Quick Links
In Breath of the Wild, players can leave up to five horses in any of the 15 stables of Hyrule. Unlike Epona in Ocarina of Time/Majora's Mask, Link can use a melee weapon and take damage from other enemies while on horseback. One thing that's different from previous Legend of Zelda games is that the horse won't magically appear when called.
With the Breath of the Wild's Expansion Pass, Part 2: Champions' Ballad, players could acquire special horse gear. The Ancient Bridle and Ancient Saddle allows Link's horse to warp wherever he's located. For those that like traveling by horse and have the Expansion Pass, getting the Ancient Horse Gear is highly recommended.
Where to Find the Ancient Bridle
Once Link sets foot off the Great Plateau, the sidequest "EX: Ancient Horse Rumors" will be added to player's quest list. Remember: Players will need to have bought the Expansion Pass for this quest to appear. If they don't have the Expansion Pass, then the Ancient Horse Gear will not spawn at their respective locations.
It's impossible to see the map of Hyrule in-game without activating towers. Players looking for the Ancient Bridle will want to head for Satori Mountain. This is directly west of the Central Tower. As one of the closest towers to the Great Plateau, players can climb and activate the Central Tower fairly early. However, the Central Tower is surrounded by Guardians, so players will want to be quick and careful.
Satori Mountain is easier to see at night. A blue-green aura spirals up from the summit which makes it very easy to spot from miles away. However, the Bridle can be obtained at any time of the day.
The Ancient Bridle is buried beneath the cherry blossom tree. Players will need to use Magnesis to locate the chest and dig it up. For players struggling to find the bridle, refer to the pink/purple marker on the above image. The tree is north of Satori Mountain's Mogg Latan Shrine.
Where to Find the Ancient Saddle
The Ancient Saddle is found in a buried chest at the Malanya Spring. It is on the other side of the Horse God Bridge of Lake of the Horse God. The best way to reach the Malanya Spring is to start from the Lakeside Stable. The Lakeside Stable is southeast from the Lake Tower, which is southeast from the Great Plateau. Take a horse (or don't) from the stable, and follow the path leading south from the stable. This is a direct route to the Malanya Spring. For players that are still struggling, follow the yellow-highlighted road on the above image (left) to the red marker.
Choosing to free the Fairy from the enclosed Fountain will cost 1,000 rupees. Unlike the other Great Fairies, Malanya doesn't upgrade Link's armor. Instead, he'll revive any of Link's deceased horses for free... regardless of how they died. Fortunately, players don't need to pay Malanya to have a horse brought back to life.
Those that care for their horses may have no need to free Malanya. If they're just here for the Ancient Saddle, then approach the small "waterfall" along the back wall. Use Magnesis to spot the buried EX chest and dig it up. Players should again refer to the above image (right) for the exact location of the Ancient Saddle.
How to Equip Horse Gear
Once Link has the Ancient Saddle and Ancient Bridle, he can go to specific stables to get his horse's gear changed. There will be an NCP by the horses at the Highland Stable, Foothill Stable, and Outskirt Stable. Approach her on horseback, and hold down ZL then press A-button to speak to her.
She'll offer to change the mane and gear of the horse. However, she'll only do so if Link has a maxed bond with the horse. Players can increase their bond by feeding the horse apples or carrots. A pink cloud will sparkle over the horse's head each time it grows closer to Link. Another way to make the horse more affection is to soothe it when it starts to disobey. Tap the L-button while on horseback to calm it down and increase its bond. Players can always check the bond of their horse by talking to the stable hand/innkeeper.
After getting the green light from the NPC, players can finally equip the Ancient Horse Gear. Select "change gear" then "saddle" or "bridle." For those looking to customize the horse's mane as well, the Ancient Horse Bridle covers the horse's head. Ancient Horse Gear should be worn by fast horses or 4/5/4-star (or any of that variation) horses.
As long as a horse is wearing the Ancient Gear, Link can whistle for it by pressing down on the d-pad. This will warp the horse to Link's side. However, there are some areas such as inside Divine Beasts or in the Gerudo Wasteland where the horse will be unable to appear.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is available for Nintendo Switch.