RDR2 Best Horse: The 7 Best Horses and Where to Get Them

Your horse is your best friend in Red Dead Redemption 2 — your transport, your storage and sometimes your getaway. But not all horses are equal. This RDR2 best horse guide ranks the top horses in story mode, shows where to find or buy them, and explains how to get the most out of whichever horse you choose.

Best horse overall

Rose Grey Bay Arabian

Price

$1,250

Best free horse

Wild White Arabian

Free horse location

Lake Isabella, Ambarino

Best breed

Arabian

Bonding levels

4

The 7 best horses in RDR2

Stable stock changes as the story moves on, and some stables add horses in later chapters or the Epilogue. Check Saint Denis first for Arabians.

1. Rose Grey Bay Arabian — the best horse in RDR2

The Rose Grey Bay Arabian is widely considered the best horse in story mode. It starts with high health and stamina and can reach the top stats once fully bonded and upgraded with the best saddle and stirrups. It’s fast, agile and brave — perfect for long rides and chases. The only downside is the price: $1,250, which takes a while to save in the early chapters.

2. White Arabian (stable) and 3. Black Arabian

If the Rose Grey Bay is too pricey, the stable White Arabian ($1,200) and Black Arabian ($1,050) are excellent alternatives. All Arabians are fast and responsive; the Black Arabian has balanced stats across the board, while the Rose Grey Bay has the most health and stamina of the three.

4. The free wild White Arabian

You don’t have to pay for a great horse. A wild White Arabian roams near Lake Isabella in the snowy north-west of Ambarino, from Chapter 2 onward. Here’s how to get it:

1. Ride to the west shore of Lake Isabella, north-west of the map’s “A” in Ambarino. It’s cold — wear warm clothes.
2. Look for the white horse near a cabin by the lake. It spooks easily.
3. Approach slowly on foot. Don’t draw your lasso until you’re close.
4. Calm it, mount it and hold on while it bucks — keep calming it until it’s broken.
5. Take it to a stable to save it and buy a good saddle.

5. Missouri Fox Trotter and 6. Turkoman

The Missouri Fox Trotter is a fast, sturdy horse that many players love for its smooth ride. The Turkoman is a strong, brave war-style horse with great health — good for players who get into lots of fights. Both are sold at stables in various coats, and both are top-tier choices if Arabians feel too skittish.

7. The war horse cheat

After the Epilogue newspaper unlock, the cheat “You are a beast built for war” spawns a war horse — brave in gunfights and strong. Remember that cheats disable autosave while active. See every code in our RDR2 cheats list.

Horse stats explained

How to bond with your horse faster

Bonding level (1 to 4) improves your horse’s stats and unlocks moves like rearing, drifting and skidding. To raise it quickly:

• 🐴 Ride it a lot. Simply riding builds bonding.
• 🤚 Pat and calm it often, especially when it’s scared.
• 🧼 Brush it when it’s dirty.
• 🍎 Feed it — apples, carrots, sugar cubes and horse reviver.
• ⛺ Lead it on foot for short distances.

The cheat My kingdom is a horse raises bonding instantly if you’re in a hurry.

Saddles and gear make a difference

The saddle and stirrups you buy at stables add speed, stamina and acceleration bonuses. Upgrading to the best saddle on a top Arabian creates the fastest horse in the game. Don’t forget saddlebags — they increase your storage for pelts and supplies, which is very useful for legendary animal hunting.

Which horse fits your play style?

How to tame a wild horse

1. Approach slowly on foot — don’t run or ride straight at it.
2. Hold the aim button on the horse and use the calm prompt until it settles.
3. Mount it and hold on while it bucks, using the calm prompt between bucks.
4. Once broken, ride it to a stable and buy a saddle so you can keep it.

Stables, saving and losing a horse

You can keep extra horses at stables and switch between them. If your main horse dies permanently, it’s gone for good along with its bonding level, so carry horse revivers and avoid trains and cliffs. A horse that’s only injured can be revived; a dead horse cannot. That makes it worth having a second good horse stabled as a backup.

Finally, remember that Arabians are fast but can be nervous around predators and gunfire. If your Arabian keeps throwing you, bond with it more — higher bonding makes horses calmer and braver.

One last tip: test before you buy. Stables let you look at each horse’s stats before paying, and you can trade in your current horse to lower the price. If you are short of money, the free wild White Arabian is a superb horse to ride until you can afford the Rose Grey Bay — and many players never feel the need to upgrade at all.

Whichever horse you choose, give it a name you like at the stable, keep it well fed and brushed, and ride it often. A well-bonded horse with good gear will carry you safely through every chapter of the story — and losing a horse you have bonded with for hours is one of the game’s saddest moments, so protect it well.

Keeping your horse alive

• ❤️ Carry horse revivers — they can save a downed horse.
• 🐻 Don’t ride straight at bears or cougars; many horses panic.
• 🏚️ Stable your favorite horse when you take risks with a spare one.
• 🚂 Avoid train tracks — trains are the most common way horses die.