Horsemanship Leveling & Perks Guide: And

Learn how to level up your Horsemanship skill in Kingdom Come: Deliverance II, discover the best perks for mounted combat and racing, and master travel and combat on horseback.

Horsemanship is essential for traversing the world of Kingdom Come: Deliverance II. As your skill increases, your horse will consume less stamina and be less likely to throw you off during combat or races. Level up by riding long distances or engaging in mounted combat; fast travel does not contribute to skill progression.

Unlocking Horsemanship Perks can significantly enhance your abilities, offering benefits like increased mounted combat damage, head starts in races, reduced stamina consumption on different terrains, and even the ability to intimidate enemies.

Leveling Horsemanship

To gain experience in Horsemanship, you need to actively use the skill. Efficient leveling methods include:

• Auto-Riding: Lock your horse onto a road, increase speed, and let it ride automatically while you do something else.
• Mounted Combat: Defeat enemies while on horseback. Bandit encounters can often be triggered by fast-traveling long distances.
• Manual Riding: Choose to ride manually everywhere instead of using the fast travel system.
• Skill Trainers: Pay coin to Skill Trainers for rank increases. Their locations can be discovered through exploration, and some become trainers after completing quests for them. Scribes in Troskowitz also offer Skill Books for purchase.

Skill Trainer costs are as follows:

Best Horsemanship Perks

Perk Points are awarded every two levels of Horsemanship (e.g., 6, 8, 10). While all perks can eventually be acquired, prioritizing certain ones is recommended:

Knight Training

Effect: Melee attacks from horseback cost 15% less stamina, and it becomes harder for enemies to unseat you.

This perk is crucial for mounted combat, reducing stamina drain and improving your stability. It also serves as a prerequisite for other valuable perks like Towering Menace, Trample, and Into the Fray.

Head Start I and II

Effect: Your horse gains a temporary speed boost (lasts 10 seconds) when using a quick start (sprint).

Essential for players interested in horse racing, these perks significantly improve your chances of winning, especially in side quests that require racing objectives.

Ride Like the Wind I and II

Effect: Your horse consumes stamina 5% slower while galloping.

These perks help mitigate stamina loss during races, preventing the need to slow down drastically. They also make long-distance travel more efficient by reducing the frequency of stamina-related slowdowns.

War Horse

Effect: Killing enemies from the saddle increases your horse's morale, making it less likely to falter in battle.

Beneficial for mounted combat, especially against multiple opponents. Higher morale leads to quicker stamina recovery and reduced chances of being thrown off when the horse is under pressure.

Trample

Effect: Charging into an enemy on horseback significantly lowers their morale and applies stat debuffs, making them easier to defeat.

Another strong perk for mounted combat, Trample debuffs enemies, making them more vulnerable. This is particularly effective against single opponents or when initiating combat.

Special - Good Old Pebbles

If you acquire Pebbles as your first horse, its initial stats will be under...