Epona is Malon’s horse. As a foal she lives in the Lon Lon corral. As a mare in the adult era she is the mount Ingo will not hand over until you beat him twice. The steps below are the whole side quest. Carrot counts and call spots come after the race, because people searching this title want the horse first.
Seven steps
- Wake Talon. On the first trip toward Zelda, Malon is in the market looking for her father. He is asleep outside the castle. The Weird Egg she gives you hatches a Cucco. Use that Cucco to wake him. Until he goes home, Malon is not in the corral.
- Learn the song in daylight. Show Malon your ocarina. Switch 2 is X, Y, A, twice. The 3DS chart is A, X, Y. The N64 chart is C-Up, C-Left, C-Right. Those three charts are not interchangeable.
- Come back as an adult. The ranch is Ingo’s Ranch. In the daytime, pay to ride: 20 rupees on Switch 2, 10 rupees on N64 and 3DS.
- Play the song inside the corral. Epona walks over. Mount her and spend a lap learning the six carrots. They refill if you wait.
- Accept Ingo’s first race. Switch 2 puts 20 rupees on it. IGN describes a wager the winner receives. Eurogamer describes a cost. Original versions use a 50-rupee bet. Hug the inside, spend carrots on the straight, and keep one for the last bend.
- Win the second race. Ingo speeds up. Use the straights harder and save the last carrot for the finish. Zelda Wiki says a loss can be retried. I have no public source for a time limit or a fail count, so those cells stay empty.
- Leave. Ingo locks the gate. On the original, jump it with Epona. On Switch 2 you can also climb the wooden tower behind the house, and you can leave on foot.
What the horse can do
- Six carrot boosts. She jumps fences and the broken bridge at Gerudo Valley.
- On horseback the bow is the weapon Zelda Wiki names. It also says enemies do not hurt Link while he is mounted. I am quoting that claim from one wiki page.
- Play the song to call her on Hyrule Field, at Lake Hylia, in Gerudo Valley, and at Gerudo Fortress.
- Eurogamer says the remake can bring her to the Kakariko entrance, and that the call does not answer every time. One source.
IGN’s remake video
IGN posted a How to Get Epona video on 6 Nov 2026, the day after the remake launched. The article and the video are the same desk, so I still want Eurogamer beside them before I treat a fee as settled.
Questions
Do I need Epona’s Song first?
Yes. Malon teaches it in the child era. Adult Epona will not come to you in the corral without it.
Can I learn the song after I am an adult?
Yes. Eurogamer and KeenGamer describe returning to childhood at the Temple of Time after completing the Forest Temple, then visiting Malon in daylight.
Where else does the horse matter?
In Majora’s Mask she is kept at Romani Ranch. That route is a different page.
Sources
- KeenGamer: How to get Epona (remake) — checked 2026-11-13
- IGN: How to Get Epona — checked 2026-11-13
- Eurogamer: Where to get Epona — checked 2026-11-13
- Zelda Wiki: Epona — checked 2026-11-13
- Zelda Wiki: Epona’s Song — checked 2026-11-13