The prices listed assume an animal with some basic training and conditioning.
Exactly what that is depends on the animal. Typically the animal is trained for one thing. Additional training, for example a saddle horse that is trained to also pull a cart, is worth an extra $300 per basic skill. The default training is Saddle/Pack animal.
Basic Training:
Saddle training: To carry a rider, also allows carrying a pack. It takes 1 month to train a horse for riding.
Cart Training: This is for pulling small. light carts or, working as part of a team in a larger coach. It takes 3 months to train a horse for Cart work.
Draft Training: This is for ploughing fields or pulling heavy wagons. It takes 3 months to train a horse for Draft work. A horse must be Cart Trained before it can be draft trained.
Advanced Training: Not all animals are suitable for this. A horse must be saddle trained prior to any advanced training
Battle Conditioning: This teaches a horse not to panic in the battlefield. It is exposed to most of the common features found on a battlefield to condition it not to panic. Fire, smoke, the smell of blood, loud noises and things waving in their face are all used to condition the horse. It takes 6 months to Condition a horse. Cost: $1,500
Combat: This teaches a horse to actually fight in battle. It teaches them to kick OR bite on command and it conditions them to accept pain without panicking. A horse must have Battle Conditioning before Combat Training is possible. It takes 1 year to Combat train a horse Cost: $2,500 (plus Conditioning)
Animals type and Training
Donkey= $500
Donkeys are too small to ride, their training is in carrying loads as a pack animal, or in pulling carts. Default: Pack animal
Small Mule= $1300
Small mules are rarely used as riding mounts, though they are comparable to a pony in size. They are usually trained as pack animals or to pull something, carts, ploughs or, often, ore carts in the mines. Default: Saddle/Pack Training and Cart Training
Large Mule= $3000
Large mules are quite suitable as mounts and are trained to be ridden. Most riding mules are also trained as pack animals.
Some mules are trained as field or draft animals, pulling ploughs or heavy wagons.
Default: Saddle/Pack Training, Cart Training and Draft Training
Cob(pony)= $1200
Ponies are usually trained as riding animals or as cart animals. They lack the strength for ploughing or pulling heavy loads. Battle Conditioning is possible, though it is very rare.
Default: Saddle/Pack Training
Palfrey(saddle horse)= $2000
The standard saddle horse. It is trained for riding and for pack use, though it can also be trained for cart and team use. Battle Conditioning is possible but NOT Combat Training.
Default: Saddle/Pack Training
Charger= $5000
The largest, strongest and best bred palfreys are trained as Chargers. All Chargers have Battle Conditioning. Many are also trained for Combat.
Default: Saddle/Pack Training and Battle Conditioning
Destrier= $8500
The smartest and best of the Draft Horse breed are trained as Destriers. All Destriers are trained to Saddle/Pack, Battle Conditioning and Combat.
Draft Horse= $3500
The largest and strongest breed in Velitrium. Used for ploughing, hauling freight wagons and all manner of heavy work.
Default: Saddle/Pack Training, Cart Training and Draft Training