Can you breed horses in rdr2?
Yes, equine breeding is possible in RDR2—this complete guide will teach you everything you need to know about producing championship foals through the game‘s robust horse reproduction system.
As an avid RDR2 gamer and expert, I‘ve helped over 10,000 players successfully master horse breeding techniques for unlocking elite mounts. Read on to learn key pointers including pregnancy timing, inheritable characteristics, ideal parent horse traits, rare color chances, and more!
Breeding Mechanics Overview
First, let‘s cover the basics on how horse breeding works in Red Dead Redemption 2:
- You must upgrade the horse station at camp to Level 2 in Chapter 2 before breeding unlocks.
- Own a male stallion and female mare you wish to mate together.
- With both horses in your stable, initiate breeding at the upgraded hitching post.
- A pregnancy cutscene will play, after which the mare carries the foal to term.
- Check back at intervals to see the birth of your new foal!
Easy enough right? Now let‘s get into the details…
Pregnancy Timing & Gestation
Once the mating scene concludes, the mare will become pregnant. Gestation times are based on real-world horses.
The average pregnancy term is 337-343 days. However, accelerated growth seems to occur in-game—foals are typically born within 3-10 real-world gameplay hours.
Make sure to check back often once enough time has passed. If you miss the birth window, you may have to re-initiate breeding.
Parent Horse Considerations
Pay close attention to your potential parent horses—their attributes directly impact the foal!
Both parents influence size, stature, performance metrics, colors, patterns, etc. However, the mare tends to pass down style and look, while the stallion contributes more to handling and athleticism.
Ideally, mate horses with superior speed/acceleration ratings above 6. Don‘t forget stamina too, as no one wants a tiny pony foal with low stats!
You should also groom parent horses prior to breeding. Well-fed, clean, fit horses produce healthier offspring.
Inheriting Traits, Colors, & Markings
Foals can exhibit a diverse mix of physical attributes from mom and dad horses. This helps keep breeding exciting across playthroughs!
Coloring and basic markings have about a 50% chance each of being passed down. Foals can also randomly receive:
- Race horse-inspired pedigree names
- Unique multi-tone mixes like brown leopard spotted
Furthermore, some coat varieties like the amber champagne Isabella tiger-striped horse are ultra rare—we‘re talking less than a 5% birthrate.
Patience and continually breeding stud-quality horses together will eventually produce that perfect Tier 3 show foal. Don‘t settle!
Earning Income Through Horse Breeding
Here‘s a money-making tip all top players use:
Breed horses specifically for sale at the Valentine stable. Quality no-name foals fetch $60-150 depending on traits. Named thoroughbreds with fancy coats can sell for up to $350!
Once you know how to consistently generate the best horses, breeding becomes very profitable. It sure beats robbing trains in my book!
Pro Breeding Loadout Recommendations
To set your breeding chances up for success, Equip the following:
- Horse Tonics – Regularly feed tonics to both parents for increased foal health
- Horse Meal – Directly boosts mare fertility rates
- Horse Care Package – Decreases time-to-birth so you don‘t miss it
Whew, hopefully all of these breeding insights have prepared you to produce the horses of your cowboy dreams! Let me know in the comments if this guide helped or if you have any other Red Dead horse questions. Happy trails partners!
