How To Unlock Epona In The Ocarina Of Time Remake

Published Nov 5, 2026, 12:26 AM EST Collin is a Guides Staff Writer at TheGamer who has been writing guides for nearly ten years. He is also a professional game/level designer. More importantly, he's still waiting for a new Ape Escape game to release. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake has officially launched, so get ready to save Hyrule once again from the evil King of the Gerudo, Ganondorf. Throughout this journey, you will encounter quite a few allies, but one of the most important is your horse, Epona. However, unlocking this mount is completely optional, and it can be easy to miss out on acquiring her if you don't explore. Here is everything you need to know about unlocking Epona so you can easily get around Hyrule Fields without any issues. Unlock Epona's Song The first step of this quest is to earn Epona's Song from Malon. This can only be done as Young Link, so make sure you're in the past if you've progressed further into the game. Once you're in the past, make your way to Lon Lon Ranch, which can be found in the middle of Hyrule Fields. When you arrive, make sure it's daytime; otherwise, you'll need to wait or play the Sun Song to change the time of day. Go to the main corral where all the horses are to find Malon singing next to Epona. Approach and speak to her to learn that she has a song that soothes the animals at the ranch. Once your conversation is over, pull out your Ocarina while standing next to Malon. This will prompt her to teach you Epona's Song, which you'll need later as Adult Link. This is all you have to do in the past, so don't worry about coming back here until Link is grown up. Return To Lon Lon Ranch As Adult Link Now just progress through the story until you acquire the Master Sword and Link is an adult. Once you're free to explore Hyrule, make your way back to Lon Lon Ranch. Don't worry about the sages or any of the temples; this can be done the moment you leave Hyrule Castle Town after seeing what Ganondorf has done to the place. When you get to Lon Lon Ranch, you'll find that Talon is missing, Malon is now relegated to working in the stables, and Ingo has taken control thanks to Ganondorf. You can talk to Malon if you want, but to get Epona you'll want to actually speak with Ingo, who is standing outside the corral. He will ask if you want to ride the horses inside, which requires you to fork over 20 Rupees. Pay him and go into the corral. Instead of just picking any random horse, take out your ocarina and play Epona's Song. There won't be a correct audio cue if it worked, but Epona will run up to you. When this happens, climb onto her and practice riding her around the corral. You can practice riding her as much as you want and even have some small fences to practice jumping over. Take note of the carrot icons at the bottom of your screen when riding. There will be six of them, and you can use these to give Epona a short burst of speed by pressing the A button. They will refill over time, so don't worry about overusing them or running out. When you're ready to progress, ride Epona over to Ingo and speak to him while on Epona. Beat Ingo In A Race Ingo will then challenge Link to a race for 20 Rupees since Epona has a history of knocking her riders to the ground. Agree to the race, which will be just a single lap around the corral. This first race is quite easy, as Ingo will assume you're going to lose and won't really seem to try. That being said, you can still lose if you don't use the speed boost mechanic. The trick is to not use all of Epona's carrots at once. Use two near the start and first turn, two during the straightaway, and the last two when you round the final corner towards the finish line. Once you beat Ingo, he will throw a fit and ask you to race again. If you win, Epona will be all yours. Agree to the second race, but be ready, as Ingo will both race ahead right before he gives the signal to go and will be faster this time. The catch to beating him is to be ahead of Ingo during the straight after the first turn. He gains a ton of momentum here, so this is where you want to use around three carrots to stay ahead of him. Always make sure to have a carrot for the last turn right before the finish line, as this will help you secure the win and ensure Ingo cannot catch up. Ingo will not take losing lightly and, in a desperate attempt, he will cose the gates to trap you. Ride Epona back several meters and use your carrots to gain a lot of speed. Charge the gate head on, allowing you to jump clear of Ingo, triggering a cutscene as you escape with Epona. Congratulations! You have earned your trusty steed, which can be summoned at any time in Hyrule fields by playing Epona's Song on the ocarina.