As a dedicated player of Black Desert Online (BDO), acquiring a Dream Horse is a significant milestone, often achieved after extensive effort and a bit of luck. While the thrill of awakening your Dream Horse is immense, the journey to get there involves crucial steps like training your horse’s skills. This guide focuses on effective methods for training horse skills, particularly essential ones like Sprint and Instant Acceleration, ensuring a smoother progression towards your ultimate goal.
Understanding Horse Skill Training
In BDO, your horse gains the chance to learn new skills with each level it gains. While some skills are learned automatically, critical abilities such as Sprint and Instant Acceleration require active training. You can view your horse’s learned skills by pressing “P” while mounted.
The core of skill training involves repeatedly using a specific skill until it reaches level 100%. For instance, to level up Sprint, you must be mounted, have an un-broken saddle equipped, and press “W” to activate the sprint. At lower levels, there’s a chance the skill will fail, initiating a mini-game where you must press “W” and “S” to regain control. Failing this mini-game results in being thrown from your horse, a process that can be both frustrating and time-consuming.
Efficient Methods for Skill Training
To streamline the skill training process, several techniques have proven effective:
1. Train Against a Wall
A highly recommended method is to train your horse by repeatedly running it against a wall. As long as the skill is being activated, its level progresses regardless of the horse’s actual movement. This strategy significantly reduces the need for expansive training areas. However, be cautious with certain skills. Avoid the temptation to repeatedly jump, especially if the Streak Jump skill is enabled, as this can deplete your horse’s stamina at an alarming rate, leading to frequent and costly stamina restoration. You can disable skills like Streak Jump by locking them in your skill menu.
2. Utilize a Building’s Corner
To minimize disruption and annoyance to other players, find a quiet corner inside a building in a safe zone, such as a city or settlement. Position your horse in the corner and repeatedly use the desired skill. This method can take several hours to complete, even with this optimized approach.
3. Stock Up on Oasis Carrots
Oasis Carrots are invaluable for regenerating your horse’s stamina during prolonged training sessions. These can be purchased for a nominal fee from Ellie, a vendor typically found near stables in major cities, who also sells Oasis Gear. Please note: Oasis Carrots were removed from the game as of November 2021.
4. Master the Jump Technique
The jump technique, particularly when used in conjunction with training skills like Sprint and Instant Acceleration, can help bypass the frustrating “fail game.” By timing your jumps correctly, you can avoid the mini-game altogether, saving considerable time and preserving your sanity. If your horse possesses the Streak Jump skill, it’s crucial to lock it to prevent excessive stamina drain. Even when skills fail, you can still level them up. As skills advance to higher levels, the frequency of failure decreases significantly, though it’s always wise to be prepared to jump.
Dealing with the Fail Game
If you do encounter the fail game, the key is to be as hands-off as possible. Lightly tap the directional keys or even remove your hands from the keyboard entirely, as sometimes winning the mini-game requires minimal input. While the jump method is effective for Sprint and Instant Accelerations, skills like Drift might still require engaging with the fail game. Fortunately, these less critical skills often don’t demand the same level of intense training.
By implementing these strategies, you can train your horse’s skills more efficiently, making the path to your Dream Horse a more manageable and enjoyable experience.
