So, I hadn't used a horse before and decided to buy one for my warrior character because this heavy armor makes me slow. I bought it in Whiterun and started heading north towards Markarth. Before I'd even hit the mountain range a dragon swoops down and fireblasts me. I hop off my horse, the dragon lands, my horse attacks it, and gets 1-shot by the dragon.



A thousand gold investment right there. That was very expensive ash.

And I had already named him. Tomatoe the horse....

Yeah my horse will attack a dragon but when I dismount to kill some bandits it runs to hide and I have to hunt it down.

In loving memory of my short-lived long-dead horse, I will never buy another one.... out of fear they might prove as stupid and useless as the first.

I went through the same as you. Bought a horse in Whiterun. Start riding and here comes a dragon. I fortunately saved right when I got on the horse and started riding. I left my horse on the road some where and fast traveled. Horse is gone. There is one that looks a lot like it in Whiterun, but it does not belong to me. $,1000 gold down the toilet.

It's alright I shouted my horse off the side of a cliff before.

Personally I would prefer paying a bunch more 5/10k for the horse that isn't vulnerable to attack than to have the suicidal horses I tend to buy. I'm on horse number three. Mainly because I'm following the suggestion someone had the other day for attempting no fast travel.

Horse seem a lot like little kids. They firmly believe in their own immortality. They attack just about any enemy, even when said enemy is a horse-eating predator.... which makes no sense at all. Even a highly trained war-horse, left to his own devices, would RUN from a dragon.

I am also curious when horseback combat was banned in Tamriel.... was this akin to the levitation act in Oblivion?