The world in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is humongous, and players will be spending a lot of time walking. But there is an easier way to travel across Hyrule, and that’s by riding animals. Horse riding has been a big part of the Zelda franchise for years and the mounting mechanic fits well into the open world of Breath of the Wild .
You won’t have access to horses when you first start the game, but as you make your way out of the first area you’ll begin to see wild horses. There isn’t much you can do until you find a stable in Breath of the Wild.
STABLES
Scattered throughout Hyrule are stables that provide several services for players Iit acts an inn for Link to replenish his hearts and pass the time for a modest price. There’s also a traveling insect salesman who will appear in every stable. So if you’re looking for a particular bug, this is where you can find it. You’ll also be able to accept plenty of sidequests that will help Link gain rupees for his journey.
The painter Pikango will also appear in a lot of the stables to give you hints about where to find the locations found in your Sheikah Slate to restore some of your memories.
But the main function of the stables has to do with the horses you tame. You can board the horses you tame and summon them as you please from a network of stables. If you tame a horse in the wild and bring it to the stable, you can register it for 20 rupees and they’ll give a saddle for your trouble.
What’s great about this is that you can have a horse registered in stable and take it out at any other stable in Hyrule. However, only five horses can be registered at one time.
HORSES
When you go to your first stable, the clerk will explain how to tame a wild horse. You’ll need to be stealthy.
Approach the horse from behind slowly and then hop onto it when the A command appears. Players can use an elixir or food that increases your stealth to help with staying quiet. You should also consider putting away anything metal, as these objects make sound as you crawl on the floor.
Once you’re on the horse, If it starts to act up, try and soothing it until it settles down using the L button. Staying on the horse is directly tied to your stamina wheel: once your stamina is depleted all the way, you will be kicked off the horse.
Every horse is different and has their own personality. If one horse was easy to soothe, another may not be. Also, once you first soothe the horse they may change direction while you’re riding or slow down on their own until you can earn its respect.
If it disobeys, direct it to the right way and then soothe it until it begins to naturally trust you. You’ll know you did it right when hearts begin to show up above the horse’s head.
Every horse has three stats that determine its strengths.
Stamina – A horse with high stamina can run at top speed for a long time, but can’t turn well, so be careful.
Speed – Horses with a high speed stat will run faster than other horses, great for getting to destinations faster and outrunning threats.
Power – While on horseback, Link can run into enemies who are not on horseback. The power stat will determine how strong the horse is and how much damage it will deal.
Some other notes regarding horses include if you happen to lose your horse, Link can just whistle using the down control pad. If the horse is close enough, it will hear you and come to you. If you lose a registered horse in the wild there’s no need to worry, your map will always show where your horse is, no matter how long it’s been since you’ve seen it.
Players can also engage in battles while on horseback. You can shoot arrows and attack with your melee weapons. While on horseback, it’s good to note that long-range weapons like lances and axes hit targets easier.
OTHER ANIMALS
Horses aren’t the only animals you can tame in Breath of the Wild. In the desert area of Gerudo, Link can mount a Sand Seal. To do so, you’ll need to sneak up on them the same way you do a horse but you’ll need to have shield equipped.
Once you’re close enough and press the A button to mount the Sand Seal, Link will tie itself to the seal and surf on his shield. There’s no need to soothe the Sand Seals, so just enjoy the ride.
Deer and Bucks can also be mounted by Link. While you can’t register them in stables or equip a saddles on them, you can tame them quite easily. They are harder to sneak up on than horses, so use an elixir to increase your stealth. These animals are perfect for traveling on rocks and slopes as they can hop from rock to rock without slipping unlike horses.
Have you had success taming horses and other animals in Breath of the Wild ? Let us know your favorite horses in the comments section below.