Rust Horse Controls
Mount, lead, feed — and why braking at full gallop puts you in the dirt.
The keys
| Input | Does |
|---|---|
| E (tap) | Mount a saddled horse |
| Hold E → Lead | Lead it on foot — the move for steep or awkward ground |
| Hold E → Examine | Open its gear screen: saddles, armor, horseshoes |
| W / A / S / D | Steer while riding |
| Hold Left Shift | Gallop |
| Hold Left Ctrl | Slow and stop — expect a short skid |
Before it moves
No fuel — buy one at the Ranch or Large Barn, or saddle a wild one via the hold-E Examine menu. Feed it by dropping food in front of its head, or build a Hitch & Trough (200 wood) which feeds any horse hitched to it automatically.
What goes wrong
- !Braking hard from a full gallop can ragdoll you off — bleed speed first, then stop.
- !Stamina drains while swimming and an exhausted horse drowns in deep water. Recently-fed horses run slightly faster.
- !Horses can't jump, and collision damage scales with speed — a gallop into a fence hurts both of you.
Sources: CorrosionHour horse guide · Tradeit horse guide — checked 2026-08-04. Keys no source documents are left out rather than guessed.