Like many parts of the game, the team iterated on the horse for years. The personality of the horse will come through in its behavior, reacting to the world in a way that’s unique to its breed and your bond with it. Your horse should feel like a living creature with a mind of its own, and we spent a lot of time tagging elements of the world so the horse knows where it wants to go, and what it wants to avoid, as much as the player.
Beyond that, though, we want the horse to feel like a companion. You start to care for it, and it upsets you when it’s hurt. Looking after it, and bonding with it, becomes something you want to do not just for the benefits it can bring but because it’s your most trusted friend.
If it’s hurt and dying, you have limited time to get it medicine, and it’s at times like these that the game opens up its own adventures. Suddenly nothing matters as much as helping your horse. That said, you could just let it die and get another. Well, I couldn’t. Maybe you could.
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