Crimson Desert Horse Guide – How To Tame, Heal, Buy, and Manage Horses

TL;DR

• Horses are your main mount in Crimson Desert. Kliff gets his first one early in the story.
• You can tame wild horses, buy them from stables, or heal them using Horse Tonics, stable visits, or Force Palm: Healing.
• Feed horses Hay, Sugar Cubes, or Horse Tonic while riding or by dropping food in front of them.
• Build trust by riding, petting, and feeding your horse — trust levels unlock new skills up to level 5.
• Three legendary horses exist: Royler (white), Rokade (black), and Camora (red) — all require at least 6 Stamina to tame.
• Horse equipment like Saddles, Horseshoes, Champrons, and Bardings can be bought from Saddleries or Contribution Shops.

Horses in Crimson Desert are not just a way to get around faster. They fight alongside you, carry you through dangerous terrain, and can be kitted out with gear to match your playstyle. Whether you want a fast explorer or a tough war horse, the game gives you plenty of ways to find, tame, and upgrade your mount.

This guide covers everything — how to heal horses in Crimson Desert, how to tame them, how to buy them, how to manage them, and how to get the best gear for your mount. We also include the legendary horses and what makes each one worth chasing.

Before diving in, if you want a broader look at the game, check out our full Crimson Desert review.

How To Heal Horses In Crimson Desert

There are three ways to heal a horse in Crimson Desert.

Method 1 – Visit a Stable

This is the most reliable option if your horse is badly injured.

1. Go to any Stable, such as the one in your Camp or northwest of the City of Hernand.
2. Talk to the Stable manager.
3. Choose Retrieve and Heal Horse.

The stable owner will summon your horse and heal it fully. You pay with Copper or Silver Coins depending on how bad the injury is.

How do you know if your horse is injured? Look for visible marks on its coat or watch for it sitting on the grass when summoned. Those are clear signs it needs attention.

Method 2 – Feed It a Horse Tonic

You can buy Horse Tonics from any Saddlery. You can also sometimes steal them from enemies. Feed the tonic while riding (more on feeding below) to push your horse’s health back to full.

Method 3 – Use Force Palm: Healing

This is the fastest option in the field. Unlock it via an Abyss Artifact, then charge your Force Palm and press the Healing prompt to hit your horse in the torso. It brings them back to full condition instantly. No stable required.

We strongly recommend unlocking this skill early. Riding to a stable every time your horse gets hurt wastes a lot of time.

How To Feed Horses In Crimson Desert

To feed a horse while riding, open your inventory, select a treat or Tonic, then long-press the Use button and choose Feed Horse.

If you are not riding, you can also feed your horse by dropping food on the ground in front of it:

1. Summon your horse.
2. Open your inventory and select the food.
3. Discard the item near the horse.

Here is what each food item does:

Keep Hay and Sugar Cubes in your inventory at all times. They are cheap and give you reliable field healing before you unlock Force Palm: Healing.

How To Tame Horses In Crimson Desert

Wild horses roam Pywel, especially in river areas east and south of Hernand. To tame one:

1. Sprint toward a wild horse and press the Interact button to mount it (E on PC / Square on PS5 / X on Xbox).
2. A circular progress indicator appears on screen. Fill it completely yellow before your Stamina runs out.
3. Steer the analog stick toward the horse’s tail as it bucks. On PC, use W, A, S, D to follow the tail direction.

Easier method: Keep your camera directly behind the horse and hold S (or pull back on the left stick on controller). As the horse spins, keep rotating your camera so it stays behind. This is far less chaotic than trying to follow the tail in real time.

If your Stamina runs out before the circle fills, the horse throws you off. Do not worry — the horse does not disappear. Get up, run back to it, and try again as many times as you need.

Important: You cannot eat Stamina food during the taming minigame. Eat before you start.

Once tamed, you can check the horse’s stats and decide whether to keep it or release it back to the wild. Each wild horse has randomized stats, so it is worth taming a few to find one with a good spread.

For legendary horses, you need at least 6 Stamina. See the legendary horse section below.

Curious about other characters and companions in the game? See our Crimson Desert all characters and companions guide.

How To Buy Horses In Crimson Desert

If you would rather skip taming, visit any Stable in Pywel to buy a horse directly. Talk to the stable manager (such as Merton at the Stable northwest of the Royal Trading Post) and choose Buy Horse.

Here are the horses available for purchase and their prices:

Prices vary by location. Demeniss and Pailune stables tend to have more expensive but higher-quality horses.

Legendary Horses In Crimson Desert

There are three legendary horses in Crimson Desert, each hidden in a different part of Pywel. They all have far better stats than regular wild horses. You need at least 6 Stamina to have a realistic chance of taming them. Eat Stamina food before attempting — remember you cannot eat during the minigame itself.

Recommendation: Get Royler first. He is accessible the earliest and his Speed and Stamina combo makes him the best mount for most of the game. The Redtree Forest where Camora roams is hot, so bring heat-resistant gear to avoid extra Stamina drain during the taming attempt.

Taming all three earns you the Tamer of Legends trophy and achievement.

For exact spawn points and taming tips for each one, see our dedicated Crimson Desert all legendary horses locations guide.

How To Manage Horses In Crimson Desert

To manage your horses, head to any Stable and talk to the manager. Press Use Stable, then choose Manage Horses. From here you can:

• Heal your horse (as described above)
• Switch between horses

Feeding and petting can be done anywhere at any time and do not require a stable visit.

How To Switch Horses

1. Go to a Stable.
2. Choose Manage Horses.
3. Select the horse you want to ride.
4. Press Switch Mount.

How To Level Up Horse Trust In Crimson Desert

Trust is the horse’s bond level with Kliff. It goes from 1 to 5 and unlocks new movement and combat skills at each level. Here is how to build trust:

• Ride your horse – Simply using it builds trust over time.
• Feed it – Use treats and Tonics while mounted.
• Pet it – Summon your horse, press the Lantern button (CTRL on PC / L1 on PS5 / LB on Xbox), then choose Pet.

There appears to be a daily cap on how much trust you gain through petting, so combine all three methods.

Trust Level Skills (All Breeds)

Trust Level 5 Skills By Breed

Legendary horses have different and generally superior skill sets at Trust Level 5 compared to regular breeds.

How To Buy Horse Equipment In Crimson Desert

Horse equipment is sold at Saddlery shops in most major cities. There are five equipment slots: Saddle, Horseshoe, Stirrups, Champron, and Barding.

More items unlock as you build trust with the merchant.

Annabella’s Saddlery (Northeast of the City of Hernand)

Bruna’s Saddlery (Additional Items)

Eldred’s Saddlery (North of the City of Pailune)

Demeniss Saddlery (Run by Fiona, North of Demeniss Castle)

Contribution Shops (Bardings)

Bardings are bought with Contribution Points, not Silver Coins. You earn Contribution Points by completing bounties and leveling up a city’s Contribution level.

How To Change Horse Equipment In Crimson Desert

There are two ways to equip horse gear:

Method 1 – Inventory

1. Open your inventory.
2. Select the Horse tab (labeled by breed name – Herspia, Priden, Brianto, Elantrima, etc.).
3. Select the equipment you want to use.
4. Press Equip.

Method 2 – Lantern Menu

1. Press the Lantern button (CTRL on PC / L1 on PS5 / LB on Xbox).
2. Choose Open Horse Inventory.
3. Select the slot you want to change.
4. Press Equip.

Both methods work the same way. Use whichever feels quicker during your session.

Useful Tips For Horse Owners

• Equip Horseshoes with Stamina regen (like Shabby Horseshoes) early on. Passive Stamina recovery during long rides means fewer stops.
• Unlock Force Palm: Healing as soon as possible. It makes field healing instant and free. See our guide on how to open Sealed Abyss Artifacts in Crimson Desert to unlock it faster.
• Tame multiple horses. Wild horse stats are randomized. Tame several to find one with a strong spread, then keep it.
• Different breeds suit different regions. Brianto is great for combat with Instant Acceleration. Elantrima is solid for exploration. Priden has High Jump which is helpful in mountainous areas like Pailune.
• You can customize your horse’s appearance at a Dyehouse. Cosmetics do not affect stats.
• Invest in the Abyss Tree’s mount nodes to improve Stamina and other stats beyond what equipment provides.

Related Crimson Desert Guides

Here are some other guides that may help you as you explore Pywel:

• How to fast travel in Crimson Desert
• How to unlock camp in Crimson Desert
• How to get a dragon in Crimson Desert
• How to respec in Crimson Desert
• How to upgrade weapons and armor in Crimson Desert
• Crimson Desert all main story quests and chapters
• How to increase inventory space in Crimson Desert
• Crimson Desert ice resistance and frost protection guide
• How to dual wield in Crimson Desert
• How to get iron ore in Crimson Desert

Where To Get Crimson Desert

Crimson Desert is available on the following platforms:

• Official Website
• PlayStation Store
• Xbox
• Steam
• Epic Games Store

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