No cowpoke is complete without a trusty steed, and few games understand this as much as Red Dead Redemption 2. Though carriages and carts do exist in the dying embers of the Old West, horsies are the main means of travel in Rockstar’s rooting-tooting sequel. In this piece we’re going to run through some tips for getting the most out of your Red Dead Redemption 2 horse, to help you traverse the landscape in speedy style.
Red Dead Redemption 2 Horse Guide
Having a better horse in Red Dead Redemption 2 is going to make the entire campaign easier, especially given that you’re going to be travelling cross-country between missions and wrangling fleeing outlaws on a regular basis.
You’ll be given a horse as part of the campaign and as you saddle and ride it around the landscape, you’ll increase your bond with the animal, which will improve the amount of control you have over your steed and unlock abilities like drifting and skidding. You’ll increase the meter by simply riding your horse but also feeding it, brushing it, patting it and easing it, so make sure you engage with the on-screen prompts when you find a dull moment.
Keep progressing through the campaign and you’ll eventually unlock the stables. Specifically, this occurs after the mission Exit Pursued By A Bruised Ego where you struggle to hunt a big bear with Hosea. Unlocking the stables will allow you to break, buy and store horses so that you can use them across your adventures.
How to choose a good horse in Red Dead Redemption 2
The main problem you’ll face in the game’s campaign is that the best horses with high speed and acceleration only unlock very late into the game, and they’re very expensive to buy. This makes it tricky to upgrade and get your money’s worth, as many of the early game horses have mediocre stats and are built for defence rather than speed. But if we’re being honest, getting to your destination quicker is far more important than having a tanky war horse in this game, so if you need to buy one, make sure it has high acceleration and speed rather than defence.
However, if you head to the road that courts the west side of Lake Isabella in the Grizzlies, the snowy far-reaches of the game’s map, you will be able to find a White Arabian horse that can be tamed for free. The White Arabian is widely regarded to be one of the best horses in Red Dead Redemption 2, so it’s well worth the trek.
Before you approach it, save your game. Then sneak up to it, lock on and tap the ‘Calm’ prompt to make sure it doesn’t bolt as you approach. Once you get close, you can then mount the horse and tame it until it stops bucking. You can then put your saddle on the White Arabian and you’ll have the best horse in the game. I believe there are some horses you can buy that have better stats, but this one is totally free, so the value for money is ace.
