So you’ve been running everywhere in Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 and realized this medieval cardio isn’t it? Yeah, time to get yourself a horse. 🐎
There are a few ways to saddle up early — from good old-fashioned theft to charming a trader into giving you one for free. Let’s break down every method.
🐴 Method 1: Steal a Horse (the “Robin Hood cardio-skip”)
You’ll first enter the open world at the start of Main Quest 5: Wedding Crashers, spawning in the town of Troskowitz — the biggest settlement in the Trosky region.
Head south of town to find a paddock with several horses. Sneak in at night or when no one’s watching, hop on, and ride off like the medieval outlaw you were born to be.
⚠️ Watch out: If any villagers see you, they’ll report the theft and you’ll have to pay a fine or face punishment later.
💾 Make a quick Save & Exit before you try it — reload if caught.
Stolen horses return to their paddock when dismounted, but you can always fast travel back and “borrow” another. Most major towns have paddocks, so you’re never far from a fresh ride.
💬 Method 2: Get Pebbles for Free (Speech Check Win)
Travel southwest to Semine, where you’ll find a horse trader. Look for Pebbles, a grey horse standing nearby — your first potential companion.
- Hold the greet button (L1) to pet Pebbles.
- Talk to the horse trader and select the “Pebbles!” dialogue.
If your Speech stat is 7 or higher, choose “Be reasonable.”
You’ll charm your way into a free horse, and you’ll even unlock the “An Old Friend” trophy/achievement.
🧩 Tip: Don’t Ditch Pebbles Too Soon
Yeah, the locals love to roast poor Pebbles. NPCs will make snide remarks about your “slow donkey,” and they’re not wrong — at first, Pebbles isn’t exactly breaking speed records.
But here’s the trick: Pebbles gets better.
There’s a hidden perk called “Good Old Pebbles.”
🐎 How to unlock: Ride Pebbles for 35 kilometers total.
Once unlocked, Pebbles’ stats increase significantly — turning your humble starter horse into a surprisingly fast and loyal companion.
So don’t ditch your boy too early. Stick with Pebbles, level that perk, and enjoy the glow-up.
💰 Method 3: Buy a Horse (If You Can’t Talk the Talk)
If your silver tongue isn’t leveled up yet, you can always just buy Pebbles — or another horse — from the same trader in Semine.
- Pebbles costs 150 Groschen, but you can haggle for a discount.
- Talk to townsfolk or practice dialogue options to raise your Speech stat for next time.
🧩 Tip: The extra dialogue XP from haggling and small talk adds up fast — so even paying for Pebbles can set you up for free deals later.
🧭 Method 4: Story Progress – The Horse “Herring”
If you’d rather wait, Main Quest 7: Back in the Saddle automatically rewards you with a new horse named Herring.
Herring has better stats than Pebbles, and if you already own a horse, you can choose to keep yours or switch.
💡 Quick note: You can store items in your horse’s inventory, so owning one early makes exploration (and stealing stuff) way easier.
🧩 Related Guides
If you’ve just started your adventure and Pebbles is your first real companion, these beginner guides will help you get a stronger start:
- 💰 Beginner Tips for Fast Grochen & Skills – Learn how to make money early and boost your main stats fast.
- ⚔️ Beginner’s Guide After the Tutorial – What to do right after Skalitz and how to set yourself up for success.
🐴 Combine those tips with your new horse, and you’ll be cruising through Bohemia like a true medieval pro.
🎯 Final Thoughts
You’ve got four ways to mount up in KCD2 — sneak, charm, buy, or progress. Pebbles might start out as a meme horse, but with a little loyalty (and 35KM of riding), he becomes one of the best early companions you can ask for.
Whichever path you choose, once you’re in the saddle, the world opens up beautifully. Ride safe, save often, and remember — even slow horses beat running in armor.
