Tears of the Kingdom: Best horses and how to upgrade them

Yay for neigh

Contents

1. Tears of the Kingdom horse stats explained
2. What is the best horse in Tears of the Kingdom?
3. How to upgrade horses in Tears of the Kingdom

The best horse in Tears of the Kingdom is the one with the highest stats, but finding the perfect equine companion is more complicated than it seems. Sure, you can roam the wilds and hope you run across a prime specimen of horsedom, or you can find Malanya the Horse God – yes, it’s a thing – and have them enhance your horse’s stats.

You can also find Zelda’s own horse wandering the lands, and while it isn’t the best, it’s certainly a good horse for most of the game.

Tears of the Kingdom horse stats explained

Every horse has four stats and a rating of up to five stars in each.

• Strength: Determines how much HP your horse has. If it reaches zero, the horse dies
• Speed: How fast your horse walks, canters, and gallops
• Stamina: How many stamina points your horse has. This is the easiest stat to measure, since stamina points show up at the bottom of the screen when you ride.
• Pull: How effectively your horse can pull heavy objects when fitted with the proper equipment

Horses with solid-color coats can have up to five stars in each category, though dappled horses only go up to three stars.

What is the best horse in Tears of the Kingdom?

The best horse depends on what you need it for. Epona, for example, has excellent stats all around – but no pull stat. If you mainly want your horse to lug your ingenious, hopefully wheeled, creations around, she’s not a good fit for you, nor is any other horse with a low pull stat.

Horses meant for combat should have high strength and stamina. Speed is important, but the quick burst of a well-timed speed boost is often more important, especially if you need to escape or make a sudden turn to surprise your foe.

If you mostly want to get around the countryside quickly, your horse should have high speed and stamina. Strength isn’t really a problem.

Unique horses in Tears of the Kingdom

You can bond with a few unique horses in Hyrule who, if not exactly the best, are head and shoulders above the rest.

Zelda’s Golden Horse

One of them is Zelda’s own horse, which roams the snowy expanse of Tabantha Tundra. You can pick up the "Zelda’s Golden Horse" quest from the Snowfield Stable or just explore the field north of the stable until you find the horse. Tame it like you would any horse, and register it back at the stable.

Skeleton Horse

The Skeleton Horse is back and functions much the same as in Breath of the Wild. They only come out at night in certain areas – Sanidin Park Ruin is one and, sometimes, the Hebra Mountains and Akkala Highlands – and you can’t register them at a stable.

They bond with you and become tame immediately after you mount them, and with three stars each in speed and stamina, you could certainly do worse. However, they also disappear once 5 a.m. rolls around, so you won’t be able to spend much time with them.

Giant White Stallion

The Giant White Stallion is a new kind of horse that also has its own quest, but like with Zelda’s horse, you can just find it on your own if you aren’t bothered by the quest. Head to the Faron region and the Lake of the Horse God, which is west of Martha’s Landing, where the road runs out if you look closely at the map.

The Stallion is tough to tame and has low speed, but they also have exceptional stamina.

Epona

Epona is an excellent pick for everything except pulling objects. She has solid stats in every other category and absolutely nothing in pull. The downside is that you need Link's Twilight Princess amiibo to unlock her.

How to upgrade horses in Tears of the Kingdom

The Horse God's home looks like a Great Fairy bud, but it isn't

If you’re attached to a horse – one from Breath of the Wild, perhaps – but wish it had better stats, you can pay a visit to Malanya the Horse God and have your horsey prayers answered. Malanya lives in the Akkala Highlands, specifically near the lake just north of East Akkala Stable. Travel there, and head to the lake’s northern shore. 

Give them an Endura Carrot to become friends, and then you can cook Malanya some specific meals in exchange for one extra star on a stat of your choice for the horse of your choice.

If you're looking for more help with Tears of the Kingdom, check out our Skyview Tower locations guide and where to find Geoglyphs for Impa's quest.