Your horse in Red Dead Redemption 2 It’s your main way of getting around the huge open world, so you’ll want to improve your steed whenever you can by using the best saddles to improve its stats. Horses transport you around the environment and take part in intense chases against other mounted enemies. Having a better saddle than someone else can help you win future shootouts on horseback.
A saddle improves your horse’s stamina core and stamina regeneration, while also decreasing the drain rate of your horse’s health core. Your horse’s tack refers to other upgrades or changes you can apply to the mount, including saddles, but also saddlebags, stirrups, and more. The saddles are divided into purchased and pre-purchased types, the first being the only type you can improve.
Not every saddle can improve your horse’s speed for traveling Red Dead Redemption 2large world map. If you want customization options that make your horse consistently faster, see what stirrups you can get.
13
Nuevo ParaÃso Saddle
Get a special saddle right away
Saddle |
Core Stamina Drain |
Central HP Drain |
Stamina Regeneration |
Speed/Acceleration Ratio |
Cost |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
New Paradise |
-12% |
-12% |
+12% |
+1 |
Buy the Special or Ultimate Edition |
THE New Paradise Saddle is the one you get when you buy the Special or Ultimate edition of Red Dead Redemption 2. This saddle is given to you from the start of the game, giving you great equipment to use at the start of your adventure. You don’t need to spend any money or gather rare resources to craft Nuevo Paraiso, so it can be a fantastic item to use before getting a stronger saddle.
Nuevo Paraiso is much better than some of the other saddles you can buy early, allowing you to save money on other important equipment. While later updating Saddles will provide better ones in the future, you can save up for these improvements in advance by using Nuevo Paraiso as a placeholder. Like other pre-purchased saddles, you will have to get it from NPC Trapper first before you start using it.
12
Lumley Ranch Cutter Saddle (Improved)
Stay alive longer while on horseback
Saddle |
Core Stamina Drain |
Central HP Drain |
Stamina Regeneration |
Cost |
---|---|---|---|---|
Lumley Ranch Mower Saddle |
-12% |
-14% |
+14% |
US$75.00 |
One of the best saddles to improve early in the game is the Lumley Ranch Mowerwhich has slightly better HP Drain and Stamina Regen than other horse equipment. This saddle is great for those who struggle to survive gunfights on their horse. Since you can get this saddle earlier Red Dead Redemption 2It’s something worth preparing for for missions where you need to be mounted while shooting.
Speed ​​is not so much the focus of the Lumley Ranch Cutter Saddle as it tends to favor a more reckless style of play. This saddle can be great when you’re about to rob a train or take on a gang hideout in Red Dead Redemption 2 where many of your enemies have their own horses. Since early game gear can only offer limited protection, this saddle can at least make you last longer in fights when you’re overloaded.
11
Kneller Dakota saddle (improved)
Focus on Light Stamina Recovery for a Cheap Cost
Saddle |
Core Stamina Drain |
Central HP Drain |
Stamina Regeneration |
Cost |
---|---|---|---|---|
Kneller Dakota Saddle |
-16% |
-12% |
+14% |
US$72.00 |
Another strong saddle purchased is the Kneller Dakotawhich focuses more on preserving Stamina than protecting HP. Notably, this It is one of the cheapest saddles to improve when compared to others you can buy in Red Dead Redemption 2. As a result, it can be great to get there before the end of the game as you transition to more challenging areas during the game’s story.
Most saddles work best when complimenting a specific horse you have tamed. For example, the Kneller Dakota saddle can be used with a horse with high stamina to synergize with the item’s best statistical effects.
This saddle is better for exploring and escaping fights than fighting multiple enemies. The Core HP Drain on this saddle is low, so don’t expect to survive longer using this equipment if you get into a firefight. However, if you need to get from one place to another quickly, this saddle can be a good tool to reduce travel time as you try to get to new areas.
10
Gerden Vaquero saddle (improved)
Make your horse’s stamina recover quickly
Saddle |
Core Stamina Drain |
Central HP Drain |
Stamina Regeneration |
Cost |
---|---|---|---|---|
Gerden Vaquero Saddle |
-16% |
-14% |
+16% |
US$85.00 |
THE Gerden Vaquero Saddle It is one of the many pieces of equipment for your horse that you can buy from different vendors throughout the game. From certain sellers’ inventory, you can purchase this item for $51.00, but you can upgrade it later to increase your bonuses. This saddle prioritizes stamina regeneration, allowing your horse to recover more quickly as you gallop across the map’s diverse landscapes.
As this saddle is a piece of equipment purchased for your steed, you can add other customizations such as stirrups. While sleeping bags, horns, and blankets are purely cosmetic changes to your horse’s appearance, stirrups to improve your mount’s speed cannot be added along with every saddle. It doesn’t matter which type of horse Red Dead Redemption 2 you are using, each piece of equipment added can make you better.
9
Stenger rope saddle (improved)
Prevent your horse from dying
Saddle |
Core Stamina Drain |
Central HP Drain |
Stamina Regeneration |
Cost |
---|---|---|---|---|
Stenger rope saddle |
-12% |
-18% |
+16% |
US$78.00 |
Another updated piece of equipment is the Stenger rope saddle for anyone looking to improve their horse’s health. Originally priced at $47.00, this item helps keep your horse alive from enemy gunfire or the claws of dangerous animals you encounter on your travels. Just like Arthur, horses use an HP Core that drains when the creature is attacked, leading to the animal’s death when it reaches 0.
Unlike the main character, horses don’t respawn when they die, so there’s always the risk of losing your favorite mount during combat. Saddles do not increase a horse’s maximum health but rather improve your defenses to reduce the total damage suffered by enemy attacks. The extra strength benefits of this saddle make it much stronger than other horse equipment in Red Dead Redemption 2.
8
Gerden Trail Saddle (improved)
Improve all stamina stats
Saddle |
Core Stamina Drain |
Central HP Drain |
Stamina Regeneration |
Cost |
---|---|---|---|---|
Gerden Trail Saddle |
-18% |
-12% |
+16% |
US$80.00 |
THE Gerden Trail Saddle acts as a counterpoint to the Stenger Roping Saddle, swapping Core HP Drain for a better Core Stamina Drain. Ultimately, a horse’s main purpose is to get you from point A to point B quickly as you explore the open world. When horses improve stamina and improve stamina recovery, they can always take you where you want to go, much faster than you expected.
As you can see in the video above from the YouTube creator TagBackTVYou can check the statistics between stock and improved versions of a purchased saddle in your stable’s menus.
This saddle is an upgraded version of the standard Gerden Trail saddle, which costs $48 to purchase from in-game vendors. This saddle is perhaps the best among the standard ones in Red Dead Redemption 2 as it focuses on improving your horse’s most important qualities. Unfortunately, this does not increase your mount’s speed, unlike the special pre-purchased saddles you can get.
7
Hubbard Mother Boar Saddle
Collect animal parts to create a powerful saddle
Saddle |
Core Stamina Drain |
Central HP Drain |
Stamina Regeneration |
Speed/Acceleration Ratio |
Cost |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Hubbard Mother Boar Saddle |
-20% |
-22% |
+20% |
+2 |
Perfect Boar Skin x1 |
Pre-purchased saddles such as Hubbard Mother Boar Saddle improve your horse’s speed and acceleration rate stats in addition to the normal equipment buffs. Those looking for the fastest horse in the world Red Dead Redemption 2 They should consider using these types of saddles to increase their mount’s agility. Having a faster mount can help you outrun enemies chasing you on horseback or get to locations faster.
This type of saddle, and others like it, can only be acquired using the correct crafting materials from the Trapper NPC. You have to collect resources to make pre-purchased saddles, usually from perfect animal skins. As you can see in the video above from the YouTube creator Young brothersyou just need to bring the necessary materials for the Trapper as soon as you have it to get the saddle for free.
6
Cougar McClelland Saddle
Mountain lion pelts can improve stamina
Saddle |
Core Stamina Drain |
Central HP Drain |
Stamina Regeneration |
Speed/Acceleration Ratio |
Cost |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Cougar McClelland Saddle |
-22% |
-20% |
+20% |
+2 |
Perfect Cougar Skin x1 |
THE Cougar McClelland Saddle it is only slightly better than the Boar Mother Hubbard saddle, as it sacrifices health for stamina. Once again, Stamina is the most important aspect of a horse in Red Dead Redemption 2so you’ll want equipment that enhances these characteristics. Pre-purchased saddles cannot be used with stirrupsbut remember that the increase in speed these saddles provide is generally better than other horse equipment.
This time, you need a Perfect Cougar Hide to craft the Saddle, instead of a Perfect Boar Hide like before. As anyone who has completed the Herbalist challenges in Red Dead Redemption 2 I can tell you, tracking and hunting animals can be difficult if you don’t know where to look. Try exploring mountainous regions to find cougars that you can harvest fur from and refine into the item you need at your camp.
5
Alligator Farm Mower Saddle
Reptile skin can improve durability
Saddle |
Core Stamina Drain |
Central HP Drain |
Stamina Regeneration |
Speed/Acceleration Ratio |
Cost |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Alligator Farm Mower Saddle |
-20% |
-24% |
+22% |
+2 |
Perfect Alligator Skin x1 |
The more dangerous the animal, the more powerful the saddle you can make using parts harvested from it. THE Alligator Farm Mower Saddle is the first of a few pre-purchased saddles that establish this idea, with stronger Core HP Drain and Stamina Regen for your horse. Hunting a crocodile near bodies of water can be dangerous, but the material given to Trapper for this saddle makes the risk worth it.
This saddle has very high HP Core Drain compared to most saddles, even pre-purchased ones. Equipping this saddle on your mount allows you to last much longer in fights, so think about using this item when facing strong enemies. If you need to hunt other dangerous animals for other pre-purchased saddle parts, you can use the Alligator Ranch Cutter saddle to make this process easier.
4
Bear Dakota Saddle
Heavier hides create a stronger horse
Saddle |
Core Stamina Drain |
Central HP Drain |
Stamina Regeneration |
Speed/Acceleration Ratio |
Cost |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Bear Dakota Saddle |
-24% |
-22% |
+20% |
+2 |
Perfect Bear Skin x1 |
One of the most balanced saddles you can get from Trapper is the Bear Dakota Saddleequipment that does a little bit of everything. While it prioritizes reducing stamina consumption, the improvements to HP drain and stamina regeneration stats are far better than any saddle you can buy from a vendor. With the pre-acquired normal saddle speed boost, your horse won’t have to worry about many dangers.
3
Rattlesnake Vaquero Saddle
Hunt snakes for this saddle
Saddle |
Core Stamina Drain |
Central HP Drain |
Stamina Regeneration |
Speed/Acceleration Ratio |
Cost |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Rattlesnake Vaquero Saddle |
-24% |
-22% |
+24% |
+2 |
Perfect Snakeskin x10 |
THE Rattlesnake Vaquero Saddle has an even better distribution of stat improvements than the Bear Dakota Saddle, with the same buff to core HP drain but more emphasis on stamina bonuses. However, while this saddle may be a jack of all trades, that also makes it a master of none. This saddle will undoubtedly be stronger than anything you can buy from a seller, but it is not the best you can find.
Unlike many other pre-purchased Trapper saddles, you You need to have more than one Perfect Skin to get this item. It takes 10 perfect snake skins to get this saddle, which can be difficult to craft due to how elusive snakes can be found. One of the coolest animals to hunt RDR2 it’s easier to find in some of the locations shown in the video above by the YouTube creator Craig Thomas.
2
Beaver saddle
Maximize your horse’s health
Saddle |
Core Stamina Drain |
Central HP Drain |
Stamina Regeneration |
Speed/Acceleration Ratio |
Cost |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Beaver saddle |
-20% |
-26% |
+24% |
+2 |
Perfect Beaver Skin x1 |
Despite the smaller bonus to Core Stamina Drain, the Beaver saddle It more than makes up for this underwhelming stat change with a huge boost to your horse’s defenses. No other saddle in the game can keep your horse alive longer than this piece of equipment. With only one Pelt being needed to obtain this Trapper item, it can be quite easy to acquire due to the abundance of Beavers you can find on your map.
If you’re struggling to find beavers or specific animals needed for pre-purchased saddle pieces, try to remember what their favorite habitats might be. For example, beavers tend to make dams near or within various bodies of water.
1
Panther Trail Saddle
Make your horse always recover quickly
Saddle |
Core Stamina Drain |
Central HP Drain |
Stamina Regeneration |
Speed/Acceleration Ratio |
Cost |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Panther Trail Saddle |
-26% |
-20% |
+24% |
+2 |
Perfect Beaver Skin x1 |
Again, prioritizing reducing Stamina Drain will help you in the long run by making the Panther Trail Saddle the best equipment you can equip for your horse. While your horse may not last as long in direct conflict with enemies, it can easily outrun anything chasing it for a quick escape. Recovering Stamina and preserving the same resource during a fight can mean the difference between life and death.
Open-world exploration is less tedious with a horse whose running doesn’t deplete stamina as quickly, especially when you need to reach areas increasingly distant from your current location. The ability to quickly recover stamina also gives you more speed when you need it in horseback gunfights. The best saddles Red Dead Redemption 2 They are the ones that make your mount capable of adapting to more situations.
Source: Young Brothers/YouTube, TagBackTV/YouTube, Craig Thomas/YouTube