Horse Pokémon are some of the best creatures across the 900+ roster. From blazing manes and muddy hooves to the wistful whinnying of a ghost in the stables, there’s a little something for all budding Pokémon equestrians out there.
For more lists relating to specific breeds of monsters, check out our picks for the best dog Pokémon, monkey Pokémon, cat Pokémon, fish Pokémon, bird Pokémon, and bunny Pokémon. Or, if you’d rather check out the best of each generation, see what we chose as the best gen 2 Pokémon, gen 1 Pokémon, gen 3 Pokémon, and gen 8 Pokémon.
With that out of the way, let’s saddle up and buckle down for our list of the best horse Pokémon, and the best horse-adjacent ones, too.
Ponyta and Rapidash
The OG horse gen 1 Pokémon Ponyta and Rapidash are instantly recognizable to those who grew up playing Pokémon Red and Blue, and they even got a fancy new makeover for gen eight with the perfect pink Galarian Ponyta and Rapidash. Despite never really making much of a mark on the meta through almost every season of competitive Pokémon, Rapidash still stands tall as one of the simplistic but creative designs that made the first generation of catching ‘em all so iconic.
In Kanto, Ponyta and Rapidash are 77 and 78 in the Pokédex, respectively. When a Ponyta is born, it can barely stand, but through persistent galloping, it becomes stronger, with hooves that can trample through anything. Rapidash, meanwhile, is one of the most competitive Pokémon out there, galloping at close to 150mph.
If you need help beating this evolution line in battle, check out our fire Pokémon weakness guide for the OG Ponyta and Rhapidash while taking a look at our psychic Pokémon weakness guide for the Galar variant.
Mudbray and Mudsdale
It took a while for another non-legendary horse to arrive, but when it did it came with some serious firepower. Mudsdale may as well be a legendary given its power. Mudsdale is one of the best earthquake setters across the entire roster of Pokémon, not just fellow hoof-havers, with a 125 attack stat and stab-boost that is sure to knock any electric or fire Pokémon for six. You might not expect it when you first encounter a sweet little Mudbray, but this gen 7 Pokémon is a beast, and picking one up in the wild area of Pokémon Sword and Shield can help kickstart your adventure.
If you need help reigning in these horses, consult our ground Pokémon weakness guide.
Keldeo
Our first legendary horse, or unicorn if you ask some due to the big ol’ horn on its head, is Keldeo. As the de facto leader of the Swords of Justice, Keldeo is a threat to any team, thanks to a diverse movepool, speed and special attack stats that make it something of a potential sweeper, and a water/fighting hybrid typing that opens up a myriad of super effective possibilities.
If you need help defeating this gen 5 Pokémon, check out our fighting Pokémon weakness and water Pokémon weakness guides.
Blitzle and Zebstrika
It’s the first almost-horse Pokémon on our list, yes it’s Blitzle and Zebstrika, the Zebra Pokémon. While hardly electrifying the Pokémon world with either its design, stats, or movepool, Zebstrika makes the case for a future Pokémon safari game, and that’s something we’d love to see. Can you picture it? A wide savannah complete with Girfafarig, Donphan, and yes, of course, Zebstrika.
To tame these free spirits, consult our electric Pokémon weakness guide.
Stantler and Wyrdeer
For years, Stantler was possibly one of the most boring gen 2 Pokémon across the entire roster, with it being a normal type with no moves or abilities to write home about. Then Pokémon Legends Arceus arrived, along with Wydreer, the new normal/psychic hybrid that functions as your way of getting across Hisui on land. Sure, we haven’t seen Wydeer in a competitive environment yet, with PLA not using any online battle features, but from its iconic status as a mystical deer of the mountains of old Sinnoh (and it’s close enough to a horse Pokémon, right?).
To best Stantler and Wyrdeer, check out our normal Pokémon weakness guide.
Glastrier and Spectrier
Gen eight seemingly took one look at Keldeo and said, “do you know what’s better than one legendary horse Pokémon? Two legendary horse Pokémon!” And they’re not wrong. Arriving alongside the final DLC package for Pokémon Sword and Shield, Glastrier and Spectrier add a touch of nobility to the Isle of Armor, as well as a serious shake-up to the competitive meta. This is especially true of Glastrie, the ice-type, who leaves any dragon-type users trembling in its wake. Spectrier, unfortunately, is a bit of a glass cannon when it comes to battling, but it still has a pretty spooky mane, and we have to respect that.
To beat Glastrier, check out our ice Pokémon weakness guide, then take a look at our ghost Pokémon weakness article to best Spectrier.
There you have it, our picks for the best horse Pokémon. While you’re here, learn more about other creatures with our Gloom evolution, Munchlax evolution, Ralts evolution, Cetoddle evolution, and Scyther evolution guides.