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Automaton Horses

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Horses are Cool Horse. They're a sure-fire signal for fantasy medieval and western, can make the characters look good with a sufficiently awesome name or respectable pedigree, and most importantly, provide a relatively fast form of transport for the heroes. In video games, this often becomes an Acceptable Break From Reality. After all, unless it's the point of the game, would you really want to have to stop fighting the armies of darkness to water your horse or let it take a rest? It's not as if the hero has to eat anything. Why should your horse? Examples of Automaton Horses include:

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Horses are Cool Horse. They're a sure-fire signal for fantasy medieval and western, can make the characters look good with a sufficiently awesome name or respectable pedigree, and most importantly, provide a relatively fast form of transport for the heroes. In all too many stories, that's really about as far as they take it. The horse doesn't eat, doesn't sleep, doesn't need any sort of special care. It'll charge into flame, to the sound of gunfire, and off of cliffs without the slightest hesitation. When men are fighting from atop it, only the rider will be struck and dismounted, while the horse will live on, nor will the horse itself participate in combat (real life war horses would often be trained to bite, kick and trample). If a horse dies, it will not be simply because it tripped, broke a leg and was put down. Nor will it age, even if it's a named Cool Horse who appears in a Long Runner for decades on end. Mares will never get pregnant, or even go into heat. Ungelded males will never get Distracted by the Sexy. In video games, this often becomes an Acceptable Break From Reality. After all, unless it's the point of the game, would you really want to have to stop fighting the armies of darkness to water your horse or let it take a rest? It's not as if the hero has to eat anything. Why should your horse? This trope is usually either played very straight, or averted very hard. For actual automaton horses, see Mechanical Horse. For a related trope regarding tireless animals, check out Huge Rider, Tiny Mount. See Horse of a Different Color for horses that aren't actually horses at all. Related to Invulnerable Horses, who never ever get shot. Plot-Powered Stamina is the supertrope, which can apply to sapient beings as well as draft animals. May result in Somewhere an Equestrian Is Crying. Examples of Automaton Horses include: