While other members of the Van der Linde gang may join you from time to time on missions, Arthur Morgan’s steadiest companion is his horse. Choosing the right horse is not a decision to be taken lightly; many have different attributes that may fit your particular play style better. To help you make the right choice, we’ve broken down some key things to keep in mind.
Study Horses To Learn More About Them
Just like with other animals in the wilderness, you can hold the LT and hit RB to study a horse. After studying a horse, you can tap the Show Info button to pull up all the information about them. Here you can see their health, stamina, speed, acceleration, and handling data. Handling is essentially the “feel” of a horse. There are four types of handling – heavy, standard, race, and elite.
Understanding Horse Types
The horses found in Red Dead Redemption II break down into seven different categories.
• Draft: Shires, Belgians, and Suffolk Punches are best suited for hauling wagons. They don’t make for good outlaw horses, so I recommend staying away from them.
• Riding: This is your vanilla flavor of horse and the most common (and cheapest) type you’ll find in the world. Expect to find a lot Tennessee Walkers, Kentucky Saddlers, and Morgans running wild as well.
• Work: Big breeds like the Dutch Warmblood, Appaloosa, and American Paint have high stamina ratings but low acceleration.
• Race: As advertised, breeds like the American Standardbred, Nokota, and Thoroughbred have high speed and acceleration. Don’t expect them to take a beating, however, as they have lower health and stamina.
• War: Warhorses can take a licking and keep on ticking, with superior health and stamina ratings. This makes breeds like the Hungarian Halfbred and Andalusian good for riding into gunfights.
• Multi-Class: Some horses are a hybrid of the above classes, giving them more well-rounded attributes. If you see breeds like the Turkoman, Missouri Fox Trotter, or Mustang in the wild, grab them and sell them to a horse fence. They fetch a pretty penny.
• Superior: Every rider’s endgame, the superior Arabian breed is very expensive but worth every penny. Once you take home a big payoff from a heist, splurge for one of these beauties.
Finding Rare Horses
Those with deep pockets can pony up big cash for an elite horse breed, but why spend your money there when you can find horses with equivalent attributes out in the wild? It may take some hunting to track them down, but there are three rare horses roaming the countryside.
Up in Ambarino by Lake Isabella, you can find a rare white Arabian. This is the by far the best of the rare breeds. If you journey back to the familiar dusty hills of Rio Bravo, down by Rio Del Lobo Rock you may come across a tiger striped bay coat Mustang. The third rare horse, a splashed white American Paint, isn’t found in a particular location. Your best bet coming across one is at a campfire at night where a welcoming committee is ready to greet you with their guns.
Taming And Claiming Wild Horses
Lassoing and calming a wild horse is just the first step in acquiring a free new steed. Once it settles down, then you need to hop on and break the horse. Cowpokes who played Red Dead Redemption already know how to do this, but if you’re new to the horse taming game, the rules are pretty simple. As the horse tries to buck you off, hold the left analog stick in the opposite direction of where it pulls. Once given the option, pat the horse as well.
To make this tamed thoroughbred your official horse, you need to remove your saddle from your current horse and put it on the new horse.
The Best Horses To Buy
You can’t just buy the best horse right out of the gate; as with the weaponry, Rockstar instead chose to dole out increasingly better breeds at the stables as you make progress in the narrative. Early on, your choices are limited so you can’t really make a bad decision. When you get deeper into the open world and find new stables, always check their available options and upgrade if necessary. Once you are far enough in the game, you can buy the Arabian breed, which is the best in the game. Other strong options are the Turkoman and Missouri Fox Trotter.
Source: Game Informer The Guide To Finding The Best And Rarest Horses In Red Dead Redemption