1. He is constantly taking a full frontal from dragons and dying. I mean, come on. A horse wouldn't run away from a dragon? My horse has been the cause of 100+ Load last saved game. =(

1b. The horse dies falling off rocks ALL THE TIME.

1c. Where is my horse?! Skyrim needs a whistle or some form of summon horse feature. The horse is always getting lost or not waiting where I left it. ala Red Dead Redemption... the whistle = problem solved.

I can't ever seem to get into using a horse in the first place. Partly for the reasons you mentioned. Since the horse doesn't run any faster (as far as I can tell) than the player does normally, I find them pointless and they usually just end up as arrow fodder while I'm trying to shoot something they've blindly charged after.

I have a whistle for my horse ^^

Totally agree with this, Red Dead did it right.

]removed[

I bought a horse once, realized the controls were heavily consolized to the point where they were awkward as hell on the PC (forced 3rd person and I have to control the camera (with the mouse) and the horse (with the keyboard) at the same time? Why??), then never bought another one.

My number one reason I hate horses is the dismounting animation.

More specifically, dismounting animation when engaged in combat. Its stiff, slow and without any sense of hurry. And by the time you're off the horse at early levels you're almost dead thanks to the bear hitting you.

Was it so tough to include a quick in-combat dismount animation where the character throws his leg over the side and slides off quickly?

I mean we're not going to get horse combat, and I can live with that. But they need to do *something* about dealing with horses in combat, because at this point, its less aggravating not to have a horse.

I just steel a horse if I need one for this very reason.

Followers need to mount up also.

I find horses in this game are very slow anyway, slower then sprinting even, if you have light or no armor it would be faster just to run v_v

I take it you on console? There are some awesome horse mods out already that will resolve most all your problems.

That's all I need in a fight, not only would I have killed my follower 'again' but the mount's also because they've all charged in while I'm firing arrows at the mob. lol

Yeah, my horse drives me crazy sometimes, it either charges at the enemy and gets itself killed so I have to reload, or runs away somewhere during the fight and I can't find it anywhere afterwards, so I have to reload. -.-

the only thing i dont like about them is theyre about as durable as whipped cream and dumb as a stump.
and they are slow as molasses on a cold winter morning.

Just be thankful it isn't the rocks falling. Then everyone dies.

But yes, the horses in Skyrim definitly need some TLC.

Personally I hold up Mount & Blade's horses, though it is a very different game. If a horse is injured or fighting something scary it should run unless you keep it there (unless, maybe, there is horse riding skills and at higher levels not only does the speed and control it also increase its desire to stay with you and protect you, unless you order it away). If it does run there should be an easy recall function.

Red Dead whistle like suggested, or whip out an ocarina - anything.

I tried to clear out the bandits out of the Valtheim Towers near Whiterun. My horse charged into the tower, climbed up steps and ramps to go kill the bandits on a very thin walkway.

That's when I decided I wasnt going ot have a horse around anymore.

Have you ever taken a slope with a horse? The things can gun a near sheer cliff rather fluidly. Their endurance and intelligence may be questionable, but you have to respect that they are so ignorant as to defy gravity.

I must be the only guy that loves using the horse... It just feels right roaming the land on a horse, not walking/running across the whole continent. Not using fast travel probably has a lot to do with it though.

I find the controls fine (using PC) as well as the animations. Maybe I've gotten use to leaving my horse out of combat range, but he never bothers me when sh1t gets hairy. I even tactically use him sometimes to distract my foes. He's also very handy when I finish a dungeon and I'm over the weight capacity. Horses in Skyrim seem to be expert mountain climbers as well, which can be handy.

I now have that certain quest horse, that looks awesome, sprints for longer, hits harder and has a bigger health pool. Happy days!

I see little mount in riding them anyways since Skyrim is so mountainous through most of the land.

I wish I could just pull out my ocarina and play a little tune when I wanted my horse, and that they'd go home when I dismounted. That idea is probably too hard to program though...

Bahahaha! Bought a horse, lost a horse, 12 hours later and some fast travelling: Why is that horse stalking me?

Definitely this, I've learned a few tactics to keep the horse safe, but dismounting during battle is like stepping down ready to prepare for a picnic, this is battle!, if anything a character is going to leap from a horse, I get by without mounted combat but the dismount really frustrates me.

The only horse that should engage in battle is Shadowmere, and that is still questionable. At first it's kinda' funny to see your horse attack everything, but it quickly becomes annoying. Horses are built to run, that includes run away from danger. Also, whistling to call the horse back is a very good idea.

Shadowmere is a beast.

The entire travel system needs an overhaul. It's one of Skyrim's few weaknesses. But you hit on probably their biggest oversight. Come CK, come!