Mechanic · Horses Changed
Horse Traits
Up to three positive or negative horse traits, rolled when you get the horse.
All traits 26
16 good and 10 bad traits. Traits marked Unconfirmed are named from the game data; open a trait for everything we know about it.
Brute
Good- Trample damage: +100%
Doubles the damage the horse does when it tramples.
- Comfort while riding: +20
A good horse trait that adds 20 comfort while you ride; its in-game name is not confirmed yet.
Can’t appear with Harsh Gait.
Fast Healer
Good- Health regeneration: +100%
An injured horse heals twice as fast.
Can’t appear with Slower Health Regen.
Lets you loot items without getting off the horse.
High Jump
Good- Jumps higher
A good horse trait that lets the horse jump higher; its in-game name is not confirmed yet.
Less Bond Lost
Good- Bond lost when the horse dies: −50%
- Stops applying at max bond
A good horse trait that halves the bond you lose when the horse dies; its in-game name is not confirmed yet.
Can’t appear with Spiteful.
Loyal
Good- Bond XP gained: +50%
- Stops applying at max bond
Bond levels up much faster; it stops mattering once the horse reaches max bond (level 8).
When you are downed, whistle and the horse comes over to try to revive you.
Mountaineer
Good- Climbs steeper slopes
Lets the horse climb the steepest slopes; developers call it one of the best traits.
Nimble
Good- Canter speed: +20%
A bond level 8 trait that makes the horse canter 20 percent faster.
Nocturnal
Good- Speed at night: +15%
The horse is much faster at night.
Resilient
Good- Cooldown before it can come back: −25%
A horse that dies comes back faster. The name was only heard on stream, not seen written.
Roadrunner
Good- Speed on roads: +15%
Gallops 15 percent faster on roads.
Strong Knees
Good- Fall damage: −50%
Halves the damage the horse takes from falls.
Can’t appear with More Falling Damage.
Tamed
Good- +1 stat star to place
Replaces Wild once that horse reaches max bond, and gives one extra star to put into a stat.
Warhorse
Good- Speed and agility after trampling: +15%
Trampling something gives the horse a 30-second speed and agility boost.
Harsh Gait
Bad- Comfort while riding: −20
Riding this horse costs you comfort.
Can’t appear with Comfort While Riding.
Makes Noise
Bad- Makes noise
A bad horse trait that makes the horse noisy; its in-game name is not confirmed yet.
- Fall damage: +50%
A bad horse trait that adds 50% to the horse's fall damage; its in-game name is not confirmed yet.
Can’t appear with Strong Knees.
Skittish
Bad- Notices shots flying past from 3× as far away
- Spooked by shots fired near it
Bolts when guns fire nearby, so you have to call it back.
- Recovery time: +50%
A bad horse trait that makes recovery take 50% longer; its in-game name is not confirmed yet.
- Health regeneration: −50%
A bad horse trait that halves the horse's health regeneration; its in-game name is not confirmed yet.
Can’t appear with Fast Healer.
Soft Hooves
Bad- Gallop speed without horseshoes: −5%
A bad horse trait that slows the gallop by 5% when the horse has no horseshoes; its in-game name is not confirmed yet.
Spiteful
Bad- Bond lost when the horse dies: +50%
- Stops applying at max bond
You lose more bond when the horse is killed.
Can’t appear with Less Bond Lost.
Wanderer
Bad- Wanders off instead of waiting
Wanders around instead of waiting where you left it.
Wild
Bad- 5% chance to refuse being mounted
- Stops applying at max bond
About a 5 percent chance the horse throws you and runs off when you mount; it turns into Tamed at max bond.
Values can change between playtests. Effects from: Game data: Alpha 5 game data
Facts
Each fact links to where it comes from.
Horses have perks, such as Mountaineer, which climbs steep slopes more aggressively.
A horse can have up to three traits, positive or negative, set at the stable.
Alpha 5 adds three or four new horse traits, including Medic and Gatherer.
Video: Dev Livestream: End Game Doomsday Bunker at 8:26 (opens in a new tab)
Negative traits add flavor rather than heavy penalties; positive traits shape play styles.
Video: Dev Livestream: End Game Doomsday Bunker at 10:05 (opens in a new tab)
Some horses wander or are noisy, which are negative traits.
Video: The Legend of California Dev Livestream (June) at 4:05:58 (opens in a new tab)
More horse traits are in development, not all making Alpha 5.
Video: The Legend of California Dev Livestream (October) at 3:16:47 (opens in a new tab)
Spot something wrong or out of date?
Patch history
3 versions
Every fact about Horse Traits by game version, newest first.
| Version | What we know |
|---|---|
| Planned |
|
| Dev build |
|
| Alpha 5 |
|
Sources
4
Official posts, videos and game data this page is built from.
| Source | Date | Used |
|---|---|---|
| Dev Livestream: End Game Doomsday Bunker (opens in a new tab) Video | Nov 11, 2026 | 7 |
| The Legend of California Dev Livestream (October) (opens in a new tab) Video | Oct 17, 2026 | 1 |
| The Legend of California Dev Livestream (June) (opens in a new tab) Video | Jun 6, 2026 | 2 |
| Jeff Kaplan + Tim Ford Play 10 MORE HOURS of The Legend of California (opens in a new tab) Video | Mar 22, 2026 | 2 |