EPONA

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How to get Epona in Ocarina of Time

Epona is optional on the N64 and 3DS versions. As a child, learn Epona’s Song from Malon at Lon Lon Ranch. As an adult, pay to ride, play the song, beat Ingo twice, and jump the fence when he locks the gate.

Last reviewed:

Illustration of a chestnut mare running along a ranch fence
Frame from Nintendo’s Zelda 40th Anniversary Direct

Quick facts

ItemN64 / 3DSStatus
Required?No. The Longshot can cross the broken Gerudo bridge2 sources
Child buttonsN64: C-Up, C-Left, C-Right, twice. 3DS: A, X, Y, twice2 sources
Adult ride feeZelda Wiki: 10 rupees to ride, 50 to race1 source
CarrotsSix boosts. Bow is the only weapon on horseback2 sources
DeathShe does not die, and there is no stable registry2 sources

Steps

  1. Leave Kokiri Forest. Meeting Princess Zelda first introduces Malon and Talon, which makes the ranch visit clearer, but the ranch itself is open in daytime.
  2. At Lon Lon Ranch, walk to the corral. The foal runs from you until Malon asks if you have an instrument.
  3. Play the Fairy Ocarina with her: C-Up, C-Left, C-Right, C-Up, C-Left, C-Right on N64, or A, X, Y, A, X, Y on 3DS. She teaches Epona’s Song and the foal comes over.
  4. You cannot ride yet. The foal is too young. The ranch heart piece, a gold skulltula, and Talon’s cucco game are separate errands.
  5. Seven years later the ranch is Ingo’s. Pay to enter the corral, play Epona’s Song, and she walks to you instead of running.
  6. Win the first race, then the second. Ingo bets Epona on the second race. When he locks the gate, sprint at a low fence with the carrot boost and jump out.

If something goes wrong

Waking Talon early does not lock you out of Epona. It changes his cucco minigame and some dialogue. The horse quest is the adult race, not Talon’s nap. Losing a race just means you pay and try again. The second race is the one that puts Epona up as the stake. If you never learned the song, adult Epona treats you as a stranger and runs. Go back only after the song is in the ocarina list — you cannot learn it for the first time once you are an adult, so the child visit matters.

What she is for

Hyrule Field is faster on horseback, and some fences can be jumped. Big Poe hunting and the horseback archery range both need her. She is not the only way into Gerudo Valley: the Longshot crosses the broken bridge. I keep that alternative visible so nobody treats the ranch quest as a required dungeon. The 2026 Switch 2 remake changes the button labels and, on IGN’s page, the rupee prices. Those figures stay on the remake guide and are not pasted over the 1998 fees.

FAQ

When can you get Epona in Ocarina of Time?

You learn the song as a child. You only ride her after you become an adult and beat Ingo.

What happens if you wake Talon before getting Epona?

The horse quest still works. Waking him early affects his side errands, not the adult race.

What are the N64 notes for Epona’s Song?

C-Up, C-Left, C-Right, C-Up, C-Left, C-Right.

Do you need Epona to finish the game?

No. She is optional. Big Poe bottles and horseback archery are the activities that actually require her.

Related

All Zelda appearancesEpona in Majora's MaskEpona's Song buttonsSwitch 2 remake

Sources