Horses for quick and quiet travel pt.2

[solar raft]

I'm reproposing my former idea from 2023 that got quite a bit of attention
Horse DLC Suggestion 🐎

Horses would be an awesome and realistic addition to Call of the Wild. Plenty of real hunters use horses to travel, pack gear, and haul out game — it’s a traditional, authentic part of the hunting experience that the game’s missing right now.

A Horse DLC could add both immersion and utility:
• Saddle Bags – Similar to Red Dead 2, let us store extra weapons, ammo, lures, or harvested animals. It’d add real strategy to long hunts.
• Quieter Travel – Horses would be a more natural, less noisy option than the ATV, allowing players to move through the wild without scaring everything for half a mile.
• Companion Gameplay – Grooming, calming, or feeding your horse could affect stamina, noise, and handling, adding more realism and care to your hunts.
• Customization – Saddles, tack, and maybe different horse breeds with unique stamina or speed stats.
• Realistic Limitations – Horses spook from gunfire, predators, or steep terrain. Managing that adds a balance of challenge and reward.

A horse system wouldn’t just be “cool,” it’d make the game feel alive — blending realism, immersion, and practical gameplay. If you’re going for authentic hunting experiences, horses and saddle-bag mechanics are the next logical step forward.

[eager zinc]

Red Dead moment

It would be cool; however, horses used for hunting specifically are trained not to spook at gunshots and steep terrain; but having them spook at animals that turn aggressive and charge you would add a neat challenge. Horses, since they’re prey animals, may also alert you to danger at a further distance, so it’s not right up on you like when you have a dog by the time it barks. Horses realistically cannot store a lot of heavy equipment while carrying their handler, but it would be neat if you had the option of different horses for different purposes kind of like with the dogs.

I think this would be an amazing addition for a DLC, especially for the people that hunt irl and want to have a quieter way to get around. There could be a similar Companion gameplay like with the dogs where you could tell the horse to follow or stay, and an option to pet the horse which could affect a calmness level rather than friendship level like with the dogs. I think instead of just one kind of horse able to do everything, we could have three options like with the dogs, so each horse would have a different “job” and a different set of stats.

[eager zinc]

Irish Cob
Often a farmhorse, these horses are often used for lifting heavy weight. They would have less stamina and speed, but would add a function like a backpack would in game; except much more expensive. These horses would be slightly louder since they’d be hauling a lot of weight on them; purpose is you can have this horse haul medium to large game back to you to harvest, such as deer and elk. Job: Game Packing

Thoroughbred
Thoroughbred horses are mostly known for their endurance and speed. They cannot carry as much, so their purpose is to get you from point A to point B without faltering; as well as alerting you to danger within a 400 meter radius through a series of whinnies and snorts. They have a shorter calmness level range. Job: Player Transport

Mustang
Wild, untame… which is what most mustangs are known for. However, you, the player, managed to gain the trust of one. How cool is that?! Mustangs are often known for their stamina and bravery; historically used by many in backcountry hunts or big game pursuit. These horses are least likely to spook and sometimes may have the bigger chance to scare off an aggressive animal with a series of loud squeals, sometimes even roars (horses can roar when incredibly angry but this is often heard in wild horses when fighting or, maybe, you just have a red mare. Either way!). Job: Pursuit and Defense

And of course, if horses were added there could be an option to disable them for multiplayer just like with the ATVs and dogs.

[vapid rampart]

Still going to advocate for mules because of their steady mind and surefootedness, plus their ability to carry huge loads. Additionally, they have very high stamina.

[old pilot]

i agree adding horses for travel would be great, but i think a similiar think would happen with the dogs where only one type really gets used the most and the others tend to be pushed aside for very unique scenarios