In this Red Dead Redemption 2 Horses Guide, we will show everything you will need to know about horses in the game, as well as how to get a horse more suited to your gameplay style. In addition, we will also show how you can increase bonding with your horse, and how to fast travel with one.
Horses are your most valuable asset in Red Dead Redemption 2 since it is your means of travel if not looking for a train station to fast travel, which can be a hassle at the time. There are many types of horses that you can buy to your liking, the better they are the more they cost.
Red Dead Redemption 2 Horses guide
Below we will first guide you with the horse keeping basics in Red Dead Redemption 2. We will then show you what type of horses you can buy, which vary in different features like stamina and speed. Followed by where you can buy the best horses in the game, and highlight the stables in each town.
Next, we will show you how you can bond with your horse to increase its strengths and have a better connection with you. And lastly, we will show you how you can travel with the horse by having the “auto-pilot” on.
Horse Keeping Basics
This section highlights a few basics of horse keeping in Red Dead Redemption 2. As mentioned before, horses are your most valuable asset in the game that requires special tasks to keep them at their best for you.
Horse Breaking: A new horse will require you to break first by training it and gaining their trust so that you can saddle and ride them
Horse Saddling: In order to ride your horse you need to saddle it. When you buy a new horse or want to ride a horse temporarily, saddling is the first task you need to do. To saddle a horse, approach it with the saddle in hand, press and hold UP D-Pad button.
Hitching a Horse: Hold TRIANGLE to hitch your horse safely at a hitching post as this will prevent it from being stolen.
Whistling: to call your horse to your position, press UP D-Pad button to call. Keep in mind, your horse cannot be called if the distance is too far. However, you can increase your bonding with the horse to increase the distance.
Horse Care: IT is very important that you keep your horse healthy and happy to retain a strong bond. In order to do that, you need to make sure you clean and groom your horse regularly. You will be prompted with a warning if your horse starts to become hungry or dirty.
Types of Horses
There are 3 different horses’ types in Red Dead Redemption 2:
- Standard Handling horses have medium stamina and medium speed. These are the most affordable horses
- Race Handling horses have low stamina and fast speed. These horses are slightly expensive but still affordable.
- Elite Handling horses have the best stamina, medium speed. These horses are the most expensive of the lot.
With these options, it is up to you to decide what kind of horse suits your style the bests. Of course, it will be difficult to get an Elite horse from the beginning of the game. Standard horses are good all-round, as they have they give you enough travel stamina and speed to make the game. Race horses have a lot of speed but they have low stamina which can be risky when you are being chased or if you want to chase a target but your horse is tired.
If you wish to travel long distance with decent speed, Elite horses are for you, provided you can pay for their price. These are the most expensive ones and rightly so because of their strengths.
All horses run out of stamina at some point, this is where you can use Horse Stimulants or Stamina Tonics that you can buy from stables to replenish your horses stamina. You can use Horse Stimulants while riding by choosing it from your horse item wheel.
Where can you buy Horses?
There are many stables in major towns in the game that sell horses and other horse related items like stimulants and feed. However, if you are looking for the best horses or Elite Horses, you need to visit 2 of the major towns in the game. The towns are listed below:
Saint Denis
The stables at Saint Denis sell many Elite horses that you can find anywhere else. You can visit Saint Denis anytime you want by traveling to the town; otherwise, you enter the town in Chapter 4 if you go in the sequences of the Story Missions.
The stables at Saint Denis can be found in the southern part of the town.
Blackwater
This is another major town in the game but is mostly inaccessible because of the WANTED level it has on you. This town becomes available after you end the game or when you reach the Epilogue of Story Missions.
Blackwater sells the best Horses you can find anywhere else. The Elite Horses here sell at $1,250 and have more stamina and speed you can get out of any other horse.
Bonding with your Horse
In Red Dead Redemption 2, bonding with your horse is vital to your gameplay and is very important overall. Think of these as Level Upgrade Unlocks, where the more you bond, the more you can get out of your horse.
Levels of Bonding
There are 4 levels of bonding that you can do with your horse throughout the game that will give you various benefits with each level:
- Level 1: Horse Stamina Increased + Horse Health Increased
- Level 2: Your Horse can be called from greater distances, and also during combat.
- Level 3: Your horse can navigate better through challenging ground, and through deeper waters.
- Level 4: Reduces chances of your horse being stolen
You also unlock new maneuvers when your bonding level increases. Below we have listed the maneuvers that you get with each bonding level that is unlocked:
- Level 2 Special Maneuver: Hold R1 and tap SQUARE when stationary to Rear
- Level 3 Special Maneuver: Hold R1 and X while moving to Skid Turn or Skid Stop
- Level 4 Special Maneuver: Hold SQUARE to perform a Piaffe. Push L stick left or right while moving to Drift.
To check your bonding stats, you can go to the Horse Menu on the Pause Screen, and select Bonding, which will display your current bonding level.
How to increase Bonding with Horses
There are 4 main ways to bond with your horse. Below we have listed all the ways you can increase bonding:
Your horse will require food from time to time, feeding your horse will increase bonding. Horse food can be bought from stables and can be selected in the weapon wheel. You can feed your horse mounted on it, or step down and feed it. Keep in mind, overfeeding your horse can have its negative effects, so you have to manage wisely.
When you ride your horse, make sure you do not drain its stamina core. This essentially means you should not tire your horse to the maximum level, as this will have a negative effect and will decrease your bonding level with the horse.
After a fight or when your horse seems to agitate around predators or enemies, go ahead and calm your horse down. This gives your horse trust and increases your bonding level. When riding, press Left Stick or L3 to calm your horse.
Lastly, grooming your horse is another way of increasing your bonding level with a horse. Groom your horse when it is dirty, dismount and approach the horse and press L2 or LT to look at the horse, and Left D-Pad button to brush it.
Automatic Horse Travel
This neat little feature acts like an “auto-pilot” where you do not need to control or press any button to guide your horse; instead, your horse will automatically go to the marked location you wish to go.
Firstly, you need to place a marker on the location that you want to go to. Second, sit on your horse and start riding it while holding your X or A button. You can then press and hold the Touchpad or View Button to activate the cinematic view. This view when enabled, allows you to leave all controls and the horse will automatically travel to the marked location.
Keep in mind, during automatic travel, any attack on your horse by predators or enemies will be thrown you off your horse, so be aware of your surroundings when traveling with this option.
To customize or upgrade your horse, read our Red Dead Redemption 2 Horse Upgrades and Customization Guide
For more Red Dead Redemption Guides, read the list below:
Red Dead Redemption 2 Gold Medals Guide
Red Dead Redemption 2 Weapons Guide
Red Dead Redemption 2 Satchel Crafting Guide
Red Dead Redemption 2 Trophy/Achievement Guide – All Trophies for 100% Completion
Red Dead Redemption 2 Fishing Guide
Red Dead Redemption 2 Hunting Guide
Red Dead Redemption 2 Combat Guide
Red Dead Redemption 2 Crimes Guide
Red Dead Redemption 2 Beginner’s Guide
This concludes our Red Dead Redemption 2 Horses guide. Feel free to comment below.
