How to Get the Best Horse, The White Arabian, and Other Great Horses - Red Dead Redemption 2 Guide - IGN (2024)

This Red Dead Redemption 2 guide explains how to find and get the best horses in RDR2, including the free White Arabian (Elite Arabian) that you can get very early in the game. In Red Dead Redemption 2, horses come in many types, with some having certain advantages over others. Specific horses that are hard to find or purchase also have superior stats in speed, acceleration, health, and stamina.

Looking to unlock a particular horse? Click the links below to jump to...

• Best Horses in Red Dead Redemption 2
  • How to Get the FREE Elite White Arabian
  • How to Get the Missouri Fox Trotters
  • How to Get the Nokota Reverse Dapple Roan
  • How to Get the Thoroughbred
  • How to Get the Turkomans

Found the perfect horse? Check out our Horse Upgrades Guide to learn more about purchasing stables and increasing the stats of your four-legged friend.

Best Horses in RDR2

As horses come in many types in RDR2, most of them have some strengths but also carry drawbacks - however, below you'll find some of the best horses in a particular category at a glance:

How to Get the FREE Elite White Arabian in Red Dead Redemption 2

Of all the Arabian Horses in RDR2, The White Arabian Horse is the only elite horse that can be found in the wild instead of having to be purchased, saving you a thousand dollars!

• You can find this special horse on the northwestern side of Lake Isabella in Grizzlies West. To start, Fast Travel to Strawberry and ride north.

• You should find the white horse in the snowy bank around the frozen lake. It lives alone, without other horses.
• Once spotted, approach the Elite White Arabian very slowly as she will spook easily.
• Study her with RB.
• After you study the White Arabian, you'll gain a “Calm Bar” which shows her alert level. Slowly approach while constantly hitting the button shown to calm her.
• You will then unlock a Pat button. Pat her.
• Then you get the option to mount her.
• Once mounted, the White Arabian will try her hardest to buck you off. Fight her movement with the left stick to keep from falling off. After a while, she will finally break, and the horse will be yours.
• Transfer your saddle to the Elite White Arabian to keep her and then ride to a Stable to improve her stats even further.

The other Arabian Horses still boast impressive speed and acceleration, but the Black coat can only be bought from Chapter 4 onwards from the Saint Denis Stable, and the Rose Grey Bay coat can only be bought at the Epilogue in the Blackwater Stable.

How to Get the Missouri Fox Trotters in Red Dead Redemption 2

The Missouri Fox Trotter breed boasts the best base speed in the game, with excellent acceleration, as well as good health and stamina to boot.

However, these horses can ONLY be bought from stables, and cannot be tamed in the wild or stolen from others.

The Amber Champagne coat becomes available to buy in Chapter 4 at the Scarlett Meadows Stable, while the Silver Dapple Pinto coat shows up in Epilogue 1, at the Blackwater Stable in RDR2. Both can be purchased for around $950.

How to Get the Nokota Reverse Dapple Roan in Red Dead Redemption 2

Of all the Nokota coats, only the Reverse Dapple Roan boasts superior Speed and high acceleration over the other Nokota coats. However, the Reverse Dapple Roan can only be purchased from a stable once you reach Chapter 4, and go to the Saint Denis Stable.

How to Get the Thoroughbred in Red Dead Redemption 2

There are three Thoroughbred coats, and two are found in the wild with reduced stats, meaning the Brindle coat has much better stats, and can be bought as early as Chapter 3, at the Strawberry Stable.

How to Get the Turkomans in Red Dead Redemption 2

All three of the Turkoman coats have great speed, acceleration, and health. You can find the Gold coat after Chapter 4 by going to the Saint Denis Stable in RDR2. The Dark Bay will appear in the Blackwater Stable during the Epilogue, while the Silver coat will also appear in the Epilogue at the Tumbleweed Stable.