Red Dead Redemption 2 Story Mode Horses - Some Observations and Tips

 This is based on two different play throughs and riding all available horses both times. First time I played high honour, avoided trouble and left as much content as possible for the Epilogue. If I couldn't avoid a conflict my default was to stand and fight from horseback. The second time I took my time, engaged with random encounters and more side missions and tried to play more strategically. I had better results with the horses but I found their behaviour fairly consistent overall. That's to say, the faster I eliminated threats the less likely the horse was to rear and run off. Sometimes horses would behave atypically and surprise me. There may be some underlying randomness in individual horses but it's hard to say.

The game has been designed so that all horses are viable. Progression is dependent on the player and choice of mount doesn't impede that. I think some classes or breeds suit different play styles better but I used a lot of low ranking horses in the early stages of my second play through when there's the most activity to worry about and they were fine. The onus was on me to monitor their health and stamina. The player can collect a number of horse related perks and equipment that help alleviate those concerns.

Skip to Equipment and Perks   Skip to Tonics and Consumables  Skip to Tips for Bonding and Keeping Your Horse Calm

I'll just run through the major factors that impact individual horses.

Bonding: It's the most obvious and aside from player action has the most impact. This is the rule set that all horses follow. As levels progress, the horse will respond to whistles from further away, tends to get less agitated when under saddle, learns some new tricks and their health and stamina will level up. The health and stamina stats are capped at bond level 4. So if your horse starts at health level 3 at bond level 1 it will max at 6. Always add 3 when looking at health and stamina numbers. Horses need to be fed, brushed and rested to level up and maintain health and stamina cores.

Class: Class determines the horse's over all stats and handling. I think the class names seem more significant than they are in practice. War horses have higher health stats which means they can take a little more damage from falls and stray gun fire. That doesn't mean that they are bullet sponges or won't freak out over predators. They suit aggressive players who enjoy risk and conflict.

Work horses have higher stamina. That flashing red exclaimation mark that shows up in the stamina core displays the very obvious relationship between agitation and stamina. If the horse runs out of stamina it will rear and throw the player character. Horses also get obviously stressed when predators or enemies get too close or gunfire erupts. There's many non obvious environmental factors such as terrain and weather. I noticed that they like having a heavy load removed. Horses with high stamina can run longer. I personally found some work horses easier to keep calm although that can vary by breed. I think they make good hunting companions.

Race horses have higher speed and acceleration often at the expense of health and stamina. It's the easiest stat to do a comparison on and it turns out that there isn't that much of a gap between the slowest and the fastest. They do give the player a slight edge for races and timed challenges but their stamina may need to be supplemented with tonics. I think the more relevant stat here is acceleration. They are great for leaving situations quickly. I call it the run away, run away play style. It can be helpful when the player is still trying to learn all the controls. This is the only case where I think handling has a major impact. In my experience horses with race handling can lunge or bolt unexpectedly when spooked and can be difficult to get under control which can lead the player into trouble in populated areas.

The Superior Arabians and Multi-Class horses are popular because their numbers are usually higher and more balanced than the other types. That's why they are more expensive or harder to find. They all suit pretty much any play style. The three top Arabians are the only story mode horses that can max acceleration which I believe tops at 8.

Then there is the low end which includes the Riding and Draft class. They are like the Multi-Class in that their stats are balanced. Their stats are determined by breed. Tennessee Walkers have higher health and stamina, Kentucky Saddlers higher health and speed, Morgans higher stamina and speed, Shires higher health, Suffolk Punch higher Stamina and Belgians higher acceleration. Aside from the Belgians, they all have an acceleration number of 2. They make good temporary horses and keep up in spite of the low speed and acceleration. They are easy to acquire. Thanks to the low acceleration numbers I find them easy to hold at a steady trot which makes the Riding horses particularly nice for populated areas.

Breed: Breed impacts the horse's disposition and conformation (size and structure). There's differences even within the classes. Arabians are notorious for dramatic threat response. I personally think its counteracted by the elite handling. You can tell the horses were mo-capped because for the most part the breeds look like what you would expect. This is where it gets even more subjective. Do you like big or compact horses? What coat colours and patterns appeal to you? Do you prefer a quiet mount or do you find a little goofiness entertaining? This is why I made this site. Hopefully my photos and little stories might address some of those purely subjective concerns or at least reflect how much fun this game can be.

Equipment and Perks: A good saddle and stirrups reduce core drain, improve stamina regeneration and improve speed and acceleration. The crafted saddles are the best. The alligator one is the easiest to acquire.

Winning 3 horse race challenges is the only way to max the horse's speed bar. I recommend manually saving before accepting one of theses challenges because if you lose a race it is possible that the challengers will no longer spawn.

Boar Tusk Talisman: Lowers horse's stamina and health core drain by 10%. Requires gold earing, cobalt petrified wood and legendary boar tusk. Crafted by a fence.

Shark Tooth Trinket: Increases horse bonding experience bonus by 10%. Looted from a lock box. This one was important for me because I did so much darn bonding.

Tonics and Other Consumables: The horse's health and stamina bars will regenerate on their own but sometimes need replenishment just like the player character. These may be purchased at general stores and stables or crafted. Horse Reviver is an absolute must. If the horse's health core drains low enough the horse will collapse. The player has a chance to give them Horse Reviver and get them back up but if the health core runs out the horse will die and your partner is gone for good. If you are lucky, you have a manual save or you can find or buy the same type. Unfortunately, there are four unique story mode horses that cannot be replaced. Your original Tennessee Walker, the Raven Black Shire, the Cremello Gold Dutch Warmblood and the Thoroughbred available during the Epilogue.

Some Tips for Bonding and Keeping Your Horse Calm:

Higher ranking horses require more experience points to level up and take longer to max bond. Horses will bond naturally as you ride them but you must keep them healthy and happy. Dirt and hunger impacts their health core so feed and brush them regularly. Try to keep them tethered or hitched as much as possible and remove heavy loads at first opportunity. To speed up the process you can lead them around. They seem to really like that. Get in the habit of pressing the pet/calm button frequently. That not only generates bonding points but you'll find yourself reflexively hitting it when your horse gets upset and that helps a lot when you need to stay mounted.

Be aware of your surroundings and keep an appropriate weapon handy when in likely enemy territory or predator habitats. Try to keep the horse moving when under attack and try not to get boxed in or flanked. Horses really hate that. Put some distance between you and your attackers if you can so you can use dead eye effectively. The quicker the player can eliminate threats, the more likely the player character will remain mounted. If it's a predator you'll need to act fast because they always go for the player character rather than the horse. If you are ambushed, dismount and get cover if you can. 

Sometimes horses can stay quite upset after a hostile encounter. A treat usually quiets them immediately.