Riding controls: keyboard, rebinding and auto-jump

The decision, step by step

1. Check bindings before the first ridden session

   Open the game’s control settings and inspect or rebind the riding inputs to suit you. The November 4 Steam discussion confirms WASD and Space and says you press once rather than hold to keep moving. Management and horse care use different interactions from riding.

2. Enable auto-jump if precise timing is the blocker

   In Settings, go to Accessibility and enable auto-jump. Return to an easy available riding activity to check the setup. A player in the same launch thread confirms this option; speed selection and strength management remain your responsibility.

3. Manage pace to preserve strength

   Cantering, galloping and jumps drain strength. Slow below canter when you need to recover, then pick the gait appropriate to the next obstacle. The launch guide describes canter as a higher, shorter jump and gallop as a lower, wider one. Auto-jump does not make a tired horse ready for every obstacle.

4. Read pace-change warnings and horse behaviour

   At lower Confidence, a horse may try to change gait itself. The warning arrows distinguish slowing from speeding up. Use the relevant correction in your binding setup before the change happens. Rebellious, Energetic and Chill can keep doing this even with high Confidence. Train trust separately if these interruptions dominate a ride.

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5. Keep mode-specific controls separate

   Confidence Training’s on-foot Praise and Back up prompts are not ridden controls. Likewise, a riding-lesson posture screen controls the rider’s hands, torso and legs. Read the current activity’s prompts instead of applying a key shown in another mode. If the layout is uncomfortable, revise the bindings and try the same easy activity again.

If the result is different

If a key does something unexpected, check the active mode and saved bindings first. If jumps still fail with auto-jump, inspect strength, gait and Confidence. If the horse changes pace by itself, check the warning and traits rather than treating every change as a keyboard problem.