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How to tame a horse in Zelda Tears of the Kingdom

Say neigh to walking.

Link riding a horse in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.
Image credit: Nintendo

The horses in Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom are a great way to quickly traverse Hyrule's vast lands, allowing you to get to key areas while avoiding tough enemies.

You could use fast travel, but to take the scenic route and enjoy the views of Hyrule, you're going to need to learn how to tame a horse.

In this guide we'll explain how to tame the horses of Hyrule and how to keep them happy once tamed.

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How to tame a horse in Zelda Tears of the Kingdom

To tame a horse, you first need to locate one. Horses tend to roam in small packs on large open fields, but if you're looking for one fast, we'd recommend finding a stable. Run through the fields close to a stable and you should have a higher chance of finding a few horses, unless there are key structures or mountains in the way.

Link approaching a group of faraway horses in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.
Image credit: Nintendo

When you find one, you have to crouch and sneak up on a horse to tame it, just like you had to in Breath of the Wild. It's very important that you sneak up from behind the horse, or it will get spooked and run away, or give you a nasty kick.

Link getting kicked by a horse he is trying to tame in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.
Image credit: Nintendo

When you've successfully sneaked up beside the horse you want, press the 'A' button to mount it before it walks away, then keep pressing the 'L' button to soothe the horse so it doesn't throw you off. You'll know the wild horse is successfully tamed when it stops jumping.

Link crouching and sneaking up from behind on a horse he is trying to tame in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.
Link trying to soothe a wild horse he is trying to tame in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.
Image credit: Nintendo

There's a whole variety of horses throughout Hyrule, so harder to tame than others. Solid-coloured horses are the toughest, so we'd recommend at first going after a horse with painted spots. Keep in mind that the spotted horses tend to have less stamina and speed though, so you might want to upgrade to a solid-coloured one at a later point.

Link registering a horse he has tamed at a stable in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.
Image credit: Nintendo

Once you've tamed your horse, you'll want to take it to a stable so you can register it and ensure you can get it back should you be separated from it. Remember to also sometimes soothe your horse as your ride, building your bond with it so it doesn't disobey your commands in the future.

After you've tamed your first horse, you're going to need to learn about the new Pony Points system. And one horse you don't have to tame at all is Epona - Link's famous steed - but you'll need a BOTW save or the correct TOTK Amiibo first.