Hello, I'm just starting out in Skyrim with my first character.

I spent 1000 gold on a horse. I got on the horse and rode for awhile, then found that I could not pick herbs while on horseback. So I pushed "e" to dismount. And the horse vanished into thin air. I was expecting it to stay where I left it and then click "e" on the horse to remount.

Did it automatically go to the nearest stable? Or was it just gone? Either way, it makes riding worse than useless if the horse won't stay put while you temporarily dismount to do something.

I had to reload to before I bought it, because I couldn't afford to have that 1000 gold wasted.

He used http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Morrowind:Recall. Naw, probably just a glitch.

My horse did a similar thing. I had the horse for a while and one time, after dismounting, he ran over the hills and far away at warp speed! I wish I had a video of that.

My first horse when I stopped along the road to gather herbs - as soon as I touched the ground shot up in the air about about 1/2 mile and came down on the other side of a set of cliffs. Wasn't much left to loot but horsehide.

Horses should stay close when you dismount. The only time a horse should wander off is one you borrow or steal and they just walk back to their home. what you can do is Fast Travel, perhaps to a location that is close to you, and the horse should re-appear.

Of course a horse's behavior in battle is another discussion.

I had a stolen horse once where I got off him next to the water, and he swam about 500 meters in about 3 seconds to get away from me.

I had the same problem with my horse and also with my follower.

One time I got off my horse and it disappeared completely.
I wondered around the near area for a couple of minutes and got close enough receive the "E to mount the horse".
I hit the E button and the horse reappeared with me riding.

Same thing with my helper in a dungeon once or twice.
Turned around and nobody in sight but when I went a couple of steps in that direction I got the "E to talk with him whomever the helper is named". Trading an item with him didn't make him reappear so I backtracked until I went thru one of the doors that changes levels in the dungeon and he was back in sight.

By the way it would sure be nice for gameplay if there was a fast travel button on the world map for any houses I own that would put me actually inside the house when yu click on it. Darn slow to have to fast travel to a town, run to your house, and then E on the door to go inside.