Quick answer · Switch 2 remake
How to Get Epona
To get Epona, learn Epona’s Song from Malon at Lon Lon Ranch as child Link, then return as adult Link, beat Ingo in two horse races and jump Epona over the ranch fence to escape.
The song lesson has to happen before you draw the Master Sword for the first time, or you will need to travel back to childhood to get it. As an adult, you pay Ingo for a riding session, call Epona with the song, and challenge him while mounted. Winning the first race sets up a rematch with Epona as the prize, and after the second win you leave by clearing the outer fence at full speed.
What changed in the remake
- Confirmed Epona’s Song is played with X, Y, A, X, Y, A on the Switch 2 button layout (or hummed or played on a real ocarina once learned).
- Single source The Malon side quest is listed in the new Threads of Time tracker, so you can check whether the song step is done.
- Confirmed The starting wallet now holds 200 Rupees instead of 99, which makes it easier to carry money for several riding sessions and the race wager.
Before you start
Epona is optional, but she changes how the adult half of the game feels. Hyrule Field is large, several side quests have tight delivery timers, and the broken bridge in Gerudo Valley can be cleared by jumping it on horseback before you own the Longshot. Getting her early pays off for the rest of the playthrough.
There are two halves to the quest. The child half only needs the Fairy Ocarina and access to Lon Lon Ranch, which normally opens after you wake Talon during the Hyrule Castle visit. The adult half needs you to have pulled the Master Sword in the Temple of Time, plus some Rupees. Guides for the remake suggest bringing around 60 Rupees: 20 for a riding session, 20 for Ingo’s bet, and 20 spare in case the session ends before the race begins.
Part 1: learn Epona’s Song as child Link
- During the Hyrule Castle section, take the egg Malon gives you, let it hatch, and use the Cucco to wake her father Talon by the castle wall. He then heads home to the ranch.
- Travel to Lon Lon Ranch in the middle of Hyrule Field during the day and walk into the central horse paddock. Malon stands near the young Epona.
- Talk to Malon until she starts talking about the song her mother wrote. Keep talking if she only gives small talk at first.
- Stand beside her, take out the ocarina and follow her lesson. On Switch 2 the notes are X, Y, A, X, Y, A.
- Optionally play the song again near Epona to see her react. As a foal she cannot be ridden, so there is nothing more to do here for now.
Part 2: win Epona from Ingo as adult Link
- After drawing the Master Sword and waking up as an adult, return to Lon Lon Ranch in daytime. Ingo now runs the place and rents out horses.
- Talk to Ingo at the paddock entrance and pay 20 Rupees for a riding session.
- Ignore the horse he offers. Once you are in the paddock, play Epona’s Song and Epona will gallop over to you. Climb on.
- Spend a minute practising. Learn the turning radius, jump one of the small fences, and watch the carrot icons that show your speed boosts.
- Ride up to Ingo while mounted and talk to him from the saddle. He offers a race for a 20 Rupee bet; accept it.
- Win the first lap race. Ingo is annoyed and demands a rematch where Epona herself is the stake.
- Win the second race. Ingo hands Epona over but locks the gate behind you.
- Ride away from the fence to get a long run-up, spur Epona to full speed and aim straight at the outer fence or the gate area. At enough speed she clears it automatically and you are free.
How to beat Ingo in both races
The race is a single lap around the paddock. Both remake guides give the same core advice: hug the inner fence, because the inside line is much shorter than the outside, and never spend every carrot at once. Each carrot gives a short speed burst. If you burn through all of them, the refill takes longer, so keep at least one in reserve for the final stretch.
In the first race, use a carrot or two at the start to stay level with Ingo, then take the inside line and keep it. Scraping the fence slows Epona noticeably, so steer smoothly rather than in sharp jerks. Once you are ahead, only spend a carrot when he starts to close in.
The rematch is harder because Ingo tries to cut you off. If you cannot get ahead at the start, stay just behind and to his inside rather than directly behind him, then pass on a corner where he swings wide. Save your boosts for the last straight, where he tends to surge.
Tips and common stuck points
If Ingo will not race, you are probably not mounted on Epona, or your riding session has expired. Pay for another session, call her with the song and approach him again while riding.
If Epona refuses to jump the fence during the escape, you are almost always too slow or hitting the fence at an angle. Back up further, approach squarely and boost just before the fence. There is no penalty for retrying.
If you became an adult without learning the song, nothing is lost. Return the Master Sword to its pedestal in the Temple of Time to go back to being a child, learn the song from Malon, then draw the sword again. One remake guide notes this option opens up after the Forest Temple; the exact point may vary, so check the Temple of Time if you are unsure.
Once you have her, Epona’s Song calls her in open areas such as Hyrule Field, Lake Hylia and Gerudo Valley. She cannot follow you into towns or dungeons, so you will dismount at those boundaries.
What Epona unlocks
Beyond faster travel, Epona makes the adult trading sequence for the Biggoron Sword far more manageable, lets you jump the Gerudo Valley bridge gap, and is needed for horseback archery and for hunting Big Poes in Hyrule Field, which ties into one of the bottle rewards. After the escape, Talon eventually returns to the ranch and Malon offers a timed obstacle course with a cow as the prize; the remake guides do not all agree on the target time, so treat any number you see as approximate.
Frequently asked questions
Can you get Epona as child Link?
No. As a child you can only learn Epona’s Song and meet the foal. Riding and winning her happen as adult Link after you beat Ingo.
What are the Epona’s Song buttons on Switch 2?
X, Y, A, X, Y, A. Once learned, you can also hum it into the microphone or use a real ocarina, but humming does not let you skip the lesson.
How much money do you need to race Ingo?
Each riding session costs 20 Rupees and the first race is a 20 Rupee bet. Carrying about 60 Rupees covers a spare session if time runs out.
I forgot to learn Epona’s Song. Is Epona missable?
No. Put the Master Sword back in the Temple of Time to become a child again, learn the song from Malon at the ranch, then return to adulthood and race Ingo.
Why won’t Epona jump the ranch fence?
She needs full speed and a straight approach. Take a longer run-up, use a carrot boost just before the fence and aim at it head on.