12 Best Switch Horse-Riding Games

We all wish we could have been a cowboy or cowgirl, right? The dream of making a horsey best friend and riding them across some great plain as the wind slices through your hair is much preferred to the daily grind. Sadly, you need to be capable of riding a horse–and own a horse–to achieve these dreams. Not to fear, because that’s where video games come in handy, letting you do all of these things from the comfort of your own bedroom and without getting saddle sore. Some of the best games out there have players traveling via steed.

This got us thinking–what’s the best horse-riding game for the Nintendo Switch? We’ve got opinions.

#12 Red Dead Redemption

Platform: PS4 Switch – August 17, 2023
Release Date: Xbox 360 PS3 – May 18, 2010

PlayStation | Xbox | Nintendo

Who doesn’t love horses? You were never meant to play a game like Red Dead Redemption if you don’t. Why? Because it’s a game about cowboys, outlaws, and, yes, horses. In fact, part of the crux of the game is that you have to travel across the country to hunt down outlaws, and that would take a mighty long time if you had to do that on foot.

So mount up on your horse and go see the sights while battling fugitives and securing your future!

Plus, in the game’s rerelease, you can fight zombies on your horse! We can’t confirm if there are zombie horses to fight, though.

#11 The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

Platform: Switch
Release Date: May 12, 2023

Nintendo

In the past, Link has only needed one horse to go ride around Hyrule, Termina, or the other lands he’s visited. However, in a certain previous title, that was thrown out the window as gamers could roam around the newest version of Hyrule, find a horse they like the most, tame it, and then ride it whenever they wanted.

You’ll be happy to know that Tears of the Kingdom will let you mount up on horses and other creatures once again. So feel free to make yet another stable full of the horses you love so you can easily ride around Hyrule.

Or, you can use the new “Fuse” ability to craft vehicles to get around. The choice is yours.

#10 My Riding Stables: Life with Horses

Publisher: familyplay

Developer: Sproing

Platform: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Microsoft Windows, Nintendo DS, Wii

Release Date: March 2014

The first game on this list of the best horse-riding games is the incredibly disappointing My Riding Stables: Life with Horses. While it sounds great on paper, the graphics were extremely poor, the controls were super confusing, and the Nintendo Switch version was panned by fans who said it was a far inferior game to the already disappointing Wii version. Young children might enjoy this game but when you start getting above the age of six, that’s when it becomes very tedious.

#9 Darksiders 2

Publisher: THQ

Developer: Vigil Games

Platform: Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii U, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Google Stadia

Release Date: August 2011 (Switch August 2019)

A hack and slash adventure role-playing game and the sequel to Darksiders 1, Darksiders 2 follows the efforts of player character Death, who sets out to clear his brother’s name. The crime? Wiping out humanity. Darksiders 2 became one of the most expensive video games to develop of all time (a lofty $50 million), and what did players get for that price tag? The gameplay is an obvious improvement on its predecessor, but it lacks the thematical story of the first which is a giant shame. The game ultimately fell short of what the company was expecting, but if you enjoyed the first, you may find something to enjoy here.

#8 Darksiders 1

Publisher: THQ

Developer: Vigil Games

Platform: Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Wii U, Xbox 360, Xbox One

Release Date: January 2010 (Switch April 2019)

The first (and better) game takes inspiration from the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, with players taking on the role of the Horseman War (the brother to the sequel’s protagonist). This hack and slash game is great fun but came with some minor technical bugs. The voice-acting is top-notch (Mark Hamill and Troy Baker both lend their voices), the combat is great, and the replay value is very high – this is a great and fascinating world with an engaging story. It’s a shame that the sequel couldn’t quite reach the heights of this game, as it could have led to a much bigger series.

#7 Windstorm: Ari’s Arrival

Publisher: Mindscape

Developer: Aesir Interactive

Platform: PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, PC

Release Date: March 2019

In a game based on the underwhelming film of the same name, players experience the story of Ari as she arrives in the Alpine area and quickly becomes friends with a horse called Windstorm. The two of them team up to go on exciting horse-riding adventures and discover the true meaning of friendship. This is just a really sweet and relaxing horse-riding game that hits the spot if you’re after something therapeutic. It’s far more superior than its basic predecessor Ostwind Windstorm, and if there are any fans of the series out there, they should just jump straight to this game.

#6 Phar Lap: Horse Racing Challenge

Publisher: Tru Blu Games

Developer: Prodigy Design Limited

Platform: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One

Release Date: March 2019 (Switch January 2020)

Here we have the first pure horse-racing game on the list. The aim of the game is, as you’d expect, to win championship after championship. A really fun game and realistic title, the game has plenty of tense moments as you’re coming down the final furlong. The horse management mechanics are also quite a treat, extremely intricate and detailed. For all its good features it loses by a nose to better horse-racing games like Gallop Racer, but don’t underestimate Phar Lap. It’s still a big bag of fun.

#5 Farming Simulator 20

Publisher: GIANTS Software

Developer: GIANTS Software

Platform: Nintendo Switch, Android, iOS

Release Date: December 2019

Everyone is familiar with the Farming Simulator series. Some of the most beloved and realistic farming simulation games on the market, Farming Simulator 20 is the latest title in the series to be released on the Switch. This game is not perfect by any means; it needs to be updated and there are certain restrictions and other details that were omitted. Overall, however, this is a fantastic, easy-to-play simulator game that fans of the genre love. If that hasn’t sold it for you, just remember that you can ride around on your horse without a care in the world. Sometimes, you don’t need anything more than that.

#4 Kingdom Two Crowns

Publisher: Raw Fury

Developer: Stumpy Squid, Fury Studios, Coatsink

Platform: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Android, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows, Linux, Classic Mac OS

Release Date: December 2018

This little side-scrolling micro strategy game is absolutely gorgeous, to start. It has a lovely minimalistic feel wrapped in a gorgeous modern pixel art style; it’s so unique, a little bit odd, and super engaging. Players take on the role of a monarch who rides around on their trusty steed recruiting loyal subjects, building their kingdom, and protecting it from a variety of greedy figures who are trying to steal everything you hold so precious.

#3 The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

Publisher: Bethesda Softworks

Developer: Bethesda Game Studios

Platform: Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S

Release Date: November 2011 (Switch November 2017)

There really isn’t much that separates the top three but still, a decision needed to be made. Skyrim was an astronomical game that hit the world by storm in 2011, creating a legion of fans that are still fanatical about it to this day. The Switch release has allowed fans to revisit this great game once again with remastered graphics and a lack of more infamous glitches. This is a bold statement, but the Switch version may even be superior to its counterparts. Jump on your horse and visit all of your favorite haunts from Whiterun to Riften.

#2 The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

Publisher: CD Projekt

Developer: CD Projekt RED

Platform: PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and Series S, Microsoft Windows

Release Date: May 2015 (Switch October 2019)

This is a game that needs no introduction, but we’ll give it one anyway. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is one of the most recognizable and well-recieved games of all time, giving players a truly absorbing story with interesting characters in a world full of monsters, wizards, and anything else you can think of. The relationship Geralt has with his horse – the famously named Roach – is iconic, and the two are inseparable throughout the entire game (one mission even lets you talk to your horsey friend). The Switch version brought everything that previous console versions had apart from its downgrade in graphics (which is to be expected). Even still, this is an unbelievable game whatever platform you experience it on.

#1 The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

Publisher: Nintendo

Developer: Nintendo EPD

Platform: Nintendo Switch, Wii U

Release Date: March 2017

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is one of the most iconic games of the modern era. It was named Game of the Year (by a landslide), and it hit the world like a gaming meteor. It has since gone on to be one of the best-selling games of all time and is considered one of the greatest video games in history. The Zelda franchise is known across the world, but Breath of the Wild took this brilliant and magical world and enhanced it by moving it into this cinematic and graphic-heavy new era. It’s well worthy of the top spot in this best Switch horse-riding games, although if you’d prefer a bear or motorcycle to shake things up, those are also possible.