Red Dead Redemption 2: How to Get a Horse, Tame a Horse, & More

How to Get a Horse, Tame a Horse, & More in Red Dead Redemption 2

Horses play a huge role in the world Rockstar has built for us in Red Dead Redemption 2. You will likely be developing a strong bond between your character and horse and with that comes a ton of nuance. Let’s go through some of the things you can do with your companions, along with some useful info that might be helpful to you.

How to Get a Horse

You can get a horse by either buying one from a stable, which you’ll do as part of the introduction to the game, or by taming a horse out in the wild. Also, you can steal a temporary ride and then bring it to a stable to saddle it up and make it one of your own.

To buy a horse, visit any of the stables that are usually in, or around the game’s major towns and cities such as Valentine. They are quite pricey early on in the game, so it’s best to work with the ones you find out and about for a while.

Later on, when you’ve banked some cash, you can visit the different stables around the map of Red Dead Redemption 2, and see which one is to your liking. There are no set “best” ones, it all depends on your personal preference.

Some are tough, but slow. Others are fast and fragile, and somewhere in between.

Taming Horses

You can also tame horses out in the wild of Red Dead Redemption 2 if you don’t want to purchase one yourself. They aren’t too common, but they are out there.

However to catch them you’ll probably need to be on a horse yourself. When you’re near a wild horse, take out your lasso, and then press L2/LT to aim, and then R2/RT to lasso it. If you’re successful, you’ll have it.

Then, you have a few moments to approach to horse, and then interact with it (L2/LT) to calm it down. It may take a few tries before it’s fully calm. After that, you’ll be able to mount it, and then bring it to a stable to get saddled up.

How to Whistle for Your Horse

To whistle for your horse in Red Dead Redemption 2, simply press Up on the D-pad and as long as you’re within range, your noble steed will come. As your bond with your companion improves, you’ll be able to increase the range at which you can call it to you.

If your ride is too far away, it will be grey on your mini-map. If you’re stranded, try to find the nearest train station or stage coach to fast travel.

How to Transfer Items to Your Horse

You can transfer items, such as animal carcasses, to your horse by going to the back of it when carrying something and pressing Square/X. It will carry your larger weapons almost all the time, and you’ll need to remember to get these before embarking on a mission, etc.

If you press L1/LT while near, or riding it, you can navigate your weapons menu pick from all the weapons that you currently own.

Increasing Your Horses’ Bond and Overall Wellness

Over time, your horses’ bond will increase as long as you take good care of it. That, and its general stats, such as stamina and health will slightly improve as well. To do this, make sure that you avoid bringing it into stressful situations where it can get chomped on by a predator, or shot at.

When that inventively happens, you can press and hold L3 while on your horse to calm it down.

You’ll also want to occasionally pat, feed, and brush your horse in Red Dead Redemption 2. All of these options are available while interacting with it when near it by pressing L2/LT. Brushing in particular is most important as if it is too dirty, its stamina will drain faster.

Check out our wellness guide for more detailed information if you need it.

How to Hitch Your Horse

When you’re near a hitching spot, which are little racks dotted throughout the place, you can press and hold Triangle/Y to dismount and hitch it there. This ensures that it won’t go off wandering.

That does it for our general horse guide for Red Dead Redemption 2. For more tips and tricks, be sure to check out our guide wiki.