Horse

Horse
Artwork of Link and Epona from Ocarina of Time
First appearance	The Adventure of Link (1988)
Appears in	The Adventure of Link Ocarina of Time Majora's Mask Oracle of Ages Oracle of Seasons Four Swords Adventures The Minish Cap Twilight Princess Breath of the Wild
Succeeded by	Stalhorse
Distinctions	Can be ridden Pull carts
Notable members	Epona Ganondorf's Steed Storm

"...we could not keep them safe from the monsters on the road without a horse and cart..."

— Renado

Horses are a recurring race in the The Legend of Zelda series. They are often ridden and utilized in other ways by other races.

Appearances

Zelda II: The Adventure of Link

Rebonack, the boss of Island Palace, utilizes what appears to be a mechanical horse to charge Link during the first phase of the battle. After enough damage is dealt the horse will flee leaving Link to fight Rebonack like an ordinary Iron Knuckle. Although technically not an actual horse, the boss of Parapa Palace, Horsehead, does possess a head resembling that of a horse.

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time

Epona, a horse from Ocarina of Time

Horses are found predominantly at Lon Lon Ranch. Most of the horses are dun to chestnut in color with black masks and legs. When Link goes there as a child he can see the filly Epona and learn "Epona's Song" from Malon. When he is an adult he can pay Ingo to ride either Epona or an unnamed horse. Any horse besides Epona will not be capable of defeating Ingo. Link must play Epona's Song to coax Epona into letting him ride her.

Ingo will offer to race Link when he rides Epona a second time. Should Link beat him twice, Ingo will grudgingly let Link keep Epona, but will lock the gates of Lon Lon Ranch to prevent Link and Epona from leaving. Link must then ride Epona and leap over the outer barriers of the ranch to keep her. Afterwards, Ingo will apologise and Malon will let Link ride Epona in an obstacle course. There is also a horse presumably owned by a Gerudo at the Horseback Archery Range.

Ganondorf is seen riding a black horse while chasing after Princess Zelda and Impa, who are seen riding a white one. Phantom Ganon is additionally seen riding a steed in the Forest Temple.

The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask

Epona again serves as Link's faithful mount, though she is a young filly as opposed to the adult horse seen in other games. The Gorman Brothers, owners of a horse training center, are also seen riding two grey speckled horses, at one point while wearing Garo's Masks. They also run a horse racing mini-game featuring obstacles such as mud, fences and trees. Link can race the Gorman Brothers on Epona, and will win a Garo's Mask of his own if he can beat them.

The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages and Oracle of Seasons

Link appears riding an unnamed horse that looks similar to Epona in the opening sequence of both games.

The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker

The Hero of Time can be seen riding Epona in the game's Prologue. It is unknown if any horses survived the Great Flood, however since none are encountered in The Wind Waker or Spirit Tracks it is possible that the species may have gone extinct.

The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures

Link can ride Epona in the Near the Fields stage by throwing a Carrot on the ground. Also, the Bucking Bronco mini-game found in Tingle's Tower is a multiplayer horse race.

The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap

Epona with Lon Lon Milk

Malon uses Epona to pull a cart carrying Lon Lon Milk into town. If Link talks to her while in Minish form, she will plead Link to buy Lon Lon Milk so that she has less to haul back.

The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess

A horse from Twilight Princess

Epona is once again Link's horse. In this game, another name can be selected for Epona, even though Epona remains the default name. She is seen hauling wood in the opening scenes. She appears to be of heavier stock than horses seen in earlier games. Another horse is seen pulling the cart containing the ill Prince Ralis, Ilia, and Telma on the way to Kakariko Village. Horse riding in Twilight Princess features several new mechanics, including the ability to attack with a sword whilst mounted. Epona can also damage enemies by rearing back and stomping on unfortunate enemies.

Ganondorf's steed also returns in Twilight Princess towards the end of the game, and is used by Ganondorf to battle Link. During the battle, Ganondorf summons Phantom Riders to aid him.

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

"These can most often be found on plains. Their usefulness as transportation has made them valuable since ancient times. That said, wild horses do tend to get spooked and run off when approached, so if you're looking to snag one, it's best to sneak up on it."

— Hyrule Compendium

In Breath of the Wild, Link can encounter tamed horses ridden by a traveler or at the one of the fifteen Stables throughout Hyrule. There are also numerous wild horses of varying stats and coat colors found in the overworld, but most commonly in the Faron Grasslands and Hyrule Field regions. Link can try to mount any wild horses, tame then register them at a Stable. When riding horses, they can follow a set course and will automatically avoid running into obstacles allowing Link to concentrate on more actions while riding. This gives him more freedom on horseback, such as vaulting off the horse to aim his bow in slow motion and fire arrows more accurately. Link can also strafe while riding atop horses which grants him greater control over their movements, making it easier to move in enclosed spaces or around obstacles. Some horses are special and can only be encountered or obtained via certain methods such as side quests or the amiibo Rune. Special horses include the White Horse, the Giant Horse, Epona and Stalhorses. Link can register them after the quest is completed. Though horses are mainly used as transportation, they are also required to play certain mini-games such as Horseback Archery at the Mounted Archery Camp or Horse riding obstacle course at the Highland Stable. Additionally Link can occasionally find Koroks by jumping his horse over several fences in certain locations. Link can take picture of wild, tamed, registered horses, and Epona to add Horse to the Hyrule Compendium which appears as entry number 001 in the Compendium's Creatures section. In addition to the Horse entry, there are also entries for the Giant Horse (entry 002), White Horse (entry 003), and Stalhorse (005). Like Bullbos from Twilight Princess, Horses are not the only creatures Link can mount, tame, and ride as Link can tame Mountain Bucks, Mountain Doe, Bears, and the guardian spirit of Satori Mountain, the Lord of the Mountain Satori, though none of these creatures can be registered at stables as they are not horses and cannot truly be tamed completely as after a while they will attempt to throw Link off forcing him to soothe them to regain control. The stable managers also view bring the Lord of the Mountain to their stable is a bad omen and would be cursed by the guardian spirit of Satori Mountain if registered thus refuse out of fear of the spirit. Additionally Stalhorses cannot be registered as they are considered monsters despite technically being horses (as they are an undead breed of horse). Before the Great Calamity, Link rides an unnamed horse identical to the horse in promotional artwork equipped with a Traveler's Bridle and Saddle. This unnamed generic horse is seen in three of Link's Recovered Memories though its fate and the fate of its bridle and saddle following the Great Calamity are unknown though presumably it perished either during the Great Calamity or during the century Link slept. Princess Zelda and members of the Royal Family of Hyrule are also revealed to traditionally ride White Horses as a symbol of their divine right to rule Hyrule presumably in reference to the unnamed White Horse used by Impa and Zelda in Ocarina of Time which along with Princess Zelda riding a White Horse in Breath of the Wild supports a history of the Royal Family tradition of using White Horses. Sanidin Park Ruins on Safula Hill has a horse statute as it was once a rest area where riders and their horse could rest and enjoy the view. Link can also encounter the Horse God Malanya the patron deity of horses and can help restore Malanya's power and special Great Fairy Fountain in Malanya Spring with an offering of Rupees. Gerudo Desert in the province of Gerudo is inaccessible to horses as they refuse to enter through Gerudo Desert Gateway from Gerudo Canyon, forcing Gerudo to rely on Sand Seals for travel. The Gerudo outside the desert do not ride horses in Breath of the Wild and the Hylian Jini implies knowledge of horseback archery was apparently lost to both Hylians and Gerudo before eventually being rediscover in the east presumably at the Equestrian Riding Course in East Necluda as it contains archery targets along the abandoned course and Jini claims it originated out in the east despite the art being practiced by Gerudo and Hero of Time in Ocarina of Time. Jini himself ironically runs the Mounted Archery Camp in Faron Grasslands near the province of Gerudo. Link can shield surf behind wild or rented Sand Seals like the Gerudo as an alternate means of travel.

Taming

To tame a horse, Link can usually approach it silently from behind and mount them. Link can increase his chance by wearing clothing and using items increasing stealth ability. Other ways of reaching horses is to fall on them from a height (preferably with a Paraglider), freezing them first with an Ice Arrow, or paralyzing them with a Shock Arrow. After mounting them, Link must soothe them while avoiding being thrown off (which occurs when his stamina wheel is empty) though Link can eat stamina restoring food to keep from getting thrown off. Horses however will kick him (if close behind them or gliding near them) and flee if they detect him before he can mount it successfully. Once a horse has been properly soothed Link can ride it though depending on its temperament the horse may disobey Link's commands. Link can make it more obedient by bonding with it. The "Soothe" command can be used to train a more temperamental horses to properly follow Link's commands while soothing it. When soothed successfully, a cloud of pink partials will appear over the horses head.

Link can also give it certain foods like Apples and Carrots by holding those items in his hands near the horse's head, which increases Link's bond with it. Pink partials appear over its head in this is done as well. Once the affinity bond reaches 100, the horse will follow Link's commands unconditionally and it will be fully tamed. Along with horses, Link can also tame and ride other large creatures like deer, bears, and Lord of the Mountain, however these cannot be registered at stables and will occasionally attempt to throw Link off, forcing him to soothe them again to bring them under control and will flee when he dismounts.

Bokoblins are also known to tame and mount horses. Link can knock these Bokoblins then mount their horses. They are automatically tamed, do not require any soothing, are registerable at stables. However most of them have basic stats. Epona is the only registerable horse that does not require Link to tame her as she is automatically tame and fully bonded with Link. Some Stalkoblins ride Stalhorses which are also automatically tame though cannot be registered.

Horse Diet

Horses feed primarily on grasses in the wild, though registered horses are supplied hay at stables. Tamed horses will still graze as both Link and Zelda's horses are often seen grazing together when not being ridden in Link's recovered memories. Horses also enjoy Apples, Swift Carrots, and Endura Carrots. Endura Carrots give horses extra stamina which gives them temporary yellow Spurs similar to Link's yellow stamina gauges and yellow heart containers. Apples and carrots make horses happy increasing their bond with their rider once tamed. Feeding horses allows Link to bond more quickly to horses. Humorously horses will eat Swift Carrots directly from Steen's carrot patch in Kakariko Village if left near it though Steen doesn't react to this nor does it effect his crop. This also applies to any apples and carrots on or growing from the ground. Stalhorses can eat despite their apparent lack of internal organs. Some fear Stalhorses are cannibalistic and will eat living horses though this appears to be superstition as Stalhorses behave much like their living counterparts.

Horses can eat Baked Apples, Roasted Endura Carrots, and Roasted Swift Carrots off the ground though they have the same effect as the raw versions as Roasted Endura Carrots give horses three yellow spurs. However Link must roast to food then let to horse eat it off the ground as it goes into his cooked food inventory when picked up.

Horse gaits & riding

"As your horse's speed increases—between walk, trot, canter, and gallop—their gait changes as well. Use Yah! to increase your speed, and use Whoa... to decrease it."

— Horse Gaits Loading Screen tip

In Breath of the Wild, Horses can move forward at different speeds based on their gait which is based on how real world horses move either naturally or through training. Walk is the basic speed a horse can move and unlike other gaits, Horses can walk backwards as well as forward and can be initiated by simply moving forward while mounted or pressing the dash button once. Walking is slow and allows Link better control than other gaits due to the ability to walk backwards which involves holding the Whoa... command after. From a walk, Link can increase the horse's gait speed to a trot which is slightly faster than a walk and allows Link to move forward and steer the horse from side to side change direction or to turn it around, though it is slower than a canter. Cantering is faster and allows for faster movement while still being able to steer the horse and Link can start a canter from either a walk or trot. Cantering is the fastest that a horse can move without using any of its stamina which is represented by spurs. Spurs are required for a horse to gallop, which allows the horse to temporarily run forward at a full gallop briefly before returning to moving at canter speed. Additionally, when galloping horses handle more poorly and cannot turn as easily. Horses cannot gallop if all their spurs are used up or they have no spurs such as the Giant Horse which is unable to gallop due to its lack of stamina. In addition to gaits, Link can also horse step which allows Link's horse to sidestep, which can be performed in much the same manner Link can side step, though the horse must be standing still to horse step. Horse step allows Link far better control and can be useful in moving Link's horse around obstacles or move them through difficult terrain, however Link must be careful as horses can be killed by fall damage. If a horse falls in deep water while Link is horse stepping, Link will float off his horse, though horses in Breath of the Wild can swim and will instinctively swim towards dry land they can walk on if it is present.

Though Horses can travel to most places in Hyrule including villages, some areas are inaccessible to them such as the Great Plateau, Gerudo Desert, Death Mountain, and volcanic areas of Eldin Canyon including Goron City. Though horses can through across the bridges connecting the three islands in Lake Totori to the main island where Rito Village sits, it refuses to travel up the steps leading into Rito Village. Though horses can travel through Kakariko Village, Hateno Village, and Tarrey Town, horses will refuse to canter or gallop while traveling through Kakariko or Hateno Village though they will still walk, trot, and horse step.

Horseback Combat

Horseback Combat in Breath of the Wild functions similar to horseback combat in Twilight Princess as Link can use swords, boomerangs, and bows while riding a horse. Additionally, Link can wield any melee weapon from atop a horse, though generally Spears and two-handed weapons are better as they have greater range. Unlike Twilight Princess, Link is unable to perform a spin attack from atop a horse. Holding down the button will instead cause Link to hold up his weapon re

Link riding an unregistered horse (E3 2016) bareback in Breath of the Wild

ady for attack which is delivered once the button is released. Link can also throw weapons from horseback. Additionally for the first time in the series, Link can fire Sword Beams while riding a horse by throwing the Master Sword (which causes the sword to unleash a sword beam), however like the normal sword beam can only be fired when Link is at full health. Horseback Archery functions much like it did in past games, though Link can wield various bows and arrows. Bokoblins can wield both melee weapons and bows while riding horses as well. Unlike past games, horses can be damaged and killed during combat. Link can also slay or steal horses ridden by Bokoblins.

Like in the Breath of the Wild E3 trailer, Link can also vault off the back of his horse, in order to dismount quickly. As this puts him in the air, Link can use the Paraglider or draw his bow in the air which causes time to slowdown as long as Link has stamina and as long as he remains in the air. Though Link can engage Guardian Stalkers like he did in the trailer, a Guardian laser can easily kill a horse if it hits, thus it is generally a good idea to dismount a horse before engaging them. Like in past games, Horses can kill minor enemies and wildlife by trampling them, though unlike past games, horses can also defend themselves by kicking allowing them to attack enemies if Link is knocked off, though its also allows wild horses to attack Link if they sense his approach. Link can also hunt wild game from horseback, using melee weapons and arrows. Hunting from horseback gives Link an advantage as the horse allows him to rundown wild game if it flees or he can vault off a horse to fire his bow in the air which allows him to hit animals with arrows before they can flee. However Link must dismount to collect any items.

Jini in Faron Grasslands implies horseback archery was invented somewhere out in east presumably referring to the old Equestrian Riding Course in East Necluda. Presumably knowledge of the ancient art (which existed in Ocarina of Time) was lost and rediscovered in East Necluda. Jini himself runs the Mounted Archery Camp where he allows anyone with a horse and bow do horseback archery drills by shooting balloons in a limited amount of time which allows travelers and Link to practice their horseback archery skills. The Equestrian Riding Course has wooden archery targets though Link must eliminate the monsters camping in the ruins of the course to use the course's targets for practice. Due to the monster presence, the Equestrian Riding Course has been abandoned despite being located in close proximity to Hateno Village. It is implied soldiers, knights, and/or Sheikah warriors stationed at Fort Hateno around the time of the Great Calamity may have been trained there (a Sheikah Shield of the Mind's Eye can be found in the Riding Course's enemy camp) in horseback combat given its location.

Horse on a Raft

Link riding Epona on the Raft docked in Lurelin Village in Breath of the Wild

In certain places it is possible for Link to get a Horse onto a Raft, allowing him to transport his horse to places such as Tenoko Island or Eventide Island that would normally be inaccessible to them. Normally it is not possible to get the horse onto a raft however Link can Horse step (which acts as strafing while on horseback) a horse onto a Raft from a pier, certain large rocks, or pushing a fallen tree log near the Raft and horse stepping onto it to get on the Raft. Once it is on the Raft, Link must use the throw command to blow wind from the Korok Leaf as this does not harm the horse, which would cause it to run off the raft like when Link performs a normal melee attack with the Korok Leaf. The Korok Leaf can be wielded on horseback but will not produce wind thus Link is unable to blow the Raft while mounted atop his horse. Link however must be careful as the horse will drift slightly while standing on the Raft when it is moving, forcing Link to keep the horse in front of him to reposition him (or her in the case of Epona) on the Raft to prevent it from falling into water. Link must also be aware of aquatic enemies such as Water Octoroks and Lizalfos who can spook the horse off the Raft. Horses can swim, though they will immediately head to nearby land and cannot be ridden until they reach solid land. Rafting with a horse is a test of Link's rafting skills, though serves little purpose other than allowing Link to take his horse with him to places like Eventide Island. If Link and his horse make it to Eventide Island it will remain on the Island during "Stranded on Eventide" allowing Link to use his horse to travel around the island and kill lesser enemies by trampling over them and can be used as a vaulting off point in order to draw his bow in the air to slow down time and fire arrows which allows for greater accuracy to ensure his limited supply of arrows hit their mark, though he should be careful as his horse can be killed in combat or accidentally. Additionally he should avoid taking his horse near the island's sleeping Hinox as the Hinox could easily end up killing it. Link can do this with any horse. Even Epona, though he should use a registered horse as tamed wild horse tend to move around if Link dismounts them making rafting with them next to impossible. Link can either use a Raft to transport his horse back to mainland Hyrule or simply access them through the Stables. If equipped with the Ancient Saddle he can simply summon his horse back to the mainland by whistling.

Horses stats

Each horse has different arrays of coat colors with sometimes distinctive markings, stats and temperaments. Generally horses with a unique coat color, have better stats but are more difficult to tame, while Horses with spots or different coat colors are easier to tame but generally have lower stats. The temperament determines how easy a horse can be tamed and bonded. Horses' stamina determines how many spurs they have while speed refers to their basic movement speed when walking, trotting, cantering, strength determines how much damage the horse causes when trampling or kicking enemies. Link can give horses three temporary extra yellow spurs by feeding them Endura Carrots, which acts much like Link's extra yellow Stamina Wheel parts. They can only be used once all normal spurs are spent then disappear.

Horse stats vary from one to five stars in each category. It is impossible to find 5 star horses in every category, though certain horses come close: a pack of horses south of the Hebra Tower can have 4-4-5 strength, speed and stamina respectively, 5-3-5, or 2-5-3. The last horse, in particular, is the only horse type in Breath of the Wild that has 5 speed. The same horse exists within groups in the Taobab Grasslands and a small field northeast of Lindor's Brow.

Horses have different running animations depending on their stats. 2 speed horses run in a more leisurely manner even while at a gallop; 3 speed horses carry their heads higher and bob slightly; 4 speed horses dip their noses and shovel the air with their motions, while 5 speed horses carry their heads low and throw their hooves out when sprinting. Memorizing the animations of horses can save the trouble of taking tamed horses to stables to verify their stats.

The Ancient Bridle can boost a horses stamina by two giving them two extra spurs though it cannot be equipped to Epona or the Giant Horse.

Stable registration

Link can tame a wild horse, then register and name it at a stable. He can register up to five horses at stables and can choose to release a horse back into the wild if he obtains a better steed. He can only free up space when his tries to register a horse whereas five horses are registered or one died. He can also board horses at stables when he is not using them, and they can be selected from any stable. Registered horses that have been taken out of a stable are represented by a horse icon on the Sheikah Slate map. Link can call any registered horses to him by Whistling provided it is not boarded in a stable, nearby, and can reach Link's location as it only calls them to Link though any unboarded horse equipped with the Ancient Saddle will warp to him unless in an area generally inaccessible to horses similar to how Epona was summoned in past games. If the horse is too far away or cannot reach Link, he will receive a message informing him of why it cannot be called. Stalhorse, Bears, Deer (male or female), and the Lord of the Mountain cannot be registered.

During "Good-Sized Horse", it is suggested at registered horse's ownership is transferred should they be sold as Zyle takes ownership of any registered standard horse or White Horse after Link sells it to him, though Link keeps possession any bridle or saddle key item equipped to said horse.

Should he have five horses, Link must let one go to free up space to register another or alternatively wait until one dies either intentionally or unintentionally of unnatural causes (by falling from a high height, being killed intentionally or unintentionally by Link, or being killed by monsters).

Mane and Gear

Before a horse is registered, Link rides it bareback and holds its mane to control it instead of reigns. Once a horse is registered, the horse receives a Bridle and Saddle. Generally the Stable Bridle and Stable Saddle are equipped to Link's horse upon registration. Link can however acquire other Bridles and Saddles which are key items that can be obtained through several means. The Knight's Bridle, Knight's Saddle, Extravagant Bridle, and Extravagant Saddle can be obtained as rewards in various horse related mini-games that test Link's riding skills. Additionally Link can also purchase the Monster Bridle and Monster Saddle from Kilton at the Fang and Bone after freeing two Divine Beasts. The Traveler's Bridle and Traveler's Saddle can be obtained separately from treasure chests dropped by using the Link (Rider) amiibo from the Breath of the Wild series with the amiibo Rune. The Traveler's Bridle and Saddle are also worn by Link's original horse from a century prior in Link's Recovered Memories. Finally the Royal Bridle and Royal Saddle can be obtained from Toffa as a reward for finding and registering the White Horse during the "The Royal White Stallion" Side Quest. The Royal Bridle and Royal Saddle is equipped to the White Horse after specking to Toffa, though Link can equip it to other horses and equip different Bridles and Saddles to the White Horse.

Promotional Artwork of the White Horse equipped with the Ancient Bridle and Saddle from Breath of the Wild

As part of The Champions' Ballad DLC, Link can acquire the Ancient Bridle and Ancient Saddle during "EX Ancient Horse Rumors". Unlike other gear, the Ancient Bridle and Saddle have special attributes as the Ancient Bridle boosts a horse's stats while the Ancient Saddle allows it to be summoned to Link's location by Whistling as long as the horse is not boarded and Link is in a location accessible to Horses. Both the Ancient Bridle and Saddle are created from ancient Sheikah technology. With exception of the Stable Bridle and Saddle, Epona's gear, and the Giant Horse's Gear all bridles and saddles Link obtains are stored in his Key Items inventory.

While most horses receive the default Stable Bridle and Stable Saddle, Epona and the Giant Horse receive special Bridle and Saddle sets unique to them which cannot be changed. Unlike Armor worn by Link, all Bridles and Saddles are purely cosmetic and changing them is completely optional though the "Ancient" horse gear grants special bonuses to the horse wearing them. To change a horse's gear, Link must first bond with his horse completely, either by soothing it when it follows his commands. However if he wishes to increase its bond more quickly he can simply feed it carrots (Swift Carrots and Endura Carrots) and Apples until it is fully bonded. While bonding makes the horse more obedient, it also impresses the Stable hands who will only agree to change a horse's gear once it has bonded completely with its owner. It addition to changing gear, the Stable hands will also style the horse's mane into various different styles or change its color. Styling its mane is purely cosmetic, but can be a helpful way for Link to alter his horse's appearance to make it stand out better and make it easier to tell it apart from other horses with similar or identical natural appearance. These Stable hands are all female and can only be found at certain stables, though this service is completely free. However the Stable hands will refuse to change manes or gear if it hasn't fully bonded with Link. They can only change a horse's gear once Link has acquired at least one saddle and/or one bridle other than the default set received from Stables. The Stable Bridle and Stable Saddle only appear when changing gear and do not appear in Link's key item inventory. Epona and the Giant Horse's unique gear do not appear as items as they are equipped to them by default. Additionally, stable hands refuse to change the gear and manes of either Epona or the Giant Horse. In Epona's case it is due to her personality and uniqueness. In the Giant Horse's case, its size prevents them from changing its gear as it wears a special gear set that is large enough to fit it and its wild temperament prevents its mane from being changed. However the White Horse's gear and mane can be changed, despite being a special horse. As Stalhorse cannot be registered they cannot have their Bridal, Saddle, or mane changed, though the Stalhorse comes with its own unique saddle as they have been domesticated by Stalkoblin, however it lacks a mane due to its undead state (though has a fake tail attached to its tail bone). Only four Stables allow Link to customize a horse's gear and its mane. These stables are the Outskirt Stable, Highland Stable, South Akkala Stable, and Woodland Stable. All stable hands that do this are young women and can be found near their respective Stable's hay troph. Beyond requiring Link's Horse to be fully bonded, the stable hands do not require any payment for this service thus Link can change gear and mane styles free of charge. Additionally Toffa equips the Royal Horse Gear to the White Horse during "The Royal White Stallion" after showing the registered White Horse to him regardless of it bond though this is a special case. Link retains possession of any bridle or saddle key items currently equipped to a registered horse even if they die, are let go, or sold to Zyle. A horse's default bridle and saddle is acquired and automatically equipped upon registration and is covered by the 20 Rupee registration fee. All mane styles are available by default and do not have to be unlocked. Wild horses will have either a Normal Mane or Long Mane style as their natural style due to lack of grooming. Unnatural styles include Mohawk Mane, Braided Mane, French-Braided Mane, and Floral Mane. All dyed mane styles are Long Mane style by default. These dyed Long Mane styles are Green, Blue, Red, and Purple.

Horse Gear

Stable Bridle

Stable Saddle

Traveler's Bridle

Traveler's Saddle

Knight's Bridle

Knight's Saddle

Royal Bridle

Royal Saddle

Monster Bridle

Monster Saddle

Extravagant Bridle

Extravagant Saddle

Vulnerability and reviving

Malanya, the patron deity of Horses in Malanya Spring

Horses can be killed by enemies or by Link when he involuntary performs destructive actions such as blowing a Remote Bomb, firing Bomb Arrows too close to them, or attacking them either intentionally or accidentally. Horses can also be burned by fire, frozen by ice attacks, and shocked by electric attacks and lightning. It is possible to freeze and shock horses without killing them, thus Link can use this to his advantage to aid him in mounting them, though he must be careful as he can kill them if he does it too much.Horses can die if they fall from a high height and hit solid ground, though fortunately they can swim though cannot be ridden while swimming though they will survive a fall if they land in water. However any registered horses can be revived by the patron God of Horses Malanya at his spring, located in the Faron Grasslands, southwest of the Highland Stable by crossing the Horse God Bridge. Malanya however requires an offering of 1000 Rupees to restore its power as like the Great Fairies, Malanya's power has diminished due to lack of visitors in recent times. If a registered horse dies, it will no longer appear at the stable and must be revived by Malanya if wished. It can be then boarded at any stable. The first revival is free as thanks for restoring Malanya's power though each subsequent revival requires payment of one Endura Carrot per revival.as Malanya claims they give him energy to revive horses. Link can also kill horses ridden by Bokoblins to prevent them from remounting them, though prevents Link from mounting them as well. Stalhorses will automatically die at sunrise as they cannot maintain their bone structure in the daytime however they resurrect along with their riders every Blood Moon. Stalhorse are implied to be Bokoblin tamed horses that died with their riders and resurrected as undead Stalhorse by Ganon along with their riders which were resurrected as Stalkoblin.

Even Epona can be killed though Malanya can resurrect her if she is registered. If killed before registration the amiibo rune and coresponding amiibo can be used to randomly respawn Epona giving Link another opportunity to register her. However Link can avoid this scenario by spawning her with the amiibo rune near a Stable then register her immediately.

As the Horse God, Malanya has access to the stable system while resurrecting horses and is implied to be venerated by stable folk and some horse owners, even though people stopped visiting Malanya Spring. Stables even apparently have effigy of the horse god that adorn the roof of all stables presumably to honor the deity and possibly intended to ward off monsters which actually avoid approaching stables presumably out of fear of incurring Malanya's wrath as the Horse God presumably protects stables or the effigy have been blessed wilth the power to ward off evil and protect the registered horses and stable folk living in them explaining how Stables survive while other settlements both large and small have been destroyed with only a few surviving villages remaining a century after the Great Calamity.

Special Horses

Epona

Horse Stats

Strength	★★★★
Speed	★★★★
Stamina	★★★★

"OK, please enter a name for your hors- ...Wait a minute! Isn't this Epona, the horse of legend? What are you thinking?! You can't rename a horse of legend! Pretty sure there's a law against that. So Epona it is?"

— A stable manager

Link riding an unregistered Epona bareback in Breath of the Wild

Epona can also be attained exclusively by using the amiibo Rune and scanning the Link amiibo from the Super Smash Bros. or the The Legend of Zelda 30th Anniversary series. Upon registering, her name will default to Epona, and no other name can be entered. In addition, any stable hand will refuse to change her Mane, Bridle, or Saddle from the unique set she receives. She only appears the first time the amiibo is used and only once per save file, and must be summoned in accessible areas. Unlike past games, Epona is not invulnerable and can be killed, though she can be revived by Malanya if she is registered. She will spawn randomly when the amiibo is used again if she is killed before being registered. She is well known to all the stable clerks in Hyrule as the legendary horse, Epona indicating she has acquired legendary status in Hyrule (or her legendary status is known among the Stable clerks), much like the various incarnations of Link. It is her legendary status that prevents Link from changing her name, as the Stable clerks refuse believing it is (or should be) against the law to change Epona's name thus will only accept her default name Epona. While she is not recognized by the stable hands, they consider her as a lovely and graceful little lady who would absolutely hate it if he changed her mane or gear thus she cannot be customized. Unlike all other horses, Epona spawns in the game with a maximum bond with Link, is completely tame, and her gentle temperament means that she obeys instructions in even the most dire circumstances.

Epona has 4 stars in strength, speed, and stamina, making her well-rounded. While most horses gallop 5 strides per spur, Epona gallops 8 strides per spur instead, making her the best gallopers for distance in the game. However she cannot be customized like other horse nor can she be equipped with the Ancient Horse Gear. However Link can feed her Endura Carrots to temporarily increase her stamina grant her three extra Spurs.

Giant Horse

Horse Stats

Strength	★★★★★
Speed	★★
Stamina	0

"This giant horse is the last of its kind. Its physical capabilities completely overshadow those of regular horses, but its temperament is extremely wild. Only a truly skilled rider can train, or even catch, this beast of a mount."

— Hyrule Compendium

Link's riding a Giant Horse in his underpants

The giant horse is a special wild horse, appearing in the Taobab Grassland as part of the quest "Hunt for the Giant Horse", where Link must tame it and bring it to Straia. Once tamed this horse can be registered at any point before or after the quest completion. It has 5-star strength but zero stamina, resulting in no spur and an inability to gallop. Due to its temperament and large size Link cannot alter its mane, bridal, or saddle, however unlike Epona its name can be chosen upon registration. The Hyrule Compendium states that the giant horse is the last of its kind. Its size, strength and coloration (red mane and dark coat), and its location in the Gerudo Highlands possibly indicate a connection to Ganondorf's Steed from Ocarina of Time. This is further indicated by the presence of the White Stallion, a horse speculated to be a descendant of Zelda's personal steed seen in cutscenes. Its giant size may be a reference to Ganondorf's Steed towering over the young Hero of Time and Gerudo women being generally taller than Hylians in Breath of the Wild thus may have had a connection to the Giant Horse which may be potentially be a wild Gerudo Stallion as Gerudo horse culture is suggested to have been lost as Gerudo Desert is inaccessible to horses forcing Gerudo to rely on Sand Seals and no Gerudo are seen riding horses outside the desert presumably due to the lack of horses proportional to their size as the Giant Horse is considered the last of its kind. During a "Good-Sized Horse", Zyle rejects the giant horse as too big as he requests a horse proportional to his size.

White Horse

Horse Stats

Strength	★★★★
Speed	★★★
Stamina	★★★★★

"The Hyrulean royal family that perished 100 years ago would sometimes ride atop white horses as a display of their divine right. This white horse may be a descendant of one once ridden by royalty."

— Hyrule Compendium

The White Horse is a special pure white Stallion that appears on Safula Hill near the Sanidin Park Ruins as part of the quest "The Royal White Stallion". Toffa's grandfather told him of a pure white horse once owned by Princess Zelda. He fled to the hill after the fall of Hyrule Castle during the Great Calamity. Toffa believes that the pure white horse seen on the hill is a descendant of the Princess' horse. He asks Link to find and tame it.

Princess Zelda riding her Royal White Stallion in Breath of the Wild

The horse lives away from the other wild horses and is warier forcing Link to be as stealthy as possible. It requires at least two stamina wheels to tame. After taming and bringing it back to him, Toffa requires Link to register it, then present Link with the Royal Bridle and Royal Saddle inherited from his grandfather. Toffa states to be certain that this horse is the grandchild of Princess Zelda's White Horse and the White Horse's Hyrule Compendium entry also suggests the possibly that it may be a descendant of one ridden by Hyrulean royalty as a display of their divine right (a reference to the Princesses of Hyrule possessing the blood of the Goddess Hylia which is mentioned by both Impa and Kass in their retellings of the defeat of Calamity Ganon 10,000 year ago). It has 5 stars stamina and thus 5 spurs allowing it to gallop even more than Epona. Unlike other special horses the White Horse allows its mane and gear to be changed by stable hands once Link fully bonds with it. It also allows Toffa to equip it with the Royal gear during the side quest. As a result, it is the only Special Horse that can equip the Ancient Bridle and Saddle. In fact, the White Horse appears equipped with the Ancient horse gear in said gear's promotional artwork. Zyle will accept the White Horse during "Good-Sized Horse" though a wild White Horse will appear on Safula Hill afterwards allowing Link to tame and register it again (it is unclear if its the same horse though as Zyle apparently sell sthe horse he receives after the quest it is possible its new owner released it or it escaped). Zyle's response is the same as when he receives a common horse and he even claims it is just like his old one despite White Horse being rare though it is implied his story about losing his horse was fabricated and that he was running a scam to acquire a horse to sell for more than he paid Link.

The White Horse is likely a reference to the unnamed White Horse used by Impa and Princess Zelda to escape Ganondorf in Ocarina of Time. Princess Zelda can be seen riding an nearly identical horse equipping with the royal saddle and bridle in Link's recovered memories, indicating that Toffa's and the Hyrule Compendium's theory may be true. Zelda's unnamed White Stallion (she identified it later on as being male) first appears in Recovered Memory #5: "Zelda's Resentment", grazing at the Ancient Columns while Zelda tries to access the unpowered Tena Ko'sah Shrine before Link rides up on his horse. In Recovered Memory #9: "Silent Princess", Zelda and Link rest under a tree on Irch Plain with Zelda taking pictures while their horses graze together.

""Be sure to take your time to soothe your mount... That's the only way they'll know how you truly feel." Your advice was quite helpful-thank you. This little one and I are getting along quite well now. At first, I wasn't sure if I should outfit him with all of the royal gear. I thought maybe he should have to earn it first. But it works! He wears it like a true natural. I'm trying to be a bit more empathetic. Benefit of doubt, you know?"

— Princess Zelda

In Recovered Memory #14: "To Mount Lanayru", while riding their horses on the path of Safula Hill to Sanidin Park, Zelda thanks Link for his advice (advice which she quotes verbatim) on soothing her mount noting they are getting along quite well thanks to his advice. At first she wasn't going to outfit him with all the Royal Gear thinking he should have to earn it but in an attempt at being more empathetic she decided to outfit him with the Royal Bridle and Saddle and it worked out well as he wears it like a true natural. At Sanidin Park, they leave their horses tied to posts near the Horse statue as the sunsets and Zelda points out Mount Lanayru where she will train at the Spring of Wisdom the next day on her seventeenth birthday. This is the final memory featuring Zelda's unnamed White Stallion. Interestingly, the horse is said to have fled to Safula Hill near Sanidin Park Ruins where the final memory featuring Zelda's horse takes place. Presumably it came back there due to it having had a fond memory of its time with its mistress Zelda there. In addition to the Royal Horse Gear, Zelda's White Horse has a French-Braided Mane style.

Zelda herself is seen riding a White Stallion during the game's ending, which is either her original horse or the white stallion obtained from the side quest (which Link either gave to Zelda following Ganon's defeat or Zelda had tamed it herself were Link had not done so during the side quest).

Stalhorse

Horse Stats

Strength	?
Speed	★★★
Stamina	★★★

"This skeletal horse is ridden by monsters. It was once a regular horse, but Ganon's power revived it from death. It cannot maintain its bone structure in the daytime."

— Hyrule Compendium

A Stalhorse in Breath of the Wild

In Breath of the Wild, there is an undead species called a Stalhorse or sometimes Bone Horses. They appear ridden by a Stalkoblins at night. Link can dismount the Stalkoblin and ride Stalhorses. They cannot be registered at a stable, as the clerks consider Stalhorses to be monsters and fear that they will eat the other horses if they board them. Other characters will act fearful (if unarmed) or hostile towards the Stalhorse as well. According to their Compendium entry, they were once regular horses that had died, though, where later revived from death by Ganon's power, though despite confirmation that Ganon was involved in their reanimation, they are classified in the Compendium's Creatures section instead of the Monsters section. However they are nocturnal as they can't maintain their bone structure in daytime dying automatically at sunrise. However Link can keep them alive by using a campfire or bed to pass time to the next night before sunrise can occur (they only die at sunrise or after Link passes time to morning or noon). In some ways they resemble Bullbos from Twilight Princess as they are not hostile towards Link without a rider. They cannot be revived by Malanya, but all Stalhorse will be revived after a Blood Moon as their undead state is a result of Ganon's power which reaches its peak at midnight during a Blood Moon. Stalhorses are automatically tame and come already equipped with their own bridle and saddle. Interestingly, despite their lack of internal organs, Stalhorses can eat carrots and apples like a living horse and despite the stable clerks fears, they show no signs of cannibalism (as Stalhorses are basically an undead subspecies of Horse). During a "Good-Sized Horse", Zyle rejects the Stalhorse as being too scary (making it difficult if not impossible for him to sell a nocturnal undead and unregisterable horse) though he does apologize for rejecting it after Link went to the trouble of acquiring one.

Other appearances

Subseries warning: This article or section contains information on a subseries within the Legend of Zelda series and should be considered part of its own separate canon.

Link's Crossbow Training

Several stages involve shooting targets while riding Epona.

Hyrule Warriors & Legends

Epona appears in Link's Hylian Sword and Master Sword Movesets' entrance and victory cutscenes. Ganondorf's Steed appears in Ganondorf's battle intro cutscene.

In the Master Quest DLC Pack, Horse is a new Light Element weapon moveset for Link using various incarnations of Epona.

Weapon Level

• Level 1 - Epona
• Level 2 - Twilight Epona
• Level 3 - Epona of Time

Subseries warning: Subseries information ends here.

Non-canonical appearances

Non-canon warning: This article or section contains non-canonical information that is not considered to be an official part of the Legend of Zelda series and should not be considered part of the overall storyline.

The Legend of Zelda animated series

Link owns a horse named Catherine. Zelda has her own horse.

Valiant Comics

Many horses appear in the comics, including Princess Zelda's horse, Storm.

Non-canon warning: Non-canonical information ends here.