In The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, horses make traveling across Cyrodiil faster and more immersive. Whether you’re tired of walking between cities or want to live out your noble adventurer fantasy, getting a horse early can seriously improve your gameplay. This guide will show you how to get a horse in Oblivion, including where to buy them, how to get a free one, and which horse is the best in the game.
Where to Get a Horse in Oblivion
There are several ways to acquire a horse in Oblivion:
- Buy one from a stable
- Receive one as a reward from a quest
- Steal one (with consequences)
- Get a special horse from a guild
The fastest legal method is purchasing a horse from one of the game’s city stables, while the best horse overall is a quest reward.
How to Buy a Horse in Oblivion
You can purchase horses from stables located outside major cities. Each stable sells different types of horses with varying speed and endurance.
Stables Where You Can Buy Horses:
- Weynon Priory (After main quest intro)
- Cheydinhal Stables
- Anvil Stables
- Bruma Stables
- Chorrol Stables
- Leyawiin Stables
- Skingrad Stables
Horse Types by Speed (from slowest to fastest):
- Old Nag – Cheapest and slowest
- Paint Horse
- Bay Horse
- Chestnut Horse
- White Horse
- Black Horse – Fastest standard horse (sold in Cheydinhal)
Prices range from around 500 gold to 5,000 gold depending on the horse and your Mercantile skill.
How to Get a Free Horse in Oblivion
If you’re early in the game and short on gold, there are a couple of ways to score a horse for free:
1. Main Quest (Weynon Priory)
After delivering the Amulet of Kings during the main quest, you’ll be given a Paint Horse for free from Brother Piner. It’s not the fastest, but it gets the job done early on.
2. Dark Brotherhood Reward: Shadowmere
If you join the Dark Brotherhood and complete the “The Purification” quest, you’ll receive Shadowmere, a powerful black horse with high speed, great endurance, and it can’t be permanently killed. Shadowmere is widely considered the best horse in Oblivion.
Can You Steal a Horse?
Yes—but be careful. Stealing a horse from a stable or NPC will result in a bounty if you’re caught. Once mounted, guards may pursue you, and if arrested, the horse will return to its stable.
Stolen horses will not follow you when fast traveling, and their ownership does not change unless you use console commands or mods (PC only).
How to Mount, Dismount, and Use a Horse
- To Mount: Approach the horse and press Activate (E on PC)
- To Dismount: Press Jump (Space on PC) while stationary
- To Fast Travel: You can fast travel while on horseback. Your horse will travel with you automatically.
Note: You cannot fight or use spells while mounted in Oblivion—combat must be done on foot.
Tips for Managing Your Horse
- Your horse can die in combat, so be cautious when traveling through dangerous areas.
- Horses do not have saddlebags, so you cannot store items on them.
- If your horse goes missing, return to where you last dismounted or fast travel—it usually reappears.
Final Thoughts
Getting a horse in Elder Scrolls 4 Oblivion is a huge quality-of-life upgrade. Whether you earn one through the main quest, purchase a premium breed from Cheydinhal, or work your way to Shadowmere through the Dark Brotherhood, there’s a perfect horse waiting for every adventurer. Choose wisely, and may your travels across Cyrodiil be swift and scenic.
Want more Oblivion tips? Check out our guides on How to Fast Travel and How to Level Up Fast to make the most of every ride!