Horses are an essential part of the story in Red Dead Redemption 2. You will learn how to tame, care for, and increase the bond with your four-legged friend here.
Horses in Red Dead Redemption 2 are not just a means to traverse the vast prairie. Your steed also helps you transport and store items and sticks by your side through thick and thin. How to take care of your horse, tame it, and enhance your relationship with it will be explained here.
How to Get Your Horse – Locations
In Red Dead Redemption 2, there are several ways to acquire a horse. You will receive a decent horse early in the campaign. Additionally, you can buy horses at stables, tame wild horses, or simply steal your next mode of transport.
Stables
You gain access to the stables during the story. In Chapter 2, during the quest “Step Down, with Head Bowed”, the stable is explained to you. In this quest, you also have to track down a legendary bear.
At the stables, which you find in all major towns, you have several options:
- Buy and sell horses
- Board up to three horses
- Buy care items like food or special tonics
- Buy or upgrade horse equipment, such as saddles, saddle bags, and stirrups
- Change the appearance of your horse and accessories or rename it
Taming Wild Horses
In the game world, you will often encounter wild horses that need to be broken in first. You can catch the animals with a lasso or try to win their trust.
So catch the wild horse with the lasso or not, and aim at it from a distance with LT/L2. Use the option to calm the animal and wait for it to settle down. You can approach slowly and use the calming option whenever it appears. Get closer and pet the horse as soon as you have the opportunity.
Next, you should try to mount it. Try to hold on to the horse’s back by pushing the control stick in the opposite direction of the animal’s movements. If you succeed in staying on the horse without being thrown off, you will have tamed the animal.
Stealing Horses
You are an outlaw in the Wild West and can of course just steal a horse. However, be careful when you are in towns and settlements: Stealing can quickly bring you a heavy bounty.
You can also steal horses from rival gangs. However, be prepared for the gang to attack you. Have good weapons ready and plan your escape route in advance.
The horses of the Dutch van der Linde gang cannot be stolen, by the way.
Saddling Horses
In Red Dead Redemption 2, you can temporarily ride horses. However, if you want to make the animal your permanent mount, you need to put a saddle on it. The option for this is unlocked during the main storyline.
Approach a calm horse with the saddle in hand and press up on the D-Pad. You will have now put the saddle on and made the respective animal your main horse.
If you want to remove the saddle and switch horses, you can aim at the respective horse with LT/L2 and press up on the D-Pad again.
You can only have one saddle and thus one main horse at a time. Other horses can be boarded in the stables.
Grooming – How to Care for Your Steed
Dirt and hunger negatively affect your horse’s performance. Your horse should always be fed and clean to remain happy and healthy. Grooming also positively affects the bond.
Under LB/LT and then the horse menu, you can use some items for horse care. For example, you can groom your animal. You can acquire the horse brush in stables starting from the quest “Step Down, with Head Bowed”.
Additionally, you can feed your horse. Healthy options include oat biscuits, apples, or hay. Some plants or herbs from the wild can also be fed.
However, be careful not to overfeed your animal. If it eats too much while already full, it will gain weight.
Bonding
Bonding describes the relationship level between Arthur and his horse. The further the trust increases with a higher relationship level, the more benefits you will have:
- Health and stamina are increased
- More commands are available
- Horses respond faster and from a greater distance to whistles, even in combat
- The ability to cross deeper waters or ride over more difficult terrain
- A lower chance that your horse will flee from a fright, such as seeing a predator
Bonding increases through interaction with your horse. Normal riding, swimming, or leading the horse increases the level. Additionally, you can pet it, calm it when it is nervous, and groom it when it is dirty.
Feeding and tying the animal also increases the bonding. Removing heavy items also leads to an increase in the relationship level.
