[Top 3] RDR2 Best Saddles And How To Get Them

best saddles, best horses, rdr2, red dead redemption, red dead redemption 2

Updated:

12 Jul 2024

What are some of the best saddles in Red Dead 2 that will make my horse both pretty and virtually unstoppable?

Dark Bay Turkoman, rockin' with the matching Cougar saddle.

Whether it's the player's exquisite fashion senses or creativity when it comes to pimpin’ your ride, or you know, your horse. Saddles play a huge role in both style and overall performance of every horse in the game, regardless of the horse's base stats. Here are 3 of the most aesthetic and elite saddles in Red Dead Redemption 2, and how to acquire them.

3) Bear Dakota Saddle

Image

Black Thoroughbred equipped with the Bear Dakota saddle

The Bear Dakota saddle is definitely a top pick, especially for those who want to resemble some sort of rugged mountain man with a knack for hunting giant mofos while their horse rarely loses either health or stamina, so they're essentially riding a tank. The saddle not only looks pretty badass up against any coat on any horse, but it also comes equipped with custom stirrups that are surprisingly eye-catching.

Stats:

-Stamina Regen Rate: +22%
-Stamina Core Drain Rate: -24%
-Health Core Drain Rate: -20%
-Drain Rate: -50%

To get this saddle, you'll first have to hunt down a grizzly bear, skin it, and sell it to any trapper on the map so he can craft it. You'll then have to go to any stable, go to Pre-Purchased Saddles, and you'll find it there along with any others you've crafted. Here's where grizzly bears are most likely to spawn:

-Grizzlies East
-Big Valley
-Grizzlies West
-Dakota River (West of Valentine)

Also, a guide to help if you can't stumble upon one or figure out how to get the saddle:

Grizzly Bear Locations

2) Rattlesnake Vaquero Saddle

Unlocked Rattlesnake Vaquero saddle equipped on a horse

This one is one of my personal favorites, mainly because of the dark and scaly design as well as the rough-looking stirrups. Though the name suggests, you don't have to necessarily craft it only out of rattlesnake skin, any snakeskin will do as long as you have 10 of them in perfect quality.

This saddle is definitely one badass looking piece of equipment regardless of what your horse looks like or is capable of, considering its stats are pretty useful, especially if you're rockin’ with a Turkoman or Missouri Fox Trotter (put this thing on an Amber Champagne Fox Trotter and I promise you it'll be the hardest looking beast you've ever seen on this game, but you didn't hear it from me).

Stats:

Stamina Regen Rate: +24%
Stamina Core Drain Rate: -24%
Health Core Drain Rate: -22%
Drain Rate: -50%

As I said earlier, this saddle requires 10 snake skins of no particular type, and snakes are luckily possibly the most common animal to appear on the map, seeing as they have no real territory. They're literally everywhere and all you need is a few small game arrows, a good pair of eyes, and a little bit of time to kill. Here's a more in-depth view on where to find them and how to acquire the saddle:

1) Panther Trail Saddle

Panther Trail saddle equipped on a White Arabian with custom mane and tail

And now, my absolute favorite, and arguably the best saddle in the game, the Panther Trail saddle. This thing is a beast on its own (get it? Cause it came from a panther, which is essentially a beast? Ah, whatever). Putting this saddle on literally any horse in the game will not only turn that horse into a machine that'll rarely drain its cores, but will also break some necks and possibly attract some cougars, and I don't mean the feline...

Stats:

Stamina Regen Rate: +24%
Stamina Core Drain Rate: -22%
Health Core Drain Rate: -20%
Drain Rate: -50%

To get this saddle, all you have to do is simply hunt down a perfect panther and sell it to a trapper who will then craft it. Keep in mind, it's easy to get mixed up with a cougar, so here's how to avoid that and make sure you don't go toe to toe with the wrong cat: