Embarking on the journey of horse training in Black Desert Online is one of the most rewarding, and occasionally frustrating, experiences in the game. A well-trained horse is more than just a means of transportation; it’s a status symbol, a powerful asset, and your key to unlocking the legendary Dream Horses. Understanding how to properly approach training horse skills in BDO separates the casual rider from the master trainer. This comprehensive guide will walk you through every step, from understanding how skills are learned to mastering the art of skill changes to create the perfect Courser.
Whether you’re looking to build the fastest mount on the server or prepare a Tier 8 for its glorious awakening, the skills your horse possesses are paramount. Let’s dive into the intricate world of equestrian excellence.
How Your Horse Learns New Skills
In Black Desert Online, horses have a chance to learn a new skill each time they level up. This process is largely governed by RNG (Random Number Generation), meaning there’s no guaranteed way to learn a specific skill upon leveling. A horse can learn any skill it doesn’t already have, but some skills are far rarer and more desirable than others.
A higher-tier horse generally has a better chance of learning more skills over its lifetime. For instance, a Tier 8 horse leveled to 30 will almost always have more skills than a Tier 6 leveled to the same. The goal for any serious trainer is to accumulate a specific set of skills that transforms a regular horse into a high-performance machine or a valuable Courser ready for awakening.
The Most Desirable Horse Skills Explained
While a horse can learn over 20 different skills, a select few are essential for speed, maneuverability, and achieving Courser status. Understanding these skills is the first step in effective training.
Core Movement Skills
- Sprint: A fundamental skill that provides a significant burst of speed. It consumes stamina rapidly but is a must-have for any horse.
- Instant Accel: This skill gives your horse an instantaneous forward dash. It’s the bread and butter of fast travel and can be used repeatedly.
- Drift: Allows your horse to perform a sharp turn while maintaining speed. When mastered, it can be animation-canceled with Instant Accel for the fastest method of travel in the game.
- Charge: A forward rushing attack that can knock down enemies. While useful in combat, its main value for trainers is that it is a prerequisite for Courser status.
Advanced Movement Skills
- S: Instant Accel: An upgraded, faster version of Instant Accel that can only be learned after the base version. This is a rare and highly sought-after skill.
- S: Sideways: A faster version of the basic Sideways skill, allowing for quick lateral movement. It is another rare skill required for a Courser.
According to Dr. Alistair Finch, a renowned BDO equestrian analyst, “The synergy between Drift and Instant Accel is the cornerstone of high-level horse mechanics. Mastering the ‘drift-cancel’ technique fundamentally changes how a player traverses the world, turning travel time into an engaging, active process.”
The Art of Changing and Acquiring Horse Skills
Herein lies the true challenge of horse training. You will inevitably find your promising Tier 8 horse learning common, less useful skills like Fore Chop or Hind Kick instead of the rare ones you need. This is where the Mount Skill Change Coupon comes into play. These can be acquired from the Pearl Shop, through events, or via the Loyalty store.
How to Use a Skill Change Coupon
A Skill Change Coupon allows you to select one skill you want your horse to forget and replace it with another randomly learned skill that it doesn’t already know. This is a gamble, but a necessary one.
The “Failstack” Method for Horse Skills
The most effective strategy for using these coupons is often called the “failstack” or “Fore Chop” method. The theory is that by removing a common, easily learned skill, you increase the probability of learning a rarer skill upon your next level-up or coupon use.
Here is the step-by-step process:
- Level your horse. Let’s say it learns the dreaded Fore Chop.
- Purchase a Mount Skill Change Coupon.
- Go to the stable keeper and select your horse. Open the skill change menu.
- Choose Fore Chop as the skill you want to change.
- Select a desired, unlearned skill from the list (e.g., S: Instant Accel). This does not guarantee you will get this skill, but it adds it to a “hope” list.
- Execute the change. Your horse will forget Fore Chop and learn a different, random skill it doesn’t have.
- The Critical Step: If your horse learns a good skill, fantastic! Now, when your horse levels up again, it has another chance to learn a new skill. Since Fore Chop is a very common skill, there’s a high probability the horse will re-learn it.
- If the horse re-learns Fore Chop, you simply repeat the process. By keeping the pool of “bad” skills limited to just one that you continuously remove, you maximize the chances that any new skill learned will be a rare one.
This method requires patience and potentially many coupons, but it is the single most effective way to guide your horse toward learning the full set of Courser skills.
Techniques for Active Skill Training
Once your horse learns a skill, it’s not over. Many skills start at 1% proficiency and must be trained to 100% to be effective. At low proficiency, attempting to use a skill often fails, triggering a frustrating mini-game.
The Wall Training Method
To level up a skill, you must repeatedly use it. Instead of running across the map, you can train efficiently in one spot.
- Find a quiet corner or run your horse’s head against a wall in any safe zone.
- Continuously activate the skill (e.g., hold Shift for Sprint).
- Even though you aren’t moving, the game registers the skill usage, and its proficiency will increase.
Bypassing the Failure Mini-Game
When a skill fails, a mini-game pops up requiring you to balance your horse. This dramatically slows down training. Luckily, there’s a trick to bypass it for most movement skills.
- As soon as the skill fails and your horse rears up, press the spacebar to jump.
- If timed correctly, the jump will interrupt the mini-game, allowing you to immediately attempt to use the skill again.
- This simple trick can save you hours of frustration, especially when training skills like Sprint or Instant Accel from a low level.
Achieving Courser Status: The Final Goal
A Tier 8 horse that learns a specific set of skills is granted the title of “Courser.” A Courser is not only incredibly valuable to sell but is also the only type of horse that can be awakened into a Tier 9 Dream Horse (Arduanatt, Diné, or Doom).
To become a Courser, a Tier 8 horse must learn the following skills:
- Charge
- Drift
- Sprint
- Instant Accel
- Sideways
- S: Instant Accel
- S: Sideways
Achieving this requires a combination of luck during level-ups and strategic use of Mount Skill Change Coupons. It is the ultimate test of a horse trainer’s dedication.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What is the best way to start training horse skills in BDO?
The best way to start is by obtaining a high-tier horse, ideally a Tier 8 given for free through seasonal character rewards or other events. These often come with some good skills already learned, giving you a significant head start.
How many skills should a T8 horse have to be considered good?
While the specific Courser skills are most important, a good T8 at level 30 should ideally have 15 or more skills. A horse that learns skills frequently is often called a “smart” horse and is a better candidate for using skill change coupons.
Is it worth using coupons on a horse that isn’t a Tier 8?
Generally, it is not recommended. Mount Skill Change Coupons are a valuable resource, and they are best saved for a Tier 8 horse that has the potential to become a Courser and eventually a Dream Horse.
Can I train skills while AFK?
You can level up your horse’s main level by setting up an auto-path loop while you are away from the keyboard. However, you cannot train individual skill proficiency (from 1% to 100%) while AFK, as this requires active skill usage.
Does my Training Life Skill level affect skill learning?
Your Training Mastery does provide various buffs, but it does not directly increase the chance of a horse learning a rare skill upon level up. That process remains primarily random.
Conclusion
The path of a horse trainer in Black Desert Online is a marathon, not a sprint—though a fully trained horse will do plenty of sprinting for you. Success in training horse skills in BDO is a blend of understanding the systems, applying clever strategies like the skill change method, and having a healthy dose of patience. The reward for your effort is one of the fastest, most majestic, and most valuable assets in the entire game. So saddle up, be prepared for the journey, and train your way to equine excellence.
