Horses are one of Stardew Valley's unsung heroes. Not only are they cute, but they're also super useful for getting around town to speak to NPC's and access different locations. After all, many players can relate to feeling at least a little frustrated with how much time it can take to get from one place to the next after a while, and in the early game, who has an entire in-game hour to waste walking from their farm to the beach?
Luckily, getting ahold of a horse can save Stardew Valley players tons of trouble and time. But how can players get their hands on a horse, and how many in-game weeks might it take? Worry not - this guide will explain it all!
How To Get A Horse
Firstly, players interested in getting a horse should begin preparing the resources they'll need as soon as they can. Horses are technically free, as the player receives one for no additional cost the first time they purchase a stable from Robin.
However, buying a stable from Robin costs 10,000g, as well as 5 iron bars and 100 pieces of hardwood. From the items required for the stable to be built, it's pretty obvious that purchasing a stable isn't all that realistic during the very early game. That being said, there are still things players can do during their first few in-game weeks to help themselves save up enough resources to purchase the stable later into their first year.
Where To Find Resources For A Stable
As mentioned, there are primarily two main resources needed alongside gold for one of Robin's stables: iron bars, and hardwood. These resources may seem difficult to get ahold of, but worry not - there are plenty of ways to access these resources all throughout Stardew Valley.
Primarily, there are a few good ways to prepare for how much hardwood the player will need to save up. One choice is to start a new game on the Forest Farm. This farm has several Large Stumps that actually respawn, meaning that they're a constant way of farming hardwood. The Forest Farm does come with its cons, though, so if players would rather not use this as their primary method of gaining hardwood, there's always the Secret Woods. This hidden area is in the northwest of Cindersap Forest and also serves as a method of gaining hardwood. It's an especially fruitful location for hardwood, as the Large Stumps located here respawn daily. However, to be able to break the stumps in the first place, players must have at least a steel axe; other axes are too weak to cut through the wood.
Steel axes are made with iron bars - the other resource needed for one of Robin's stables. There are a few different ways to access the iron ore required to make iron bars, but the main and easiest way is probably through searching for ores in the Mines. Iron nodes can be found from floor 41 to floor 79, though the most ore can be found between floor 71 and floor 79. It will take players a little while to be able to get this deep into the mines, though, so there are a few other options - iron ore can spawn on the Hill-Top Farm map and the Four Corners Farm map, it can be found while fishing, and it can also be bought for 150g from the Blacksmiths. However, none of these options is especially regular in the same way the Mines are, so the Mines are still the most recommended option for all players.
Once players have saved up enough gold and resources, simply travel to Robin's and ask her to build you a stable. The stable will take two days to be built, and requires 4x2 tiles of free space. Once the player has their horse, they can ride it wherever they please. Even if you leave it somewhere in town, it will make its way back to the stable, and it will be there to ride the next morning. Plus - and this is perhaps the best part - the player and their horse can wear matching hats. If the convenience of speed isn't enough to be convincing, just think of a horse in a cowboy hat and that should do the trick.
Stardew Valley is currently available for Mobile, PC, PS4, PlayStation Vita, Switch, and Xbox One.