How do I horse?

Whenever there was an influx of new players into Fallen Earth there was one set of questions that were omnipresent in the Help channel.

How do I get a horse? How do I make a horse? How do I ride my horse? How do I put my horse away? How do I bring my horse back? How do I find my horse? How do I feed my horse? How do I heal my horse? How do I rez my horse?

Or as it was often phrased - how do I horse?

The world of Fallen Earth is huge, and the game doesn't take long to provide new players with their first horse. The Old Nag isn't terribly good – it can't carry much and it needs to be fed frequently – but it's a mount, and getting around in the wasteland requires a mount, if you want to get anywhere in a reasonable time.

Mounts – horses, ATVs, motorcycles, buggies and cars (also giant chickens and even more giant mutant wolves) – are one of the most distinctive features of Fallen Earth. They need to be fed (or fuelled) to keep moving and they have their own inventory slots so you can load up additional gear and materials when your personal character inventory is full (or has hit the weight limit.) Most importantly, once you summon your mount it stays in the world unless you store it at a stable/garage.

There may be other MMOs with persistent mounts, but I don't know of any. It introduces a whole new dynamic, where you have to think about finding a safe place to leave your mount when you're approaching a hostile area, or you dismount to go pick up a mat node, and then another, and another... until you realise that you've wandered so far your mount is now out of sight and you've got a long run back to it.

Assuming it's still alive.  Some mobs will attack mounts, and I will never forget hearing something behind me and looking round to see my horse being killed by several coyotes. I was so accustomed to the MMO convention that a horse or other mount is really just a skill to be turned on and off that the idea of this horse being a distinct entity in the world that could draw mob aggro was entirely unexpected.

I've said before that Fallen Earth is the best Wild West MMO ever made, and I stand by that. The small, isolated settlements scattered across a vast, lawless desert are part of that feeling, as is a lot of the gear and the weapons, and the wonderfully atmospheric soundtrack.

As are the horses, especially in Sector One when they are still the most commonly utilised mounts.

Later on, when vehicles begin to be more common, horses still have their uses. Bikes are faster and buggies can carry more, but horse remain the most maneuverable of the game's mounts, and can go places other mounts can't easily navigate.

They're also cheaper to run. Horsefeed is a lot easier (and cheaper) to make than gasoline.  You can even leave your horse to graze and it will, gradually, restore its stamina.  Try doing that with a motorcycle.