There is no best horse in Ghost of Yotei: the white, black and mottled gray horses you choose between during the Old Trails side tale have identical speed, handling and stats, so the choice is purely cosmetic. What does matter is that the choice and the name are permanent, that Digital Deluxe owners get a fourth option, and that the real upgrades for riding come from the Horse skills and the Horse Charge technique rather than from the horse itself. Here is how the choice works, what each option is called and how to get the most out of whichever horse you pick.
We checked this against Game8's horse naming guide and skill trees, VideoGamer's and Allthings.how's horse choice guides, PowerPyx's trophy roadmap, the PlayStation Blog's Digital Deluxe Edition details and Push Square's patch 1.100 notes in November 2026.
The Short Answer: Your Horse Choice Is Cosmetic
VideoGamer, Allthings.how and Game8 all reach the same conclusion: the three horses handle the same and have identical speed and movement stats. Nothing about the color you pick changes how fast you travel, how well the horse jumps or how it performs in a fight. That makes the decision a matter of taste, and it is worth taking a moment over only because it cannot be undone.
- Colors: white, black or mottled gray (dapple).
- Names: Shimaki, meaning "Tornado"; Mochizuki, meaning "Full Moon"; Homura, meaning "Flame".
- Stats: identical across all three.
- Permanent: you cannot swap horses or rename yours later.
Atsu calls out the name you choose while you play, according to VideoGamer, so pick the one you will be happy to hear for the next fifty hours. Allthings.how adds that you can revisit the Old Stables later to see the horses you did not pick, but you cannot trade.
How to Start Old Trails and Choose Your Horse
The choice happens in the side tale Old Trails, which starts at the Old Stables in Yotei Grasslands. Game8's guide describes the trigger: once you arrive home after defeating the Snake, go to the left side of the fence near the woodpile and relive the memory with Jubei and his coins. The quest begins when you leave the memory. One reader on Game8 reported not finding it until ten hours in because they had not interacted with the memory figures at home, so check your family home early.
- Return to Atsu's home after the prologue and trigger the memory with Jubei by the woodpile.
- Ride to the Old Stables southeast of Shikotsu Woods.
- Help the stablemaster fight off Lord Saito's forces.
- Meet him in the fields near the stables, choose a horse and then choose its name.
Finishing the naming step also unlocks the Naming a Friend trophy, which PowerPyx lists as the game's horse trophy. It is not missable, but it is easy to do early since Old Trails sits in the starting region. Our full quest list shows the other early side tales you can combine with it.
The Digital Deluxe Horse
If you own the Digital Deluxe Edition, or the Complete Edition, which includes all of the Deluxe in-game content, there is a fourth option. The PlayStation Blog listed a unique horse color and a saddle dye among the Deluxe items, and Game8 explains how it works in game: Deluxe owners start with a brown Deluxe Horse instead of the white horse from the opening, and during Old Trails, staying with the Deluxe Horse appears as a fourth choice that you can also name.
Like the other three, the Deluxe Horse is a cosmetic choice with the same performance. If you bought the Complete Edition after October 1, 2026, it is worth knowing the option exists before you reach the stables, because once you have picked a horse that decision is locked for the playthrough.
The Deluxe package also included an early unlock of Traveler's Maps, which the PlayStation Blog describes as revealing statues that upgrade your skills. Those maps do not change the horse either, but they shape where you ride in the first hours, so it helps to know they are part of the same bundle.
Picking Anyway: A Few Practical Thoughts
Since the stats are the same, use the map and your play style to decide. These are our own suggestions rather than mechanics:
- White: striking on the grasslands and in sunlight, but easy to lose against the snow of Teshio Ridge in the north.
- Black: stands out in snow and pairs well with darker armor and dyes.
- Mottled gray: a middle ground that looks natural in every region.
The graphics mode you use affects how the horse looks more than its color does. Riding through fields in a ray traced mode shows off the lighting best, while a 60fps mode makes mounted combat smoother. Our graphics modes guide explains which mode to use on PS5 and PS5 Pro. Patch 1.100 also added a toggle to show or hide the horse in photo mode, according to Push Square, so you can frame shots with or without your mount.
Horse Skills That Actually Make a Difference
The meaningful horse upgrades are techniques, not horses. Game8 places them in the Horse tree of the Revenge skills, bought with technique points from Altars of Reflection:
- Horse Boost: gallop through white flowers or jump over obstacles to gain a burst of speed.
- Improved Horse Boost: increases the speed gained from those boosts.
- Mounted Tackle: leap from your horse to tackle a nearby enemy and deal stagger damage; requires Improved Horse Boost.
The biggest mounted ability comes from the story. Game8 lists Horse Charge as unlocking through The Oni revenge tale: an all-out charge that throws and damages large groups of enemies while draining Spirit. Horse Charge Efficiency reduces that Spirit drain by a moderate amount, and Horse Charge Recovery gives charge impacts a minor chance to recover 3 Spirit. If mounted combat is your thing, it is a strong argument for hunting the Oni first, which our Yotei Six order guide discusses.
Charms help too. The Charm of Raining Arrows makes the hankyu fire rapidly with automatic aim, and Game8 recommends it for hit and run fighting from horseback. Our best charms guide covers where to get it and what it costs you.
Riding Tips and Other Horses
Your chosen horse is the one that comes when you whistle, and Game8 notes you can only set up camp when you are with it, so keep it close when you plan to rest. You can also ride the saddled horses of enemies you defeat by approaching and pressing R2. Those horses are temporary: once you dismount there is a chance they run off, and they cannot be bound to you or named.
A few habits make riding smoother:
- Follow white flower trails whenever you can, since Horse Boost turns them into speed.
- Jump small obstacles instead of riding around them for the same boost.
- Open camp fights with Horse Charge on groups, then dismount into a Mounted Tackle on the nearest survivor.
- Whistle for your own horse before fast traveling away from a fight on an enemy mount.
With the Robes for Sitturaynu equipped, riding through white flower trails also gives flowers a chance to be collected automatically, according to Game8's armor list, which turns travel time into crafting materials for armor and charm upgrades.
Settings That Make Riding Easier
Patch 1.100 added several options that change how travel feels, and they are easy to miss because they sit in the settings rather than in the horse menu. Insider Gaming's summary of the patch notes lists them:
- Fall damage toggle: you can now turn off fall damage, which removes the penalty for misjudging a jump off a ledge mid-ride.
- Animal guide indicator: a new option displays a visual indicator when you are being led by animals, such as the golden birds and foxes that point toward points of interest.
- Auto-loot: an option to loot dead enemies automatically, which keeps mounted skirmishes on the road quick.
- Touchpad remap: touchpad swipe functions can be moved to the right directional button, handy if you play the shamisen from the saddle often.
None of these change the horse itself, but together they cut a lot of friction from long rides across six regions. If you skipped the patch notes, it is worth a quick look through the accessibility menu before your next trip north.
The common thread in all of this is that your experience on horseback is shaped by skills, charms and settings, not by the horse you picked in Old Trails. Choose the color and name you like, then put your technique points into Horse Boost early and chase the Oni for Horse Charge.
Making the Most of Your Run
However you ride, everything sold for this game on the store is for PlayStation 5, including the modded saves for Story Mode, Legends and Most Wanted and the platinum trophy service. The Ghost of Yotei store hub lists them together with their requirements, so you can see what each one includes before deciding whether it fits the way you want to play.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which horse should I choose in Ghost of Yotei?
Pick the one you like the look of. The white, black and mottled gray horses share the same stats, so the choice is cosmetic.
Can you change your horse in Ghost of Yotei?
No. The horse and its name are locked for the playthrough once you choose during Old Trails, so decide before you confirm.
What are the horse names in Ghost of Yotei?
Shimaki ("Tornado"), Mochizuki ("Full Moon") and Homura ("Flame").
How do you get the Digital Deluxe horse?
Owners of the Digital Deluxe or Complete Edition start on a brown Deluxe Horse and can keep it as a fourth option during Old Trails.
Is there a horse trophy in Ghost of Yotei?
Yes. Naming a Friend unlocks when you name your horse at the end of the Old Trails side tale.
How do you unlock Horse Charge in Ghost of Yotei?
It unlocks as you progress through The Oni revenge tale. Upgrades that reduce its Spirit cost are then bought at Altars of Reflection.