 1000 regardless of one ' s Speech skill . All non - unique horses differ in appearance only , and are otherwise identical in performance . Only one of the non - unique horses has a name prior to purchase , which is Queen Alfsigr or Allie for short ( spelling is speculative ) in Whiterun . Once purchased , a horse is considered owned and can be identified by the " Player ' s horse " label on the HUD . One can own multiple types of horses and multiple horses of the same type . The horse last ridden or fast traveled with is the one that accompanies the Dragonborn . Any other owned horses return to the stable where they were purchased . Stables can be built for manors in " Skyrim ' s " DLC . A horse can then be purchased from the chosen Steward . Types of horses . Shadowmere . Shadowmere , who makes a reappearance in the game during the Dark Brotherhood questline , is a unique horse . Shadowmere has a breastcollar and fancier saddle than the other horses , as well as a different bridle . It appears to be the same speed and build as the other horses , but is extremely tough and can hold its own against Skyrim ' s hardiest foes , though it is worth noting that Shadowmere can be killed in extreme cases of combat or during falls . Even with Shadowmere being able to die like any other horse in Skyrim , Shadowmere will respawn after 10 days in game at the location of death or at the pool where he was first acquired . Frost . Another unique horse is a palomino stallion called Frost , obtained during the Riften quest Promises to Keep , if the Dragonborn is able to pass the Speech check . Frost can gallop for the same length of time as Shadowmere , but lacks Shadowmere ' s strength , having the same stats as other palominos . Arvak . Arvak is added with . Arvak can be summoned with the Summon Arvak spell unlocked after completing the quest Find Arvak ' s Skull . Arvak is an undead horse , with purple flames as the tail and mane . If killed , Arvak will simply return to the Soul Cairn , and can be resummoned . Borrowing and stealing . Stealing horses is considered theft and is a crime against the owner . Mounting a horse that is labeled " Steal horse " is a crime and generates a bounty . Common places to find horses to steal include military camps ( both Stormcloak and Imperial ) , or forts , as well as being located within war encounters . Each time a stolen horse is mounted , 50 gold is added to the Dragonborn ' s bounty , making horse theft an expensive crime . However , it is possible to mount a stolen horse and not incur a bounty if not witnessed by anyone , including the horse , as in previous games . Even if ridden away right in front of the stable / camp guards , there will be no bounty . Occasionally , the opportunity to borrow a horse is given . A horse that is available to borrow is indicated in the HUD by the simultaneous lack of the " Steal horse " label and the " Player ' s horse " label . Arguably , the easiest horse to borrow is from the Katla ' s Farm . After selling a single piece of produce to Katla , you ' ll be allowed borrow either horse from the stables . However , this horse will walk away after dismounting , as stolen horses do . Bandits dressed as a faction may be encountered . They say that this is none of the Dragonborn ' s business and will attack . Once they are dead one will find a horse that can be ridden . This does not count as stolen but it will leave when dismounted as stolen horses do . During the Civil war quests the Dragonborn has the opportunity to attack a broken down cart with weapons and gold . After the guards are dispatched , the horse that would have been attached to the cart can be ridden . It has no saddle so it will be ridden bareback , and once dismounted it will wander off . Fast traveling puts the horse back at the Dragonborn ' s position and then it can be remounted . Riding and mounting . While riding , a horse can walk ( by toggling run off ) , canter , run , and gallop ( sprint ) , at the Dragonborn ' s unmounted walk , run and sprint speeds . While mounted , the Dragonborn will possess greater stamina and strength , which allows for greater load capacity and sprint time . This increased load capacity while mounted allows for fast traveling while overburdened . In addition to their increased strength and stamina , horses can also charge through and leap over obstacles with similar restrictions as the unmounted Dragonborn . As with unmounted navigation , larger obstacles will pose similar problems . If the jump button is pressed while the horse is walking or standing still , the horse will rear and neigh . This has no effect except to slide the horse backward a little . Horses can also swim , although they are slightly slower than the Dragonborn . Horses can easily die from fall damage , so care should be exercised when riding in mountainous terrain . Horses cannot be ridden inside houses , tombs , or other marked locations that require going through a door . They can be ridden into Orc Strongholds . When approaching the gate , simply pressing the button will open the door , though no prompt will appear , and the gate will open for the horse . When fast traveling into a city , the horse will be found at the stable outside the city . For cities without stables , the Dragonborn will remain on the horse and will be able to ride it around the area . Horses are usually non - aggressive and will often flee when dismounted in combat situations . However , horses sometimes attack aggressors or even defend the Dragonborn which can lead to their death . Horses often pursue targets and are sometimes hard to find after doing so . It is not advised to let a horse go anywhere near a Dragon as even the weakest Dragon will be able to kill the strongest horse in one breath . Followers cannot ride horseback and will quickly fall behind the mounted Dragonborn . To compensate for this discrepancy in traveling speed , the Dragonborn should " wait " for the follower ( s ) to catch up . Mounted combat . As of patch 1 . 6 , mounted combat is available . When wielding a melee weapon the Dragonborn can swing on either side of the horse using either the primary or secondary attack buttons . Note that since the attack buttons are used to decide the direction the swing is unleashed , it is impossible to block or attack with a secondary weapon , although power attacks are still possible . Some two - handed weapons ( e . g . Warhammer ) can be wielded with one hand . The Dragonborn may also use a ranged weapon when mounted , however , as the camera is locked to 3rd person perspective whilst riding , it may be difficult to hit a target accurately . It helps if the Dragonborn has the Archery perks Eagle Eye and Steady Hand . Spells and shouts ( e . g . Aura Whisper ) cannot be initiated from horseback , but it is possible to dismount , cast the spell , then remount , and the effect will be sustained for its normal duration . Similarly , spells that normally can be toggled on or off ( e . g . Night - Eye ) cannot be used while mounted . Purchasing a new horse after it dies . Some horses in Skyrim will spawn at a Hold ' s stable after waiting some time at a different location . It will usually take 1 – 2 days for a horse to spawn and be available for purchase after the one of the horses at the stable dies . The time for a new horse to spawn for purchase depends on the actions at the stable , for example , if the player returns to the stable at which the old horse was bought , and steals an unsaddled horse before waiting a day and killing it , it will take at least one extra day waiting in game for a new horse to spawn for purchase . The original horse will re - spawn in about 10 days waiting in - game , making 1 or more horses available for purchase at a Hold ' s stable . It is also possible , after the previous horse dies , for a new saddled horse to spawn at a stable . Allowing it to be purchased for 1 , 000 gold , and still making it so the old horse will re - spawn without having to repurchase it . This will make it so that 1 or more horses can be owned at a stable at once . Horses that re - spawn after they die . Horses that will be able for purchase after the previous one dies are at Other smaller holds . These are all the smaller Holds , which do not have their own horse stables . A carriage can be ridden to their capitals , but because one is not stationed there , the Dragonborn can not travel back out via a carriage . Unsaddled horses . Besides the saddled horses there are also unsaddled horses not for sale in most of the stables . As most things in Skyrim , they will also take 10 days to re - spawn . Here are the locations they re - spawn