How to get Epona - The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time

Link’s trusty steed must be freed from Lon Lon Ranch before you can travel the overworld with her in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time’s remake.

Tired of hoofing it around Hyrule Field as Adult Link? You, my friend, need a horse. You can free Epona from Lon Lon Ranch to cut down on your travel time, but getting her takes a few steps.

How to get Epona

Your quest to free Epona begins as Child Link. After you leave Kokiri Forest and enter Hyrule Field, go to Hyrule Castle, make your way north through Hyrule Town, and talk to Malon, the little red-haired girl you’ll find outside the castle. She mentions that her dad probably fell asleep delivering milk to the castle, and gives you an egg to wake him up.

While you’re waiting for the egg to hatch, make your way into Hyrule Castle by sneaking past the guards. The egg should hatch by the time you make it to Talon, who has indeed passed out in front of his delivery. Equip the cucco to wake him up, then finish your business in Hyrule Castle.

When you’re done, go back to Hyrule Field and travel to Lon Lon Ranch; it’s in the center of the map and hard to miss. Enter the pasture and talk to Malon. She mentions a song that soothes Epona, her friendly but wild horse. Take out your Fairy Ocarina, and Malon will teach you Epona’s Song. Playing it calls the horse to you.

Much later in the game, after awakening as Adult Link, go back to Hyrule Field and talk to Ingo, the new owner of the ranch; you’ll find him posted up outside the pasture. He’ll let you ride any horse of your choosing for a fee. Pay him his rupees. Once you’re in the pasture, play Epona’s Song and hop aboard your new steed. Talk to Ingo again, and he’ll challenge you to a race.

To get Epona, you’ll need to beat Ingo in back-to-back races. The reason it’s tricky is because Epona is slow to start running—unless you know how to coax her into a gallop right away. Normally, pressing A once causes Epona to trot; pressing it again causes her to move faster, and pressing A a third time gets her running. Before the race begins, mash the A button on your controller. As soon as the race begins, Epona will leap into a gallop, effectively skipping her trotting phases.

The easiest way to pull ahead of Ingo is to stay inside the track and use carrots (by pressing A) to get Epona moving faster. After you’ve beaten Ingo twice, he’ll lock you and Epona inside the pasture. No problem. Aim Epona at the small east fence, move at a gallop, and you’ll leap the wall and re-enter Hyrule Field. Congratulations—no more running around Hyrule Field for you. As an adult, at least.

Once you have Epona, check out our The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time topic page to find out how to use her to track down the fifth and final bottle.

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