Horses

Horses in the west were more than just a vehicle, they were the difference between life and death for many. There is a reason crimes involving horses historically were punished very severly as stealing a person's horse was tantamount to trying to kill them or ruin their livelyhood.

Stables

There are stables all across the world, some run by NPC's and others run by cast members. NPC stables will charge a fee for homing a horse, and will provide the horse with average care during its stay. Characters will be able to give their horse additional attention to make sure they stay healthy and happy if they choose to put in the time. Horses that are stabled will only be accessible at the location they were stabled.

Calling The Horse

Unlike the base Red Dead gameplay, you will not be able to magically summon your horse to you, you will have to be within a reasonable distance of where you left them. Horses that are left in the wild will eventually be returned to the closest NPC stables.

Breeding

In order to provide more ways for players to have an impact on the world, each other and stand out there will be an in depth breeding system for horses and possibly cattle. Using a simplified genetic model every animal will have its own unique DNA that will have direct impact on the traits of the horse, from coat color and pattern to stamina and speed.

Nature vs. Nurture

Breeding and raising horses and cattle will not just be about the genetics and family lines. For the animals to reach their true potential their maximums and minimums will be effected by their environment growing up, including access to nutrient rich feed and medical care from vets. Beyond that it will take training and care to keep horses at their best, and their performance will diminish with neglect.

Training

Once a horse is grown it will be able to be trained. Depending on the genetics and nature of its upbringing horses will be more or less quick to learn (gain experience). Not all horses will have the apptitude to do all tricks and commands, and some may possibly be down right stubborn or mean.

A series of mini games and activities will be used to train horses which are unlocked through the horse training job. These will work on different aspects of the horses potential from agility, strength, speed and stamina as well as have effects on their personalities.

Care

Horses much like humans can be injured, get sick or have diseases.

Vetrinary

In order to care for the horse you will need to hire or have skills in the vetrinary skill tree. This allows the horses injuries and alements to be treated and speed their recovery, or prevent the problems from getting worse. Other times horses will need vetrinary care is during pregnancy and adolecense.

Ferrier

Horses will also need their hooves and shoes cared for which will be performed with the ferrier skills. A properly cared for horse with good shoes will have less issues and be far less likely to become injured. Higher skilled ferriers and higher quality shoes can dramatically increase the time between needing to be re-shoed.