Horse

Horses are animals from vanilla Minecraft which can be found in Middle-earth, and are the most common type of mount used by mounted NPCs in the mod, as well as being a relatively easily-obtained mount for players in the early game.

The mod's horses, in general, work in the same way as the vanilla horses, but they have some different properties: see below for more on this.

Of all regions of Middle-earth, horses can be found most commonly in the Rohan biome, but they also appear in many other areas all across the world. There is also a smaller breed of horse known as the Shire Pony which is endemic to the Shire.

Differences from Vanilla
The mod's horses are a different class of entity from the vanilla ones (meaning you cannot breed a horse from the Overworld with one from Middle-earth). As such, they have some changes and improvements to make them better suited to Middle-earth. Vanilla horses do not have these changes in the mod; they remain as they always were. In all other aspects, such as appearance, control, passive behaviour, the mod's horses are the same as vanilla.
 * LOTR horses can swim through water with ease.
 * LOTR horses cannot equip vanilla horse armour, and vice versa. (See LOTR horse armour, which is craftable, while the vanilla types are not)
 * LOTR horses are bred with ordinary apples (red/green) instead of golden apples.
 * Sometimes, LOTR horses can have better stats than are possible for vanilla ones, depending on the biome the horse was found in. Rohan horses have a higher range of possible stats. Note that this does not mean that all Rohan horses are better than all horses found elsewhere.
 * LOTR horses can be controlled by certain NPC's, such as Rohirrim.

Spawning
Horses spawn in most biomes of Middle-earth, especially plains-type biomes. Some biomes spawn horses more commonly than others.

Biomes which spawn horses include: Biomes which, notably, do not spawn horses (but do often have other mounts) include: In addition, horses can be found in some structures across Middle-earth, such as the Rohan Fortress and Dol Amroth Stable.
 * Rohan
 * Gondor
 * Dor-en-Ernil
 * Lindon
 * Lothlórien
 * Eriador
 * Lone-lands
 * Trollshaws
 * Anduin
 * Wilderland
 * Rhun
 * The Shire (contains Shire Ponies)
 * Woodland Realm (contains Elk)
 * Most evil biomes (Mordor, Angmar, Mirkwood, etc.)
 * Harad biomes
 * Most mountainous biomes

Note also that attacking a horse in Rohan, if there are Rohirrim nearby, will - regardless of your Rohan alignment - cause you to lose alignment and be attacked by the nearby Rohirrim.

Mounted NPCs
Many NPCs in the mod can ride horses - these include Galadhrim Elves, Gondor Soldiers, and most notably the Rohirrim. When an NPC is riding a horse, the NPC's targeting range is increased by a factor of 1.5. Its attack range (how far away it can hit you with a sword) is also increased by a factor of 1.5. NPCs riding horses are also significantly faster than their unmounted equivalents; in fact, they're usually fast enough that you can't outsprint them. NPCs that use ranged attacks will maneuver away from a foe who comes too close and continue shooting from further away.

If the NPC dies, its horse cannot be used by the player, and will eventually despawn.

The chance of finding a horse-riding NPC varies - it is relatively uncommon to spot an Elf Warrior on a horse, but almost all of the Rohirrim ride horses. You can also hire many of the cavalry units from the appropriate NPC (Rohirrim Marshal, Gondorian Captain, Galadhrim Lord etc.). Cavalry units are typically more expensive and require a higher alignment to command than foot soldiers.