Horses have always been a main feature of Skyrim, and have been in The Elder Scrolls franchise since Oblivion. While Oblivion's horses were nimble and weak, though, Skyrim's horses are slower and hardy. Until the release of Anniversary Edition, the only way to encounter horses in the wilds of Skyrim was by downloading a paid Creation Club addon.

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Wild Horses are included with Anniversary Edition in a creation that lets players tame and collect a variety of mares across the nordic homeland. There are eight total new horses to find, including the rare Unicorn tied to its own unique questline. Finding them in the first place, though, can be easier said than done.

Updated April 27, 2022 by Erik Petrovich: Horses in Skyrim are nothing new, but the Wild Horses creation included with Anniversary Edition changes the way players can go about collecting them all. Rather than simply purchasing each type of horse from a Stable, the creation lets players tame them in the wild. Finding them in the first place isn't always a straightforward thing, though. The creation gives players the Horse Map as part of a new quest which serves as an in-game way of tracking down each mount. It's not too precise, though it is a way for players to avoid breaking immersion by giving them a means of locating these sometimes elusive horses.

How To Get The Horse Map in Skyrim

The Elder Scrolls Skyrim horse rearing mountian

The Skyrim Horse Map is the Wild Horses Creation's way of letting players figure out the locations of Wild Horses without using online help - a kind of lore-friendly guide for the addon. The Horse Map details the locations of each Horse with a red X, and the book that comes with it gives players more detail on how to get to these spots.

The Horse Map can be bought from any Stablehand in Skyrim, though players have to start the Horse Whisperer quest first, included with this Creation. To start this quest, simply head to the Arcaneum in the College of Winterhold and read Soran's Journal. This will lead you to the nearest Stable, where the Map can be bought. This will also finish the quest, but will start new misc. quests for each type of horse that can be tamed.

Wild Horse Locations in Skyrim

Skyrim Anniversary Wild Horse Locations Map
  • Black Horse: Near Falkreath, northwest of the city outside Evergreen Cove
  • Chestnut: Near Helgen, in the mountains to the east of the village
  • Dappled Brown: Near Solitude, to the south of the city near a Dragon Mound
  • Pale Mare: Near Windhelm, northeast of the city outside Yngol Barrow
  • Red Horse: Near Whiterun, in the fields north of the city
  • Spotted Grey: Near Markarth, in the mountains north of Salvius Farm
  • Spotted White: North of Riften in Eastmarch Hold, near Stony Creek Cave

This in-game map shows all Skyrim wild horse locations, but that doesn't make it much easier to find them. The accompanying book helps a bit with scouting out the appearance and details of each mount, but ultimately they don't tell the player much.

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All seven normal horses are found at locations highlighted by red X marks on the map of Skyrim above. Keep in mind that it may take some searching in the general area as they do wander, and no matter the breed they are always labeled "Wild Horse" in-person.

Where Is The Unicorn In Skyrim?

Skyrim Anniversary Horse Taming Guide unicorn Types of Horses

The Unicorn is also added with the Wild Horses creation included in Skyrim Anniversary Edition, though it can't be found wandering out in the world like the other horses. It's only available through the Creature of Legend quest, which begins by reading Soran's Journal in the College of Winterhold's Arcanaeum (it should be sitting on Urag's desk).

After starting the quest, head to Lost Prospect Mine just northeast of Riften. The horse should spawn just west of Lost Prospect Mine, typically near a small pond. It is tamed the same way as any other horse, so be prepared to get bucked off a few times before it becomes your new mount.

Skyrim Anniversary Edition is available for PC, PlayStation 4 and 5, and Xbox One and Series X|S

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