There are plenty of ways to roam the land of Hyrule in Breath of the Wild, but few are as well-developed as horse riding. Not only does the game let you tame a variety of horses found in the wild, but you can customize your horse by changing its saddle, bridle, and even its physical attributes. Toss in the ability to discover Malanya, the horse god, and there’s a lot to unpack with this down-to-earth travel method.
However, not all horses are worth taming and adding to your stable. And since horse taming is a time-consuming task, it’s important to know the best horses in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild so you don’t waste your day chasing a steed that’s not much faster than Link.
Here’s a look at the best horses in Breath of the Wild, including tips on how to customize your horse, how to resurrect your horse, and where you’ll find the rarest horses in Hyrule.
Recommended reading:
- The best armor in BOTW and where to find it
- The best weapons in BOTW and where to find them
- What to do when you feel lost in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Taming wild horses
Getting your first mount in Breath of the Wild isn’t exactly the game’s biggest challenge, but it isn’t as easy as you might think. It’s certainly tougher than winning that joke of a horse race back in Ocarina of Time. First, you need to find a horse. If you’re near the beginning of the game, you’ll want to complete the starting section on the plateau first, then head past the two large mountains to the east and arrive at the Dueling Peaks stable. You’ll find wild horses in the plains east of the stable.
When you spot a horse you want, click the left stick to go into sneak mode, creep up behind it, and grab on. Jam on the left shoulder button to soothe it while you try to hang on. Keep in mind that some horses will simply be too wild for you to catch early on. The ones with solid coats, as opposed to spots or mottling, are generally tougher to tame. This will get easier as you increase your stamina, though you can cheat a bit by cooking stamina-boosting foods using ingredients like stamella mushrooms and restless crickets.
Once you’ve tamed your mount, ride it over to the nearest stable and speak to the front desk by holding the left trigger to focus on your target and then pressing A. Choose a super cool name like “Princess” or “Sniffy,” then pay 20 rupees for a saddle and bridle. You can now take your horse out from any stable you find.
There’s a little more work involved, though. New horses don’t like you right away, and as a result won’t listen to your commands. Whenever your horse starts veering off course or moving on its own, use the left stick to gently correct it, then immediately press left bump to soothe. If you see the little sparkles on its neck you’re doing it right. Over time your horse will become accustomed to you (you can check your bond at any stable).
Customizing your horse
Once your bond is at “max” you can begin to customize your mount. You can alter its mane style and color, as well as its equipped saddle and bridle by speaking with the person tending to the horses at most stables (to the right of where you register new horses).
The mane styles and dye will be unlocked automatically, but bridles and saddles you have to find for yourself. There are a number of ways to get them. You can beat challenges from horse enthusiasts, including a horseback archery mini-game to the west of the Highland Stable in the southern region of Faron, and a gate-jumping challenge at the same stable. Try finding the Fang and Bone shop run by Kilton at the skull-shaped lake in northern Akkala as well.
Resurrecting your horse
You might assume otherwise, but your horses actually can die in Breath of the Wild. If you get as attached to them as we do, it will be a great tragedy when one dies. Luckily, there’s a way to drag their horsey souls back across the River Styx if you know whose pockets to line. Those pockets belong to none other than the horse god Malanya, and if you’d rather discover all this for yourself stop reading here.
In southern Faron, there’s a location on the map called “Lake of the Horse God.” Donate 1,000 rupees to the shrine near the lake to revive Malanya, who can bring your dead horses back to life. He’s kind of terrifying and it’s a lot of rupees, but the price is worth it.
Where to find the rarest and best horses in Breath of the Wild
You’ll surely fall in love with some of the normal horses you tame on your journey, but if you really want the best of the best you have to look high and low. Or rely on us, since we already did.
Epona
The legendary horse Epona will either be the hardest or the easiest horse you get in Breath of the Wild, depending on whether you have the Twilight Link Smash amiibo. The first time you use it, Epona has a 100% chance of spawning — but after that, it’s random. It’s recommended that you be by a stable when attempting to get Epona to spawn using the amiibo. You can continuously use the same amiibo by reloading the save. Otherwise, you can only use amiibo once per day. It’s also been reported that you have a higher chance of getting Epona to respawn through amiibo if you scan a bunch of non-Zelda related amiibo beforehand. We tested this and were able to get Epona to spawn after five or six tries.
The Royal Horse
The Royal Horse — descended from Princess Zelda’s personal steed from a century ago — can be found on Safula Hill to the west of central Hyrule Field, across the Regencia River. If you can’t find it just by looking around, grab the side quest from Toffa at the Outskirt Stable.
Stalhorse
These skeletal horses can occasionally be found with skeletal enemies on their backs at night. A surefire location is the eastern part of North Tabantha Snowfield in Hebra to the northwest. Look near the North Lomei Labyrinth. A woman at the Snowfield Stable will pay you for a picture of one.
Giant Horse
This gigantic horse — two times the size of a normal steed — is often found holding a horse conference in the Taobab Grassland, south of the starting plateau. A researcher near a campfire to the west of Highland Stable, just across Menoat River, will give you a side quest to bring him the giant horse.
Sand seals
You will likely discover a pack of sand seals while traveling in the Gerudo region. To survive in this environment, you’ll need to utilize cooling clothes or take a heat-resistant elixir because the area is hot. It’s best to approach the seals with a bit of stealth; Sneak up to them and slip a rope around them. We recommend approaching them from a higher elevation and then gliding over to the seals. We prefer this particular strategy because the seals have immaculate hearing and will likely hear your footsteps long before you get near them.
Other wildlife
You aren’t limited to riding horses. If you want, you can try to ride deer or even bears. You can technically try to sneak up and ride any new animal you encounter to see if you can tame them enough to travel with them.
The Lord of the Mountain
The hands-down most astonishing horse in this game is the Lord of the Mountain. Appearance-wise, it resembles a larger version of the glowing blue rabbits you may have spotted in the forest. This horse can be seen at night on Satori Mountain. To find the mountain, look for a glow over its crest similar to the Northern Lights. It’s located west of Hyrule Field, close to the royal horse. It won’t be an easy task to train the Lord of the Mountain. You also won’t be able to keep the horse for long, either. Stable hands will quite literally run you down to warn about the “curses” the horse will bring. We still think finding the horse is worth it for just a single night of racing across the plains with this wild animal.
