Sand Horse

Perfect for the Desert Climate

The Sand Horse is especially suited for desert climates. Its feet are wide to not sink deep into the sand, and the skin on its soles is thick to not get burned on the scorching ground. It has long eyelashes to prevent it from getting sand in its eyes during a sandstorm. It can store a lot of moisture in its body and can use this storage to go without drinking for more than a week.

The Sand Horse have few natural predators. This makes it a confident animal with a great personality, but also makes it more stubborn than other beasts of burden as it isn't scared of the people using it.

The Sand Horse eats plants. The wild ones walk from oasis to oasis to eat, as well as along the edge of the Drylands where there is some more vegetation.

Trader's Caravan

Sand Horses are the creature of choice for Vulborish traders. As the desert is a dangerous place to travel through, the traders who are going to the same place or in the same direction usually organize themselves into caravans. In that way they can travel together, helping each other in dangerous situations like dehydration and overheating.

A Sand Horse can travel outside the Drylands but eating other plants and being in a colder climate isn't good for it in the long run. Some traders bring their Sand Horses all the way to Sakastro or Candavir and back, and since this is also a warm climate it works decently well. However, while traveling all the way to Vobranas is possible it's not advised if you want a healthy and happy Sand Horse on the way back. This makes most Vulborish traders not go further north than the Sakastro area.

Some traders will switch from Sand Horse to horses when going further north, but this is very impractical as they'll have to board their Sand Horses while they travel north. Sand Horses are notoriously bad at being boarded, and if put into a stable they'll get bored quickly. A bored Sand Horse is one of the most mischievous animals that have ever been tamed by a sapient species.

Lifespan

Up to 50 years

---

Water Caravans

Some settlements in Vulborim don't have a reliable water source. This has been solved by regular water caravans from other settlements with more reliable water sources and a surplus of water.

An Intelligent Beast

A Sand Horse is quite intelligent. They escape their enclosures if they get bored, and will judge people by their gut instinct together with an analysis of their personality. It is said that if you ever wrong a Sand Horse it will remember your face. The next time it sees you, it might try to do revenge on the wrongdoing of the past.