Traversing the land of Varadon can be tedious in V Rising. Large expanses and deadly bandit camps can make traversal rather inconvenient. Fortunately, there are multiple ways to speed up traversal. You can turn into a wolf, use teleporters scattered across the map, or use a horse.
Horses serve as the best method of transport in V Rising. They're easy to find, easy to maintain, allow you to attack while moving, and have no resource restrictions—unlike portals. This short guide will go over where to find horses in V Rising, their basic controls, and cover how to keep them alive when you log off.
Updated September 29, 2023, by Sean Murray: The only thing more reliable than your servant in V Rising is a good horse. That's why we've updated this guide with improved formatting and breakout tips to make getting your four-legged companion that much easier.
Where To Find Horses
You can find horses across the Dunley Farmlands. The closest one is at the southeast entrance to the province, although you can find them at farm stables or tied to wagons in towns. Run up to any stationary stallion and hold the interact key to mount them. They'll become subservient and allow you to ride them permanently.
Should you lose your horse, return to the Farmlands to find another one.
Horses also come with three stats:
- Max Speed: How fast they can gallop. The max stat here is 11.
- Acceleration: How quickly the horse reaches max speed. The max stat here is seven.
- Rotation Speed: How quickly the horse can change directions. The max stat here is 14.
These stats are slightly random. You can view your horse's stats by opening your inventory.
Using A Horse
Using a horse is quite simple:
- Movement: Horses walk slowly by default. Use the Gallop ability ("Spacebar" by default) to enter a full sprint forward.
- Attacks: You can use basic attacks while on your horse, although weapon and vampire abilities are disabled.
- Dismount: Press "Q" to bring up a small reticle. Press the button again or Left Click to leap to where you were aiming. The horse will remain stationary unless provoked.
You cannot use abilities while on your horse, but you can use basic melee attacks. Horses move noticeably faster than the Wolf Form and allow you to attack, so we highly encourage you to use a horse for traversal whenever possible. Beware that getting attacked while mounted will knock you to the ground. Only attack when it's needed.
While horses are immune to the dangers of the sun, you are not. Riding a horse during the day is highly dangerous and not recommended.
Keeping Your Horses Alive
Horses need water to stay alive in V Rising. You'll need to give your horse water through filled Waterskins to keep them hydrated while you're away. Similar to your Castle Hearth, the water is passively consumed at all times—even when you're offline (if the server is still up). One filled Waterskin lasts for about 7.5 hours. To fill a Waterskin, use the item while near any body of water.
Waterskins can be crafted from your inventory, requiring Leather and Plant Fibers.