'The Lord of the Rings Online' developer explains the horsepower behind mounted combat

Mounted combat is galloping to The Lord of the Rings Online MMO in an expansion named after the famed Riders of Rohan, according to a blog post from Elliot Gilman, staff systems designer at developer Turbine.

Though horses have always been part of the free-to-play MMO, their addition came late in development, and the team has been refining the beasts' behavior since 2008. After developing systems of its own, studying mounted combat in other games, and listening to player feedback on forums, Turbine is set to unveil horse-assisted battles in the upcoming Riders of Rohan expansion.

You can read all about the details surrounding mounted combat, including the types of war steeds available, customization options, and A.I. behavior, at the game's official website. Be sure to check out a video released yesterday in which the developers explain the game's fellowship with Tolkien's text. The Riders of Rohan expansion is due out on October 15th on PC.