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The Dragon Ball universe is quite strange. You have alien warriors blowing up planets, talking cats that are martial arts masters, and even dinosaurs running around. Cities are filled with humanoid animals, and they are even running businesses like it’s the most normal thing in the world.
So, naturally, a weird question pops into your head, especially if you are a horse racing fan. Do horses exist in Dragon Ball?
Even though it won't change the main story, and since you don’t remember them after watching 200 episodes, it probably means that they weren’t that important, but since horses are humans' most loyal companions, we have to know.
So, let’s go through the episodes and find out whether horses were a thing in Dragon Ball.
Animals Are Everywhere in Dragon Ball
One of the strangest things about the Dragon Ball world is how many animals exist alongside humans. Some of them behave like normal animals, and they are there to make it look more natural. Dinosaurs are walking around, giant fish are swimming in rivers, and there's an occasional monster in the wilderness.
But there are other types of animals, which are basically people. They talk, they wear shorts, and they run entire cities.
One of the most unusual parts of the Dragon Ball world is how many animals exist alongside humans. We all remember King Furry, who is a blue dog who serves as the ruler of Earth for much of the series.
So, how about horses? Well, they seem to fit naturally in this universe, especially since the franchise comes from Japan, which is a place with a rich horse racing culture, and they love horse racing betting. With the Kentucky Derby coming up, finding all the horses in the Dragon Ball universe is just like researching all the Kentucky Derby contenders.
This makes the idea of horses in this world feel completely possible.
Horses Appear in the Original Dragon Ball
Yes, horses may not be a major part of the story, but they do appear in the original Dragon Ball series, especially in rural areas.
In some early scenes, villagers and travelers can be seen riding horses or using horse-drawn carts while moving between towns. Yes, these moments don’t get much attention because they usually appear in the background, but they show that horses do exist in this strange world.
But mainly, they are not used for traveling in big cities, since they already have capsule technology and flying vehicles, and horses don’t really fit in.
Dinosaurs Get More Attention Than Horses
Funny enough, Dragon Ball tends to show dinosaurs more often than horses. Early episodes feature giant prehistoric creatures running around, sometimes appearing near mountains or forests where characters usually train.
Even Goku himself encounters dinosaurs’ multiple times when traveling or hunting for food.
It seems like the Dragon Ball world decided to skip regular wildlife and jump straight to giant reptiles.
The most obvious horse introduction to Dragon Ball happened much later on in the DAIMA series, Episode 9, where Vegeta fights an actual horse that looks like a boxer. Yeah, strange world. But the scene doesn’t get much attention since the horse isn’t a worthy opponent for Vegeta, and he knocks him out with one punch.
Transportation Is Usually More… Creative
Another reason horses don’t appear often is that Dragon Ball has plenty of other ways to get around.
Characters frequently travel using flying vehicles, futuristic motorcycles, or Capsule Corp technology that allows entire cars or houses to fit inside tiny capsules. And of course, once characters become powerful enough, they simply fly wherever they want.
After a certain point in the series, riding a horse probably feels a bit unnecessary when most fighters can cross continents in minutes.
Still, in quieter parts of the world where everyday people live, traditional transportation still exists.
And that includes horses.
Horses Fit the World’s Fantasy Side
Yes, Dragon Ball eventually becomes popular for its space battles, which don’t happen on Earth. And as we all know, space is where the aliens and strange creatures are, not horses.
So, if you want a more down-to-earth style of Dragon Ball, and probably where you have the best chance of spotting a horse, the early original episodes are the way to go.
This is where Goku travels across deserts, mountains, and forests and has probably encountered a bunch of horses. Sadly, horses don’t play a big role in the Dragon Ball universe, which is definitely expected since there are many carnivals and sporting events in this world, and horse racing would have fit perfectly.
So, do horses exist in the Dragon Ball universe? Yes, they do. But not in a way you’d expect, and sadly, they don’t get as much screen time as other animals.
