The Ultimate RDR2 Horse Guide: How to Find, Change, and Customize Your Mount
In Red Dead Redemption 2, your horse isn’t just a mode of transportation—it’s your primary companion, your mobile inventory, and a reflection of your journey. Knowing how to locate the best breeds, tame them in the wild, swap out your active saddles, and deeply customize your gear is critical to surviving the rugged frontiers of the story mode.
This guide covers every equestrian mechanic in the game to help you build the ultimate bond with your mount.
Where to Buy Horses in Story Mode
To get new horses you can buy them from the different Stables located around the world. These horse related stores are marked on your mini-map with a horseshoe icon.
As you advance through the game’s storyline Stables will offer new and better horses. The Stables and their notable horses area listed in the table below.
| Location | Map Region | Story Availability | Notable Horses |
|---|---|---|---|
| Valentine Stable | The Heartlands, New Hanover | Chapter 2 (After “Exit Eagerly Pursued…”) | Ardennes (Iron Grey Roan), Shire (Raven Black), Dutch Warmblood (Chocolate Roan) |
| Strawberry Stable | Big Valley, West Elizabeth | Chapter 2 (Northwest town entrance) | Ardennes (Bay Roan), Thoroughbred (Brindle) |
| Scarlett Meadows Stable | South of Emerald Ranch, Lemoyne | Chapter 3 (North of Rhodes) | American Standardbred (Palomino Dapple), Andalusian (Dark Bay), Missouri Fox Trotter (Amber Champagne) |
| Saint Denis Stable | Bayou Nwa, Lemoyne | Chapter 4 (Southern edge of city) | Arabian (Black), Turkoman (Gold) |
| Van Horn Stable | Roanoke Ridge, New Hanover | Chapter 6 (Inside the Trading Post) | Missouri Fox Trotter (Silver Dapple Pinto), Turkoman (Dark Bay) |
| Blackwater Stable | Great Plains, West Elizabeth | Epilogue: Part 1 (Western city limits) | Arabian (Rose Grey Bay), Thoroughbred (Silver Apple Pinto) |
| Tumbleweed Stable | Cholla Springs, New Austin | Epilogue: Part 1 (Northern side of town) | Arabian (Bay Roan), Turkoman (Silver) |
If you need money to buy horses check out our how to make money fast in Red Dead Redemption 2 guide. Use it to make money and buy any horse you want!
How to Get Horses in the Wild (Breaking a Wild Horse)
If you don’t want to buy a horse from a Stable you can tame Wild Horses by breaking them. This process is a bit more effort but saves you money. To tame a horse follow the steps below:
- Locate a Wild Horse: Use your binoculars from a distance to scout wild horses. Equip your Lasso or prepare to approach quietly on foot.
- Approach the Horse: Walk forward incredibly slowly while locking onto the target horse (L2 on PlayStation / LT on Xbox). Keep your eye on the Calm Meter in the bottom-right corner of your screen. If the bar starts to drop, stop moving completely and press the square button (PS4
/PS5) or X button (Xbox) to soothe the animal. - Mount the Horse: Once you are close enough to touch the animal, press the mount button to hop onto its back.
- The Taming Minigame: The horse will immediately try to buck you off. Hold the Left Analog Stick down and tilt it in the opposite direction the horse is turning. If the horse veers left, pull your stick down and to the right. Keep adjusting your balance dynamically until the horse calms down and you see the “Bonding Level 1” notification.
Taming wild horses takes a bit of practice, so don’t worry if you fail at first. As you tame more wild horses you will get use to how the system works.
How to Change Your Main Horse
Changing your primary mount requires shifting your saddle. Your active horse is always the one carrying main gear, stowed pelts, and long weapons.
Method 1: The Manual Saddle Swap (In the Open World)
If you tame a wild horse or acquire a temporary mount during a world encounter, you can make it your permanent primary horse on the fly.
- Approach the new horse and hold the lock-on button (L2 / LT).
- Remove your saddle by pressing and holding the Up D-Pad button while standing right next to your old horse.
- Walk over to the new horse and press Up D-Pad again to place the saddle on its back.
- This instantly transfers your weapons inventory, sets the new horse as your main mount, and establishes an active Bonding connection.
Method 2: Swapping Mounts via the Stable
For a safer approach that ensures your previous horse isn’t accidentally left behind or lost in the wild, use any town stable. Stables become fully unlocked during the Chapter 2 story mission “Exit Eagerly Pursued by a Bruised Ego” with Hosea Matthews.
- Ride into any stable found in major settlements like Valentine, Saint Denis, or Strawberry.
- Select Manage Horses from the main stable menu.
- Choose your desired mount from your stabled collection and select Make Main Horse. Your saddle and weapons will automatically transfer over.
How to Customize Your Horse
Once you officially own a horse, you can personalize its appearance, upgrade its tack (equipment), and purchase special care services to improve its performance.
To access customization options, ride into any stable, select Manage Horses, choose your active mount, and enter the Services and Tack submenus.
1. Customizing Horse Appearance (The Livery Menu)
Under the Appearance tab, you can modify your horse’s grooming options for a completely unique look:
- Mane & Tail Style: Change your mount’s hair style. Options include standard short, long and flowing, a mohawk, or a neat braided look.
- Hair Color: Alter the color of the mane and tail to contrast sharply or match your horse’s natural coat pattern.
2. Upgrading Tack for Performance Boosts
Upgrading your gear isn’t just cosmetic; it directly alters your horse’s structural performance. Better gear reduces core drain rates and unlocks higher speeds.
| Gear Category | Cosmetic Value | Gameplay / Performance Impact |
| Saddles | Changes seat style and blanket aesthetics. | Crucial. Advanced or upgraded saddles significantly reduce Stamina Core and Health Core drain rates. |
| Saddlebags | Alters the look of the storage pouches on the rear of your saddle. | Increases Inventory. Upgraded saddlebags allow you to store more outfits, masks, and hats on his horse. |
| Stirrups | Changes the metal or leather footrests. | Boosts Speed. High-tier stirrups grant permanent bonus bars to your horse’s maximum Speed and Acceleration stats. |
| Blankets & Bedrolls | Fine-tunes the accent colors visible beneath your saddle. | Purely cosmetic flair. |
3. Buying Provisions and Care Packages
Stables also offer unique services to maximize your horse’s loyalty and physical condition:
- Horse Care Package: For a small fee, the stable hand will groom and feed your horse, granting gold outer rings to both its health and stamina bars.
- Stable Slots: Spend cash to unlock up to four total slots so you can own, swap, and breed multiple horses throughout the story mode.
The Best and Fastest Horse Early-Game: The White Arabian
While there are heavier or faster niche horses available later, the wild White Arabian is universally considered the absolute best horse you can acquire right at the start of Chapter 2. It boasts elite speed, acceleration, and superior handling for zero cost.
Location and Strategy:
- Where to Find It: Travel to the snow-covered mountains of Grizzlies West. The White Arabian spawns exclusively along the isolated, northwestern bank of Lake Isabella.
- Tip for Taming: Because the horse is pure white, it blends in perfectly with the snowbanks. Use Eagle Eye (
L3 + R3) to highlight and track its glowing hoofprints if you lose sight of it.
The Best Endgame Horse: Rose Grey Bay Arabian
Once you complete Chapter 6 and enter the Epilogue, the true pinnacle of equestrian stats becomes available. The Rose Grey Bay Arabian features the highest health and stamina attributes of any horse in the entire game, allowing it to reach a perfect 10/10 score in both categories at maximum bonding level.
How to Get It:
- Availability: Unlocks exclusively during Epilogue: Part 1.
- Location: Can be purchased directly from the Blackwater Stable in West Elizabeth for $1,250.
Alternative Best Horses
If your goal is absolute, raw top speed over maxed-out health pools, consider tracking down these endgame alternatives:
- Missouri Fox Trotter: Available at the Blackwater or Scarlet Meadows stables depending on the coat variant. It has a higher top speed base than the Arabian line, making it ideal for cross-map sprints.
- The Turkoman: A superb war/racing hybrid found at the Blackwater and Saint Denis stables in the later game. It has elite speed but won’t startle or buck you off near predators as easily as an Arabian.
With your stables fully unlocked, the legendary White Arabian secured, and your tack optimized for peak performance, you are ready to dominate the trails from New Hanover to New Austin. Treat your mount well, keep those cores full, and the untamed frontier is yours to conquer.
Which horse breed are you planning to track down or buy first for your stable? Let me know in the comments below!
