Nah, just the first horse you can buy from the stables outside Whiterun. Had a glitch yesterday where the poor critter died for no reason at all, twice, after I'd dismounted him. The first time I'd left him and Lydia to wait for me while I stealthed out a mine- came back and the horse was lyin' there dead, with Lydia standing next to it as unharmed as you please. Figured it *might* have been a dragon or a bear or who knows what- but there was no sign of dead carnivores around, and Lydia was all good- so probably not a dragon either. Half hour later, i got off the horse to look over a vista on the mountaintop, and it just dropped dead with a whinny, a few feet from me. Nothing around at all that could have killed it. Damn stable-owner musta sold me one with a hidden heart condition. Had to restore an earlier save to get him back.

I used lydia from the time I got her till the end of the game. Never once replaced her and she did fine helping me. I made sure to always upgrade her gear (after I upgraded my own) before I sold stuff away, and this was long before the 1.4 patch.



I use a normal horse and I have yet had one die. And as he said, its always in the forefront fighting dragons, or bears, or what have you. Im pretty surprised by how strong my horse is. I hear so many stories that they are weaklings but my horse must be the acception since hes stood against some of the nastiest foes that Skyrim has to offer and is still ticking.

You can give followers health potions, they will definitely use them.

And you'll have to check them now and then, and give them more. They don't tell you when they're out lol.

Thralls, forget companions just bring back npcs to fight for you! I love thralls <3