Does anyone have this problem? I'm riding through some wilderness, get off to fight some baddies, usually wolves or spiders, only to find my horse took off to parts unknown. I wander around trying to find it but it's no use, horse is gone! Any way to track your horse in these instances?

In my most recent incident, I was too close to my destination to fast travel back to a known locale so I kind of gave up. Plus overburdened so it's been a real slogfest to get there.

If it ran away then it probably wasn't yours to begin with, that is also why I have shadowmere who is demonic in a fight.

In the two instances of losing my ride, both were purchased. I did find a stray horse early in the game but gave up on it cause all it did was wander off the second I got off. However, what I was posting on was a bought horse that goes missing.

LOL! I'd like to get a house in this game but if I have to keep buying horses I'll never get there!

Is Shadowmere a specific horse to buy or did you give your horse that name? Because my horses will fight, which I wish they wouldn't as one died and it makes the fight very confusing.

By the way, I should have put spoilers on Shadowmere before then but too late now since I did not know you did not know about Shadowmere. Seriously though, I had shadowmere surrounded by three sabre cats, a bear, and two wolves, and I did not help in the fight. Guess who won?

I've had that problem with a few horses on my dude character (I have Shadowmere on my chick.). I think they were killed because they should show up at your destination whenever Fast Travel and mine never showed up. It's possible that they bugged out and despawned, but I never found a corpse and they didn't show up at my destinations when I Fast Traveled.

As for the house: there is an exploit if you don't mind using it that will allow you get your houses and upgrades for free.

NP on the Shadowmere, I already bought the Prima guide since basically no info is given in game on minor quests, or much of anything else for that matter. I'm still wondering what to do about wandering horses though.

Even with spoilers from the guide there have been dungeons I had to abandon since I was not of a high enough level to get through them. BTW, you wouldn't happen to know how to get a dog would you? I had played Fable and loved having a dog, it was like you were never alone. I know they can be companions in this game but no amount of barking with one has gotten me a faithful dog.

Also should add I'm only lvl 22 at this point. As with past editions of Eldar Scroll games, I don't race to the finish, I take my time with the game.

I very rarely buy horses, so I wouldnt know about this. There was a horse I took from either an Imperial or Stormcloak camp. Even though such horses are marked as "ride" and not "steal" they will wander off when you dismount, but they frequently show up when you fast travel, allowing you to ride them again.

I am familiar with that, many times I took unattended horses but they do tend to wander away. My current problem remains though, I bought a horse and it wanders off durring battle of one kind or another. But then I can't find my horse and am left dumped in some between land that I don't have fast travel in. I end up getting to my destination on foot. I'm still somewhat low level but it still svcks to get ditched in some hinterland with an overloaded inventory and no ride.

If your horse isn't dead, it should show up next time you fast travel. Personally, I don't use fast travel (started out as an RP choice, but since 1.4 I've been playing with a bug that makes fast travel an absolute no), so I have to accept that losing my horse may be a consequence of dismounting to fight. I either outrun my attackers, or, if I can see enemies in the distance, I'll dismount early and walk to the confrontation on foot.

There's no way I know of in the vanilla game to locate your horse besides wandering around and looking.


You can buy a dog at Markarth stables, find Meeko in the swamps, or find Stray Dog somewhere in Skyrim (random locations).

There are a few ways to get a dog:
1) You can find one: 2) You can 'rent' one from the guy outside the stables in Markarth.
3) You can find a stray, but I think it wanders off eventually.
4) There's a quest:
Be advised: the dogs here are no where near as cool as the dogs in Fable II and III.

Edited to correct spoiler tags.

Heh, I remeber Dogmeat in Fallout. He was actually a pretty good follower. Especially since you didnt have to worry about him using burst fire with an SMG and putting 10 bullets in your back, like with Ian. Dont shoot at an enemy when I'm in your line of fire!

Yeah, he was like the 2nd toughest, right? Fawkes being 1st and then Clover 3rd? I never used followers in Fallout 3, but I would get Dogmeat and make him wait in the safety of my Megaton house. When he reset I'd got get him and bring him back to the house.

In case anyone is interested, I finally found my horse! He was about a half-day trek out of Riftwood and standing next to a giant! The faithless nag! Fortunately giants aren't vicious so I just crept up to my horse, hopped on and took off. Plus had Esbern in tow. Would have fast traveled for that quest if I hadn't been 100 lbs. overloaded. Next, get a house! Then a dog! BTW, thanks for all the dog info to everyone!

He was just standing there alive?

Yup, just standing around next to his new friend, the giant. Guess the giant wasn't hungry! This is my third horse. Second one died in a fight. But makes me wonder if my first horse isn't hanging out with trolls or necromancers! The first one went missing as well, never did find that one.

Wow. Has he been Fast Traveling with you since you found him? After my first few 'went missing' on my dude I just reload if they die or I can't find them.

One way to find your horse when its wandered away is to use the shout "aura whisper" or a similar spell wich will make the search a little more easy (not if your horse is as far away as you said it were though) or you can install a mod that alows you to whistle (like in red dead redemption) and your horse will come running.

Lost my horse again =( I just wanted to be clear, if the horse doesn't appear at my next fast travel, does that mean he's dead? I've fast traveled a few times since I lost my last horse and, well, no horse!

IDK. I think they glitch out and despawn sometimes because I've never come out of a dungeon and Shadowmere wasn't very near the spot where I left him. It's possible that your 'normal' horses are charging off to fight something and getting killed, but I've lost quite a few on my character who didn't do the DB and find it hard to believe that all of them have been killed. I've had enemies' bodies despawn right after I've killed them so I believe the horses may be despawning as are non-named bandits, vampires, and forsworn.

You may be right. I bought another horse and the stupid beast started attacking even though I specifically parked it outside of (what should have been) harms way. But dopey beast ran in and died. I reloaded to do quest without the horse since I really don't need to be out 1K gold, lol!

I do wish the horses in this game would stay put. If I'm going into a fight, don't need the old nag helping out, they just die.

I lost Frost when I got Shadowmere. Very sad.

I picked up Barbas quite early on for the Clavius Vile quest (see http://elderscrolls.wikia.com/wiki/Barbas). He's free and can't die.
But he is also an absolute pain! He barks all the time (doesn't seen to affect sneak though as far as I can tell), but worse, he constantly nudges you - my Barbas has managed to push me off several narrow walkways and 2 cliffs. Harvesting isa nightmare as half the time he's nudged you out the way before you get the herb, mushroom or whatever. And don't even bother trying to catch butterflies with him along! I loved my dog in Fable, but Barbas just doesn't cut it for me. Also, the bvoice they've given him is like an American cartoon character - doesn't fit in Skyrim at all. Anyway, got so irritated with the nudging that I finished Barbas's quest - and the item I got from doing it was, imho, better than having Barbas.

There is a stables that sells dogs for 500 gold - I think outside Markath. I have also read that travelling with raw meat in your inventory gets you approached by stray dogs but haven't tried that out.

Dogmeat was ace

I'm having this trouble too with my horse. I've compelted a few favors for the stable keepers @ Katla's Farm & Riften. They grant your free horses anytime you want...but the only problem is they walk away as soon as you dismount. BUT, the next time you fast travel, they will be there to take up and ride again.

Because of this, I'm very tenative to buy a horse again only to have it dissapear. I never had this until the latest patch