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View Full Version : How much can a horse carry? [3.5]



Ecalsneerg
2009-12-02, 06:17 AM
The pack saddle mentions it can carry as much as the mount can carry. However, for a normal saddle, how much would be reasonable to carry in addition to the rider?

BobVosh
2009-12-02, 06:21 AM
Normal riding saddles don't usually have packs. If they do, then it probably is like a 6 inch deep pouch type deal.

Yuki Akuma
2009-12-02, 06:24 AM
It would be reasonable for it to carry up to its maximum load, including the rider.

There's all sorts of ways you can strap bags to a horse and still ride it. And the rider can always wear a backpack.

Thrice Dead Cat
2009-12-02, 06:25 AM
Short answer? Depends on the horse.:smalltongue:

In all seriousness, assuming a stock, average heavy war horse, by the carrying capacity rules, it could, hold up to 300 lbs. as a light load, 600 lbs. as a medium, and 900 lbs. as a heavy load.

Chrono22
2009-12-02, 06:27 AM
A horse can carry 3 times what its strength score in the carrying capacity chart says.

Ecalsneerg
2009-12-02, 06:28 AM
Oh, I'm not asking based on capacity, but on "able to carry this and rider without warping geometry"

Chrono22
2009-12-02, 06:30 AM
If you must, dig up the encumbrance charts from 2e. That should give you an idea about what a horse is capable of carrying. Although, you should know... a heavy warhorse is effectively the size of a draft horse.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FQ-pwWPht2s

Thrice Dead Cat
2009-12-02, 06:32 AM
Find out your horse's strength score and use this to your own benefit. (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/carryingCapacity.htm#liftingandDragging) By default, it doesn't matter if the horse is carrying the weight on its ankles, its head, or its back. X hundred pounds is X hundred pounds is X hundred pounds.

Prime32
2009-12-02, 06:51 AM
If you must, dig up the encumbrance charts from 2e. That should give you an idea about what a horse is capable of carrying.Why would you need to use the ones from 2e? :smallconfused:

Chrono22
2009-12-02, 06:54 AM
Because 3e doesn't have any.

onthetown
2009-12-02, 06:58 AM
In IRL, a horse can carry 1/3 its weight, so my 900lbs or so Arab (which would be considered a light riding horse in D&D) can carry up to 300lbs. In D&D, as it was mentioned, I believe it's 3x its STR score.

I could gain a whole lot of weight and see how much longer my Arab can carry me for, but you'll probably have your answer by then :smallbiggrin:

Kantolin
2009-12-02, 07:12 AM
Because 3e doesn't have any.

http://www.d20srd.org/srd/carryingCapacity.htm#liftingandDragging

Yes it does. Same chart's on page 152 of the PHB.

Light horse has a strength of 14 (262lbs carry, 1312lbs drag)
Heavy horse or light warhorse has a strength of 16 (345lbs carry, 1725 drag)
Heavy warhorse has a strength of 18 (450lbs carry, 2250lbs drag)

The 'drag' assumes dragging on the ground. It's suggested that 'favorable conditions such as smooth ground or a slick object' can double these numbers, so I assume pulling a cart counts for doubling it.

Chrono22
2009-12-02, 07:17 AM
That's not what I was talking about. 2e rules make a distinction between the weight of an object, and its encumbrance.
Look at it this way- you could have a 50 lb sack of gold. It would have a low encumbrance, but a high weight. A darkwood canoe would have a relatively low weight, but a high encumbrance.

Foryn Gilnith
2009-12-02, 07:23 AM
Semi-official rules for a saddlebag's "carrying capacity" are at http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/rg/20040406a

They can hold up to 5 cubic feet and 250 lb, apparently.

Fhaolan
2009-12-02, 11:19 AM
In IRL, a horse can carry 1/3 its weight, so my 900lbs or so Arab (which would be considered a light riding horse in D&D) can carry up to 300lbs. In D&D, as it was mentioned, I believe it's 3x its STR score.

Unfortunately, that rule of thumb is actually pretty recent (last 15 years or so). It originally applied only to certain breeds of horse, and actually Arab is not one of them believe it or not. Arabs have one or two less vertebrae (one thoratic vertebrae definately, and sometimes one lumbar vertebrae as well), and as such can carry considerably more weight by pound that other breeds of similar size. Also draft-style horse can carry higher ratios due to their thicker bone structures and heavier musculature. Smaller ponies like the Icelandic can carry higher amounts because in addition to draft-like construction, they are closer to the ground, and less muscle power is needed to hold that weight up.

Also that rule of thumb was originally for light pack horses and for 'dead' weight. Live weight (such as a rider) had a higher ratio of 1/5 to 1/4, depending on whether it was a standard horse or a heavier load type (Arab, Draft, etc.) Modern competitions and eventing has dropped that in favour of the 1/6 general rule because it was simpler and the judges got less arguments over 'live' vs 'dead' vs bone structure, etc. and got whined at less by animal activists who were *sure* that we were abusing the horses in some way just by having them carry weight at all. :smallbiggrin:

Another_Poet
2009-12-02, 11:45 AM
If your horse wears barding, it cannot carry anything except a saddle with or without saddlebags, and one rider (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/equipment/goodsandservices.htm#mountsandrelatedgear).

If your horse is not a warhorse, but it is fighting, it cannot carry a rider at all (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/horse.htm#horseHeavy) (or presumably anything else of similar or greater weight).

Other than these special circumstances, there is no restriction beyond the normal encumbrance and carrying load rules. Capacity and loads are given for each type of horse in their entries (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/horse.htm).

How you describe how it fits on the horse is between you and your GM. A couple of standby's in our group are either rig up a sledge for it to drag behind it, or make a use rope check to get everything securely bundled in a ridiculously high stack on the animal's back.

Personally I prefer to eat cooked horse meat in front of the horse and loudly tell everyone what a shame it is that our old horse was such a weakling, but the paladin or druid usually stop me.

ericgrau
2009-12-02, 12:21 PM
I'd peg a saddle bag at about 100 lbs and a foot by a foot. Normally you could have 2, but if you don't plan on using it in combat you could probably make a row of 4 on each side. So in addition to its capacity based on strength, you could use 100 lbs. per bag and almost 18" (diagnonally) as your limits without warping space time. Tying down larger objects on a horse or mule not meant for combat might be reasonable. But you better RP out how you bundle similar objects or etc., not just pile on random stuff and expect it to fit.

Another_Poet
2009-12-02, 12:53 PM
In a thread tagged [3.5] why are people just making up numbers??

The weight of saddlegs is listed in the Equipment section. So is the weight of each kind of saddle. Add the saddle weight, the saddlebag weight, and the weight of the goods you are cramming in there. It's not "ah, I bet it's around 100 pounds." It's not, "Well, an Arabian can carry X amount but a Clydesdale can..." Housecats, ladders, peasant rail gun, lava - the real-world properties of a thing are not relevant when making a D&D ruling.

My post above (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=7423675&postcount=16) has links to the actual rules and suggestions for explaining how you can actually move that much stuff with one horse.

Sorry for the possibly snippy tone, it just seemed like a lot of odd responses to a pretty basic question. Remember folks,


It's 3.5. There's a rule for that.

Harperfan7
2009-12-02, 01:26 PM
http://http://www.funnysnaps.com/bighorse.jpg (http://www.funnysnaps.com/bighorse.jpg)