RDR2 horses: there are 19 breeds, and the Arabian beats them all

Horses in RDR2 are a system of their own, with stats, care and bonding. Before launch Rockstar talked about 19 breeds, and the wiki list for Story Mode also counts 19: American Paint, American Standardbred, Andalusian, Appaloosa, Arabian, Ardennes, Belgian Draft, Dutch Warmblood, Hungarian Half-bred, Kentucky Saddler, Missouri Fox Trotter, Morgan, Mustang, Nokota, Shire, Suffolk Punch, Tennessee Walker, Thoroughbred and Turkoman. Each breed comes in several coats.

Red Dead Online updates added six more: Breton, Criollo, Gypsy Cob, Kladruber, Norfolk Roadster and Scrawny Nag. They aren't in Story Mode.

Every horse has five stats: health, stamina, speed, acceleration and handling type. The natural maximum on each bar is 7 segments; stirrups, saddles and bonding add a few more.

The breakdown by type comes from Red Dead Wiki. Missouri Fox Trotter, Mustang and Turkoman are mixed types, so they appear in two rows. Exact numbers depend on the coat, so check the horse's card at the stable.

Rockstar has never published an official ranking. Going by the stats cited by the wiki and guides, the best story horses are the Arabians, in this order: Rose Grey Bay, Black and White. The Rose Grey Bay is the only Superior horse that reaches maximum health and stamina once fully upgraded. After the Arabian, guides usually rank the race breeds Turkoman and Missouri Fox Trotter.

"Best" depends on the job. For gunfights and long rides, war breeds with high health are better; for races and escapes, race breeds. And if you're short on money in the early chapters, don't settle for a cheap horse: go find the White Arabian.

Prices and locations come from Dexerto guides and the wiki; stable discounts and coat availability can depend on the chapter. The Rose Grey Bay Arabian is also spawned by the cheat You want more than you have, but the game won't save while a cheat is active.

1. From Chapter 2, ride to northwestern Ambarino, to Lake Isabella in Grizzlies West. It's a snowy high-altitude area.
2. The White Arabian usually roams alone near the cabin on the lakeshore.
3. Approach slowly and don't pull out the lasso right away. Calm the horse with the command, then mount.
4. If it throws you, it won't run far. Calm it again and repeat.
5. Once it's tamed, take it to a stable and set it as your main horse.

The more you ride, brush, feed and pat your horse, the stronger the bond. With a weak bond the horse spooks at gunfire and predators and can throw its rider. With a strong bond it stays calmer in gunfights and around predators. Story Mode has four bonding levels.

Moves and levels come from the Fextralife and PowerPyx guides. You can raise the bond instantly with the cheat My kingdom is a horse, but again, no saving.

Horses are sold at town stables. Stock and prices differ, and the pricier breeds show up in later chapters. Stables also sell saddles, stirrups and bridles and handle mane grooming. A horse you've tamed or stolen can be registered there, and you can keep several horses at once.

A special one is the War Horse (Ardennes), spawned by the cheat You are a beast built for war from the Epilogue newspaper. Some horses were edition bonuses, such as the Dappled Black Thoroughbred in the Special and Ultimate Editions (editions are covered on the RDR2 price page).

For a map of stables and states, see the RDR2 map page; all horse phrases are on the RDR2 cheats page. Everything about the game is on the Red Dead Redemption 2 page.