Summary
- Among RDR2's free horses, the Hungarian Half-bred is ideal for new players due to bravery and health.
- The American Standardbred provides players with a free, fast mount if they survive a random encounter.
- The best free horse in RDR2 is the Dutch Warmblood, Buell, known for its courage and excellent stats - but it can only be acquired in Chapter 6.
Among the wide selection of horses available to players in Red Dead Redemption 2, there are several that can be acquired for free, without losing honor. While many players don't mind spending money or losing honor to gain a decent mount, Red Dead Redemption 2 provides players with plenty of good horses that can be acquired without penalty.
Red Dead Redemption 2 includes many different breeds of horses, some better than others. Upon release, the realism of Red Dead Redemption 2's horses was a game-changer. With advanced animations, complex mechanics, and unique personalities, the game's horses contribute a great deal of character to RDR2's world, and the differences in their performance as mounts are both minute and important.
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In Red Dead Redemption 2, players need a mount that's quick, hardy, and brave enough to keep up with Arthur Morgan's outlaw lifestyle. Out of the various breeds of horses available as mounts throughout RDR2's story mode, the best breeds are unavailable for purchase until later chapters. However, many of the best possible breeds can be acquired for free with a bit of luck, patience, and effort. Here are the best horses that can be acquired for free in Red Dead Redemption 2, ranked.
Good, Honest, Snake Oil's Hungarian Half-bred Is Ideal For New Players
Valentine, Chapter 2
Hungarian Half-breds are a wonderful breed for players just starting Red Dead Redemption 2's story mode. Their bravery allows players to charge into gunfire, and their higher health offers leeway to those still familiarizing themselves with the game's controls. Even though they aren't the game's best war horses, they're a solid option for players who haven't unlocked better horses yet.
Although a dapple-coated Hungarian Half-bred is available for purchase at Valentine early in Chapter 2, an identical horse can be acquired for free by completing the bounty mission "Good, Honest, Snake Oil." In order to claim it, however, players will need to ensure that Arthur's horse is nowhere nearby when they find Allbright's camp. Given that the dapple-coated Hungarian Half-bred has the breed's highest stats, this horse is one of the early game's best options for players who need a brave, loyal companion but lack the funds to buy one or the patience to tame one.
A Murderous American Standardbred Is Rewarded For A Random Encounter
Anywhere & Anytime
One of Red Dead Redemption 2's random encounters has players stumbling across an owner cleaning their American Standardbred's hoof. The horse startles, killing its owner with a fatal kick that proves RDR2's horses can be deadly. Players can chase down the horse and gain a new companion (albeit, one with a body count). American Standardbreds are fast mounts, with average health and stamina. The horse obtained through this encounter, a palomino dapple, is faster than its wild counterparts.
However, as this American Standardbred's owner discovered, these horses scare easily. Players should be careful taking this horse into gunfights, and exercise caution while picking its hooves. Thankfully, if another kicking incident does happen, Arthur can just respawn from his most recent save; the player is unlikely to make the same mistake twice.
A Liberated Brindle Thoroughbred Results From Another Random Encounter
Anywhere, Beginning In Chapter 2
Thoroughbreds are quick companions, with high speed and acceleration and average stamina and health. Although a brindle Thoroughbred can be purchased at Strawberry's stable in Chapter 3, the same variant can be acquired for free. A random ambush from RDR2's iconic enemy gang, led by Colm O'Driscoll, provides players with an opportunity to get a free Brindle Thoroughbred. They'll simply need to survive the encounter alive to claim one of their rival outlaws' mounts, and ride it into the sunset.
It's worth riding by Twin Peaks Pass, Riggs Station, and around the spot where Arthur takes Jack fishing to see if players can trigger the encounter. This horse can be acquired as early as Chapter 2, but some players have reported that the O'Driscoll ambush doesn't spawn in later chapters, so players shouldn't wait too long to go looking for this mount.
A Wild Perlino Andalusian
Roanoke Ridge, Beginning In Chapter 2
Andalusians are war horses with great health, good stamina, and average acceleration and speed. These horses' bravery makes them exceptional companions, especially in combat. Added to RDR2's story mode in 2019, the Perlino Andalusian can be found in New Hanover, near Brandywine Drop in Roanoke Ridge. Although Red Dead Redemption 2's story doesn't take players near this location until Chapter 6, the Perlino Andalusian can be located here as early as Chapter 2, to players willing to make the trek.
However, this area is also home to a variety of dangerous creatures, like cougars, coyotes, and moose, so players should watch out for wildlife as they attempt to tame this brave steed. They'll need to show the same kind of courage as the horse they wish to tame if they want to claim it, as if they're proving themselves worthy of the mount.
The Red Chestnut Arabian Is The Worst Of The Three
Lake Owanjila, Beginning In Chapter 2
Upon the game's release, the white Arabian was Red Dead Redemption 2's only wild Arabian, but today players have two other options: the warped brindle Arabian and the red Chestnut Arabian. Unfortunately, of the three, the red chestnut Arabian is the worst. It has high speed and excellent handling, but it lacks in acceleration, stamina, and health. As a result, it'll be difficult to reach and maintain top speeds with the red chestnut Arabian. Its low health means it'll be even less viable in combat than its cowardly cousins, and more likely to die after just a few hits.
The red chestnut Arabian was originally exclusive to Red Dead Online, but was later added to the story mode in a patch.
On the whole, Arabians are the fastest horses in Red Dead Redemption 2, and their high stamina, health, and acceleration make them desirable companions. However, acquiring any wild Arabian requires patience and luck. It's the same as breaking any other horse, but it can take a couple of tries to get the elusive Arabians to spawn, and once spotted, they can be difficult horses to tame. Even with the most careful approach, it can take players a few tries to tame one. If they do have the patience, they're better off saving it for the superior warped brindle or white Arabian horses.
The Warped Brindle Arabian Is Slightly Better
Wapiti Indian Reservation, Beginning In Chapter 2
Next in the ranking is the warped brindle Arabian, which is slightly better than the red chestnut variant, but still pales in comparison to the white Arabian. It has high speed and acceleration, and half-decent health and stamina. Unfortunately, it's a lot harder to access at the beginning of the game, being located near the Wapiti Indian Reservation in Ambarino, instead of far to the west like Lake Owanjila or Isabella.
Like the others, the warped brindle Arabian is a wild horse that needs to be tamed, and it can be difficult to do so. Unfortunately, since it's so far east, it's not worth the journey for early-game players. And by the time most players have ventured far enough to unlock that portion of the map, they've probably already come across a stableful of superior horses.
The White Arabian Is The Best Of The Trio
Lake Isabella, Beginning In Chapter 2
Lake Isabella's infamous white Arabian is one of the best horses that can be acquired for free in Red Dead Redemption 2. For those up to the challenge, the white Arabian can be found in Ambarino at Lake Isabella. Like all Arabian horses, it has high speed and acceleration, but it also easily trounces its red chestnut and warped brindle cousins in health and stamina. This is an excellent horse for all purposes; players can ride them into combat just as easily as they can ride them through town, confident that their high health will keep them safe.
All these horses are almost perfect companions, but their lack of bravery, unfortunately, leaves them in second place. They're more likely to balk in the face of danger, possibly even bucking Arthur when they encounter a wild animal, which can be exceptionally dangerous. As a result, players are better off going with another free horse in RDR2, although it'll take them a while to get there.
The Veteran's Dutch Warmblood Is The Best Free Horse In RDR2
Veteran's Homestead & Cotorra Springs, Beginning In Chapter 6
After completing one of Red Dead Redemption 2's saddest stranger missions, players acquire a Dutch Warmblood named Buell. Dutch Warmbloods are workhorses, with incredible health and stamina, great speed, and good acceleration. Buell's stats are the highest of any Dutch Warmblood available in the game. Dutch Warmbloods are brave mounts as is, but some players have reported that Buell is noticeably braver than other members of his breed. Buell's courage and excellent stats combined with the heart-wrenching circ*mstances in which players acquire him makes Buell the best horse players can get for free in Red Dead Redemption 2. Although he's only able to be acquired in the game's final chapter, Buell is one of Red Dead Redemption 2's most iconic horses.
In order to tame Buell, players will have to complete the entire stranger mission entitled "The Veteran." This one spans several chapters and regions, as Arthur comes to befriend a veteran named Hamish, repeatedly visiting him and taking him out on various hunting and fishing trips. At the end of the mission, which can only be accessed in Chapter 6, Hamish dies, and asks the player character to look after his horse. They can do just that, as Buell immediately becomes their mount for whatever's left of the game.
All owned horses are lost after completing the final mission of Chapter 6: "Red Dead Redemption." As a result, it's best to save some of these mounts to recruit during the epilogues.
This list excludes some notable horses, as well as horses that can be acquired through glitches or exploits. However, these RDR2 horses are the best one can acquire without losing honor or shelling out hundreds of dollars for a superior mount. What makes one horse better than another is somewhat subjective and depends on the task. While traveling across RDR2's massive map, a quick mount is best, but in a gunfight, bravery and health are more important. While each horse has pros and cons, to many Red Dead Redemption 2 players, the best horse is the one they've made the most memories with.
Red Dead Redemption 2
Did you love the original Red Dead Redemption back in 2010? Check out this prequel to the first game, Red Dead Redemption 2. Players explore the complex Western world as Arthur Morgan, a member of the Van der Linde gang. Get ready to find an adventure in the western frontier in the 1800s, fighting against government figures and famous rivals. While some controls are difficult to manage at first, after some practice mounting and dismounting your horse, you should be ready to meet more characters. The stunning graphics are to be expected with Rockstar Games, as they created other popular open world games such as Grand Theft Auto.
Action
Adventure
- Top Critic Rating:96/100 Critics Recommend:94%
- Franchise
- Red Dead Redemption
- Released
- October 26, 2018
- Developer(s)
- Rockstar Games
- Publisher(s)
- Rockstar Games
- Multiplayer
- Online Multiplayer
- Engine
- RAGE
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Nudity, Sexual Content, Strong Language, Use of Drugs and Alcohol
- How Long To Beat
- 50 Hours
- Platforms
- Publishers
- Rating
- X|S Enhanced
- yes
- Metascore
- 97
- PS Plus Availability
- Extra & Premium
- Steam Deck Compatibility
- yes
