Horses are one of the most important means of transportation in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and accompany Link on his journey through almost all of Hyrule. You can catch and tame wild horses, give them your own names, increase their loyalty and register up to five animals at the stables at the same time. In addition to ordinary horses, there are several special mounts waiting for you: the white king’s horse, the mighty giant horse and Epona, while the Lord of the Wild and the Stalhorses even allow you to ride creatures that no stable would want to accommodate. To make the game as complete as possible, there are also numerous saddles and bridles, two riding mini-games, the horse god Malanya and, with the expansion pass, the particularly practical Ancient Horse Gear. In this guide we will show you everything you need to know about horses in Breath of the Wild.
Catch and tame horses
You will meet the first horses shortly after leaving the Great Plateau. On the way to Kakariko Village you will pass the Dueling Peaks stable, where several herds graze in the area. The stable is ideal for getting to know the horse system, because Rensa offers the Side Quest “The Wild Catcher”: Link is supposed to catch a wild horse, tame it and bring it back to him within two minutes. If you complete the challenge, you will receive 50 Rupees.
To catch a wild horse, approach from behind if possible and press the left analog stick in so that Link sneaks. Stealth dishes and the ninja set make things a lot easier. Once you’re close enough, the level-up action will appear; jump onto the horse’s back with A. Calm animals accept Link almost immediately, while temperamental horses try to throw him off. In this case, press L repeatedly to calm the horse. Each attempt at calming consumes stamina, so particularly strong wild horses may require multiple stamina rings or additional stamina dishes.
Piebald or plain horses – which are better?
You can roughly tell what type of horse is standing in front of you based on the color and coat pattern. Dappled horses usually have a good-natured temperament, are easier to tame and are ideal for beginners, but do not reach the maximum in their stats. Dark monocolored horses usually have a wild temperament, require significantly more endurance when taming and can have significantly better stats. If you later want to catch one of the best horses in the game, you should primarily look for monochrome animals.
You only see the actual abilities of a horse when you register it at the stable. There strength, speed and endurance are shown with up to five stars. Strength essentially determines how much damage the horse can withstand, Speed affects its normal top speed, and Stamina determines how many canter bursts are possible in a row. In addition, each horse has a temperament and a bond with Link.
The best horses in Breath of the Wild
Epona is excellent, but contrary to popular belief is not the strongest horse in the game. The best normal wild horses can be found particularly in the Taobab Grasslands south of the Great Plateau and on the Lindor Highlands. Three particularly strong value combinations can appear there. Which of these is best depends on whether you prefer speed, durability or a companion that is as balanced as possible.
| type | Strength | Tempo | Endurance | recommendation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| all-rounder | ★★★★ | ★★★★ | ★★★★★ | Best combination for normal use |
| Strong horse | ★★★★★ | ★★★ | ★★★★★ | Very robust and lots of canter spurts |
| Fastest horse | ★★ | ★★★★★ | ★★★ | Highest normal speed |
A horse with five stars in all categories does not exist in Breath of the Wild. For most players, the 4-4-5 Horse is the best choice as it combines high speed with five stamina spurs and decent strength. If you mainly want to travel on roads as quickly as possible, you can specifically look for the rare 2-5-3 variant.
Register horses and assign names
Bring a tamed wild horse to one of the stables Hyrule’s and talk to the stable master at the counter. Registration costs 20 Rupees and automatically includes Pferdefreunde saddle and Pferdefreunde bridle. At the same time, you can give the animal a name and see its exact values for the first time. Overall can five horses be registered at the same time. If the stable is full and you want to keep another animal, you have to get rid of an existing horse.
The big advantage of registered horses is that you don’t have to find them again. A parked horse can any stable in Hyrule be picked up even if you previously left it on the other side of the map. If your active horse is within shouting distance, you can also whistle for it using the lower button on the control pad. This usually doesn’t work over long distances – owners of the expansion pass will need the Ancient Saddle for this later.
Increase bond to horse to 100
Newly caught horses with wild temperaments do not always follow Link’s commands reliably at first. If a horse tries to change direction on its own or resists your control, correct its movement and then press L as soon as it obeys. Heart symbols indicate that engagement has increased. It’s much quicker with food: get off, take it, for example Apples, spurt carrots or fit carrots in his hand and places it in front of the horse. It eats the ingredients and gains trust.
The maximum binding value is 100. A horse that is completely tied to Link responds more reliably to his commands and is also a prerequisite for being able to change its mane, bridle and saddle in certain stables. Fit carrots have an additional advantage: They temporarily give normal horses three additional yellow gallop spurs. You can find more ingredients in our overview of the ingredients and materials in Breath of the Wild.
Change horse equipment and mane
If you have reached the maximum bond, you can change the appearance of the horse at selected stables and put on unlocked saddles and bridles. This works on Plateau Stable, Plain Stable, South Akkala Stable and Woodland Stable. Speak to the person there at the horses and select the mane or equipment you want.
An exception is Epona and the giant horse. Both have their own fixed equipment that cannot be exchanged for other saddles or bridles. Accordingly, the antique horse equipment cannot be used with them.
Get Epona – these amiibo work
Link’s famous mare Epona is also in Breath of the Wild, but cannot be found naturally in the base game. You need a compatible Link amiibo. Epona can be summoned with the Link amiibo from the Super Smash Bros. series and the Twilight Princess Link amiibo from the Zelda 30th Anniversary series. The first time you properly use one of these amiibo, Epona will appear immediately, provided you are in a location where a horse can spawn.
Then ride to a stable as soon as possible and register Epona. Your name is fixed and cannot be changed. But it already has maximum binding and excellent, fully balanced values of four stars for strength, speed and endurance. This makes Epona one of the best and most comfortable horses in the game, even if certain high-quality wild horses still exceed individual values. Your special Epona equipment cannot be replaced.
Find the white king horse
Perhaps the best-known free-catch special horse is the white descendant of the royal family horse. You can get the corresponding Side Quest “The Horse of Kings” from Toffa at the stable on the level. He reports a pure white horse that was spotted on Salphura Hill. From there, ride towards Sanidin Park Ruins and search the meadows around the hill. The Royal White Stallion immediately stands out thanks to its completely white coat.
Carefully sneak up from behind or slide from a hill directly onto his back. The horse has a wild temperament and requires approximately one and a half full stamina rings to tame; Endurance dishes make things correspondingly easier. Then you take it to a stable, register it and return to Toffa. As a reward for the task you will receive royal bridle and royal saddle. The king horse has fixed values of 4 strength, 3 speed and 5 stamina.
Anyone who follows our 100% route through the plains of Hyrule will automatically take the Royal White Stallion with them during the regional tour.
Find a giant horse – Ganondorf’s horse?
Another unique animal awaits in Taobab Grasslands south of the Great Plateau. The black giant horse with its striking orange mane is strongly reminiscent of the Ganondorf’s huge mount from previous Zelda games. You can get the corresponding Side Quest “Giant Traveling Companion” from Straia at the Rifleman Training Camp in the prairie of Faron.
The Giant Horse is one of the most difficult animals for Link to tame, requiring more than two full stamina rings. So take enough stamina dishes with you, sneak up on the horse and press L continuously after getting on. Once you have calmed it down, the second part of the challenge begins: The animal must be brought back from the Taobab Grassland. There are Lynels lurking on the direct route, which you should avoid as far as possible on your horse.
The giant horse has five star strength and is therefore extremely resilient, but only has two star speed and no gallop spurs. Despite the low speed value, it is faster than the display suggests due to its huge stride length. The giant horse can be registered at a stable, but has its own saddle and bridle, which cannot be changed.
Lord of the Wild on Satori Mountain
Sometimes Satori Mountain begins to glow a striking blue-green light at night. At this moment, travel up the mountain as quickly as possible. The mysterious Lord of the Wild then appears at the spring under the cherry blossom tree, surrounded by numerous Rumis and other animals. Sneak up to the creature, jump on its back and calm it down like an extremely temperamental horse.
The Lord of the Wild has virtually unlimited canter boosts and is one of the most unique mounts in the game. However, you cannot keep it permanently. No stable is ready to register the mystical creature. As soon as you dismount and go too far away, the Lord of the Wilds will return to Satori Mountain.
Stalhorses – riding bone horses
The undead Stalhorses can also be ridden by Link. You only encounter them at night, often with Stalboblins on their backs. Skett horses can be found in Hebra and various other remote regions, among other places. If you want to take over one of them, simply kill its rider or approach a free one and get on.
You cannot register a Stalhorse. The stable master rejects the supposed monster, and it wouldn’t work long-term anyway: As soon as the sun comes up, the stable horse can no longer maintain its bone structure and falls apart. For the Hyrule Compendium and the Side Quest around a photo of the bone horse, you should still have found one at least once.
Riding wild animals – deer and bears
Horses aren’t the only animals Link can sit on. Also Mountain deer, hinds and bears can be ridden. Sneak up as carefully as you would a horse, jump on its back and press L until the animal calms down. Bears in particular require a lot of stamina and are much more difficult to control.
However,
stables do not accept these animals. They are therefore mainly used as a fun experiment and for short trips. The Lord of the Wild, Stalhorses, deer and bears can be ridden, but cannot be permanently registered.
All horse equipment at a glance
In addition to the automatically awarded horse lovers set, there are numerous other saddles and bridles. Most simply change the horse’s appearance; Only the two pieces of Ancient Horse Gear from the expansion pass have a real playful effect. Travel bridles and travel saddles, on the other hand, are amiibo-exclusive and therefore not required for a normal game state without amiibo.
| Horse equipment | Location / Requirement |
|---|---|
| Horse lovers bridle | Automatically when registering a normal horse |
| Horse Friend Saddle | Automatically when registering a normal horse |
| Travel bridle | Random amiibo reward from Link with Horse |
| travel saddle | Random amiibo reward from Link with Horse |
| Knight’s bridle | 20 to 22 targets for mounted archery |
| Knight saddle | 23 to 25 targets for mounted archery |
| King’s bridle | Side Quest “The Horse of Kings” |
| King saddle | Side Quest “The Horse of Kings” |
| decorative bridle | Obstacle course at the plateau stable in under 1:30 minutes |
| jewelry saddle | Obstacle course at the plateau stable in under 1:15 minutes |
| Monster bridle | For 399 Mon at Kilton |
| Monster saddle | For 299 Mon at Kilton |
| Antique bridle | DLC: EX chest on Satori Mountain |
| Antique saddle | DLC: EX chest at Malanya’s Spring |
Knight’s bridle and saddle – mounted archery
Travel to Cavalry Rifle Training Camp south of Taobab Grasslands. At Jini you can take part in horse archery for 20 Rupees. Your horse follows the given path while you have to shoot as many of the 25 targets or balloons as possible within the time limit. A multiple bow makes the final groups much easier, and bomb arrows can also be useful.
Meet you 20 to 22 targets, you get this Knight’s bridle. For the Knight’s saddle you have to at least 23 of the 25 goals destroy. Since you both need unique rewards for full horse equipment, a horse with good speed and maximum bonding is worth it.
Decorative bridle and decorative saddle – obstacle course
At the plateau stables, Blynne hosts an obstacle course for horses. You have to overcome ten obstacles in the correct order with your registered horse and then return to the finish. Don’t ride at full gallop all the time, because a horse will refuse to jump if you ride diagonally towards the obstacle, especially on tight curves.
A time under 1:30 minutes brings you this Decorative bridle. You then undercut 1:15 minutes, you will also receive the Jewelry saddle. Both items are purely cosmetic, but are among the most important mini-game rewards for a full game.
Monster bridle and monster saddle at Kilton
As soon as you have unlocked Kilton’s Monster Shop at Skull Pond and freed two Titans, the dealer will add two unusual horse items to his range. The monster bridle costs 399 Mon, the monster saddle costs 299 Mon. The parts don’t have a special effect, but they visually transform your horse into a suitable mount for Kilton’s bizarre monster equipment.
Find Malanya – Revive Horses
Horses can actually die in Breath of the Wild. If a registered favorite horse is killed by monsters, guardians, an explosion, or even Link’s own attacks, it is not lost forever. Southeast of the plateau stable, the Horse God’s Bridge leads across the Horse God’s Lake to a secluded spring. There you will find a large bud that at first glance looks like a source of the Great Fairies.
Pay 1,000 Rupees to restore the power of the Horse God Malanya. From now on he can revive deceased horses as long as they were registered at a stable before their death. Malanya gives you the first revival as a thank you for his liberation; For further revivals he requires a Fit Carrot. By the way, Malanya also recognizes that if Link himself was responsible for the horse’s death – he will still revive it.
DLC: Unlock Antique Horse Equipment
With the expansion pass or DLC 2 “The Champions’ Ballad” Link receives the Side Quest “EX: Antiques for the Horse”. You can find the first clue at the plateau stable in the third extra edition of Traysi’ Rumor Mill. It talks about a bridle under a cherry blossom tree on a mountain where animals gather, and a saddle at the source of a horse spirit. You can find further additional content in our overview of the DLC content for Breath of the Wild.
Find Antique Bridle on Satori Mountain
The Ancient Bridle is located on the top of Satori Mountain. Travel to the cherry blossom tree, under which the Lord of the Wild appears on certain nights, and activate the magnetic module. There is a metallic Treasure Chest marked “EX” stuck in the ground directly under the tree. Pull it out and open it.
If you put the Ancient Bridle on a normal horse, you will receive it two additional gallop spurs. A horse with five stamina points already gets seven boosts permanently, and additional fitness carrots can even add three temporary yellow spurs. The Ancient Bridle is the only bridle variant in the game that actually improves the horse’s abilities.
Find Antique Saddle at Malanya’s Source
The Antique Saddle is located exactly where you unlocked Malanya. Go behind the big bud or Malanya’s source and activate the magnetic module again. Another EX treasure chest is in the ground. Pull it out and you will receive the Ancient Saddle.
Its effect fundamentally changes the way we deal with horses. If a registered horse is equipped with the Ancient Saddle, you can whistle it teleport directly to Link from a long distance. This works even if the horse is on another side Hyrule’s located. Exceptions are places where horses generally cannot appear, for example certain mountains Gerudo Desert or that Death Mountain. Epona and the Giant Horse cannot wear the Ancient Saddle either.
Which horse equipment counts for 100 percent?
The official map display for Breath of the Wild does not take into account horses, saddles or bridles. However, for our 100% walkthrough, we are collecting all the unique horse gear available without amiibo. This includes horse lovers, knights, kings, jewelry and monster equipment as well as, with the expansion pass installed, the ancient bridle and the ancient saddle. We treat travel bridles and travel saddles as optional amiibo bonuses.
Master Cycle Zero – the horse made from ancient technology
Anyone who completes “The Champions’ Ballad” will finally receive an alternative to all horses: the Master Cycle Zero. The ancient motorcycle is summoned using the Sheikah Slate and can be fueled with a variety of materials. It can be steered more precisely than a horse and can handle much more impassable terrain, but cannot be used in all areas. For normal roads, a good horse with an antique saddle and bridle remains an excellent choice.
All special horses and mounts at a glance
| Mount | Location / Requirement | Registerable? | Special feature |
|---|---|---|---|
| Epona | Compatible Link amiibo | Yes | 4 Strength / 4 Speed / 4 Stamina |
| King horse | Salphura Hill | Yes | 4 Strength / 3 Speed / 5 Stamina |
| Giant horse | Taobab Grassland | Yes | 5 strength, no gallop spurs |
| Lord of the Wild | Satori Mountain | No | Virtually unlimited stamina |
| Stalhorse | At night in different regions | No | Disintegrates at daybreak |
| deer | Forest and mountain areas | No | Temporary mount |
| Bears | Forest and mountain areas | No | Hard to tame |
Horses for 100% – Checklist
| Target | Conclusion |
|---|---|
| Catch and register first wild horse | Complete |
| Side Quest “The Tomboy” | Complete |
| Register Royal White Stallion | Complete |
| king bridle and king saddle | Collect |
| giant horse register | Complete |
| Side Quest “Giant Traveling Companion” | Complete |
| Knight’s bridle | At least 20 targets in archery |
| Knight saddle | At least 23 targets in archery |
| decorative bridle | Obstacle course under 1:30 |
| jewelry saddle | Obstacle course under 1:15 |
| monster bridle and monster saddle | Buy Kilton |
| Malanya | For 1,000 Rupees awaken |
| Antique bridle and antique saddle | Collect with expansion pass |
| Epona | Optional as amiibo required |
| travel bridle and travel saddle | Optional as amiibo required |
Which is the best horse in Zelda: Breath of the Wild?
That depends on what you want from your mount. Epona is excellently balanced at 4-4-4 and is immediately fully bonded to Link, but requires an amiibo and cannot carry other horse equipment. The white Royal White Stallion offers lots of galloping boosts with five stamina points and is available for free, but is not particularly fast. The giant horse can withstand an enormous amount of damage, but cannot sprint at all. For normal gameplay, a wild 4-4-5 horse from the Taobab Grasslands or Lindor Highlands is the most versatile choice. With the Ancient Bridle it even receives seven permanent gallop spurs and with the Ancient Saddle it can be summoned directly to Link from almost all of Hyrule.
So you have covered all the important content about horses and mounts in Breath of the Wild. Those who follow our full tour can then return to Breath of the Wild Walkthrough and complete the remaining shrines, Koroks, Side Quests, armor and collectibles Hyrule’s.