Best Horse in RDR2 Chapter 2 — and It Costs Nothing
The strongest horse you can realistically own in Chapter 2 is not for sale. It is the White Arabian running wild at Lake Isabella, and you can take it long before you could afford anything close to it.
Why not just buy the best one? The Arabian (Rose Grey Bay) is the strongest horse in the game at 7/7/6/6 — but it costs $1,250. In Chapter 2 that is not a realistic sum. The White Arabian gets you most of the way there for nothing.
How to get it
- Where: the northern edge of Lake Isabella in Ambarino — cross the frozen lake and head left, toward the snow-covered trees by the cabin.
- Use Eagle Eye. A white horse against snow is genuinely hard to see; Eagle Eye picks it out immediately. It roams alone, so expect a couple of laps.
- Approach on foot, slowly. Dismount well back, walk in, then mount and break it — push the stick against each buck, not with it.
- Stable it straight away. Ride to Strawberry, the nearest stable, and set it as your primary horse. Until you do, it is not really yours.
- Ambarino is cold. Wear a heavy coat or you will lose health the whole ride up.
How it compares to what you already have
The White Arabian is the first row.
| Breed | Coat | Health | Stamina | Speed | Accel | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arabian | White | 5 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 22 |
| Tennessee Walker | Mahogany Bay | 3 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 11 |
| Morgan | Palomino | 2 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 10 |
| Morgan | Bay Roan | 2 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 10 |
It is not close. The Arabian roughly doubles the total stat line of the horses you are handed at the start, and its speed and acceleration of 6 and 6 are the joint-highest in that group.
The one catch
Arabians spook badly. Gunfire, predators and cliff edges all rattle them, and a spooked horse throws you. Bond it to level 4 as soon as you can — bonding adds +3 health and +3 stamina, taking this horse from 5/5 to 8/8, and calms it considerably.
Compare all 60 coats in the full stats table, with a toggle for base and bonded values.