Yes, you can make your horse throw you off in Red Dead Redemption 2 Online. There are several ways to intentionally fall off your horse RDR2, ranging from direct interaction to provoking aggressive behavior. This guide will show you the simple steps to achieve an RDR2 horse dismount when you need one.
Why Would You Want to Get Thrown Off Your Horse?
It might seem odd to want to intentionally fall off horse RDR2. However, there are a few reasons players try to make their RDR2 character fall from horse.
- Missions or Roleplay: Some missions might require a specific action that works better if you are not mounted. Roleplaying scenarios often call for a dramatic dismount.
- Quick Access to Weapons: Sometimes, being on the ground allows faster access to certain weapons or items than fumbling with the weapon wheel while mounted.
- Testing Horse Temperament: You might want to test your RDR2 control horse aggression levels safely. Seeing how quickly your horse reacts can be useful information.
- Boredom or Fun: Sometimes, you just want to see the action! Seeing your character get bucked off can be entertaining.
Basic Ways to Leave Your Horse
Before trying to force horse to buck RDR2, it is good to know the standard ways to get off. These are the controlled ways to exit your mount.
The Standard Dismount
This is the safest and most common way to exit your horse.
- Press and Hold: Press and hold the button used to mount your horse (Square on PlayStation, X on Xbox).
- Release: Release the button when the prompt appears.
This results in a controlled slide or step off. It will never cause you to get bucked off.
The Quick Dismount (Jump)
If you are moving fast, you can jump off the side.
- Tap Jump: While moving, tap the jump button.
- Result: Your character will vault off the side of the horse. This is faster but still controlled.
Methods to Get Thrown Off: Triggering an Ejection
If you want the horse to actively reject you, you need to engage in actions that simulate being a bad rider or provoking the animal. Here are the main ways to get thrown by horse RDR2.
Method 1: Provoking the Horse Through Riding Errors
Your horse has a morale meter, often tied to bonding. If you treat it poorly, it reacts.
Aggressive Handling Techniques
To RDR2 provoke horse behavior, you need to be harsh.
- Spur Constantly: Keep mashing the spur button, even when your horse is exhausted or trying to stop. This stresses the animal quickly.
- Pull Back Hard: Yank the reins sharply backward repeatedly, especially when the horse is moving fast or trying to turn. This is a direct way to RDR2 cause mount to rear.
- Ride into Danger: Force your horse into dangerous situations unnecessarily. For example, ride directly into deep water, charging enemies, or thick brush rapidly. While not a guaranteed throw, it increases stress levels, making subsequent actions more effective.
The “Stumble and Fall” Technique
This involves forcing the horse into a situation where it naturally loses balance, which can lead to a throw.
- Head-On Collision: Ride full speed directly into a solid object like a large tree, a rock face, or the corner of a building. If you hit hard enough, the momentum might cause a stumble, leading to a manual RDR2 character fall from horse.
- Sudden Stops on Slopes: Gallop up a steep hill and then immediately try to stop or turn sharply. The sudden change in physics can sometimes result in a dramatic spill.
Method 2: Using the Environment to Your Advantage
The game physics can sometimes be used to RDR2 trigger ejection from mount.
- Jumping Over Gaps: When attempting to jump over a gap or river, if you slightly misjudge the distance or speed, the horse might refuse the jump or land awkwardly. An awkward landing often results in a stumble and a throw.
- Riding Under Low Obstacles: Try to ride under things that are slightly too low, like low-hanging branches or cave entrances. The collision between the horse’s body and the object can sometimes jar the rider loose.
Method 3: Engaging in Combat While Mounted
Combat is a highly effective way to initiate a forceful dismount.
Melee Attacks
If you swing your melee weapon (knife, hatchet) while riding, the movement can destabilize you.
- Ride close to an enemy or an animal (like a boar or wolf).
- Press the melee attack button while mounted.
- The sudden jarring motion from the swing, especially if you connect with a target, often causes the horse to react defensively, sometimes throwing you.
Enemy Firepower
Getting shot while riding is a prime way to RDR2 get bucked off.
- Walk into a Firefight: Ride into an area where Lawmen or rival gangs are shooting.
- Take Damage: If you take significant damage, especially from a heavy weapon like a repeater or shotgun, the game often triggers a forceful dismount animation where the horse bucks you off to protect itself or due to the shock. This is a reliable way to see your character take a tumble.
The Role of Horse Bonding and Temperament
The success rate of making your horse throw you off is linked to your relationship level with it. This is crucial for RDR2 control horse aggression.
Low Bonding (Level 1)
Horses with low bonding are naturally nervous and less responsive to commands.
- Easier to Provoke: A scared or unhappy horse will be quicker to buck if you spur it aggressively or pull its reins sharply.
- Spooking: Low-bonded horses spook easier near predators or loud noises, and this panic can sometimes lead to a throw.
High Bonding (Level 4)
Highly bonded horses are reliable and brave. It is much harder to make them throw you intentionally through simple aggression.
- Resilience: They are less likely to panic from loud noises.
- Stubbornness: They might ignore your excessive spurring for longer before reacting negatively.
To reliably force horse to buck RDR2 when bonding is high, you usually need extreme actions like riding directly into heavy gunfire or forcing them to take hard falls.
Table: Bonding Level vs. Throw Likelihood
| Action Used to Provoke | Low Bond (Level 1) | High Bond (Level 4) |
|---|---|---|
| Constant Spur Mashing | High Chance of Buck | Medium Chance of Buck |
| Hard Rein Pulling | Medium Chance of Buck | Low Chance of Buck |
| Combat/Taking Damage | Very High Chance of Throw | High Chance of Throw |
| Intentional Hard Crash | Medium Chance of Stumble/Throw | Medium Chance of Stumble/Throw |
Deciphering Horse Behavior During Ejection
When you successfully RDR2 trigger ejection from mount, the animation varies based on the cause.
The Bucking Ejection
This is the most dramatic throw. It usually happens when you actively antagonize the horse (severe spurring or rough handling). The horse rears up violently, throwing the rider backward over its hindquarters. This is the classic way to get bucked off.
The Stumble and Tumble
This occurs when the horse hits an obstacle awkwardly or lands poorly after a jump. The horse loses balance, and the rider slides or tumbles off the side, often ending up prone on the ground near the animal.
The Flight Response Throw
If you are in a high-stress combat situation and the horse takes a massive hit or gets frightened by a sudden explosion, the horse might bolt. During a high-speed panic run, if the horse slams into something, it may eject you forward or sideways.
Advanced Techniques for Causing a Fall
If the basic methods are not working, especially with a high-level steed, try these more specific actions aimed at manipulating the game’s mechanics.
Utilizing the ‘Calm’ Mechanic Negatively
The Calm mechanic is usually meant to settle your horse, but manipulating the timing can sometimes cause issues.
- Spur Aggressively: Mash the spur button until the horse shows signs of distress (ears back, head up).
- Immediate Calm: Right as the horse starts to rear or buck, hold the Calm button momentarily.
- Release Calm and Re-Aggravate: Release the Calm button and immediately go back to aggressive spurring or rein pulling.
This rapid switch between calming and aggression can confuse the horse’s AI, increasing the chance of an involuntary dismount. This is a tricky way to RDR2 provoke horse behavior.
Forced Dismount During Specific Activities
Certain activities force your character into unnatural positions, which aids in dismounting.
- Fishing While Moving: If you manage to start fishing while riding (often by accidental button press near water), the sudden shift in animation priority can sometimes lead to a messy dismount if you then try to stop quickly.
- Lasso Entanglement (Risky): While mounted, if you successfully lasso an animal and it pulls violently in the opposite direction of your travel, the tension can sometimes cause you to lose your seat. This is dangerous and rarely reliable for a clean throw.
Safety Precautions (Even When Trying to Fall)
Even when you are trying to intentionally fall off horse RDR2, you should still be mindful of your surroundings.
- Avoid Cliffs: Falling off a horse is one thing; falling off a horse near a high cliff edge means your character will likely die from the fall height, not just the dismount.
- Check Health: Ensure your health cores are full. A hard fall combined with enemy fire can quickly put you in critical condition.
- Use Low-Value Horses (If Available): If you are testing extreme methods to RDR2 trigger ejection from mount, use a temporary hire horse or a cheap temporary purchase, just in case the aggressive handling results in the horse dying or running away permanently (though this is rare unless you shoot it).
Fathoming the Physics of Being Thrown
The game engine prioritizes rider survival. For the engine to initiate a sequence where you RDR2 character fall from horse, one of two things usually needs to happen: the horse must physically be unable to remain upright, or the player input must strongly override the stable riding state.
When you RDR2 cause mount to rear and hold that action, you are actively fighting the horse’s stability systems. When the game registers that the horse’s vertical angle is too extreme for the rider to maintain balance, the throw animation starts.
The goal of all these techniques—from aggressive spurring to crashing into trees—is to overload the game’s stability checks until the system decides the only safe outcome is an RDR2 horse dismount via ejection.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q: Can I command my horse to buck me off?
A: No, there is no specific button command to tell your horse, “Buck me off now.” You must use methods that RDR2 provoke horse behavior until it throws you naturally due to stress or impact.
Q: Will my horse hate me if I try to force it to throw me?
A: If you successfully get bucked off through rough treatment (like excessive spurring), your horse’s trust level (bond) may temporarily decrease, and it might become nervous or hesitant for a short time. However, a single incident usually doesn’t ruin a high bond. If you immediately calm it down afterward, the effect is minimal.
Q: Is there a way to make my horse throw me without taking damage?
A: Yes. The most reliable way to cause a throw while minimizing personal damage is through extreme handling like constant spurring until the horse bucks you off, or by crashing into a very soft object (like a haystack or a large pile of snow) at a gallop. Avoid hard collisions with rocks if you want to avoid injury when you intentionally fall off horse RDR2.
Q: Does this work the same in RDR2 Story Mode as it does in Online?
A: Generally, yes. The core mechanics for RDR2 control horse aggression and the physical interactions that lead to a throw are the same across both modes.
Q: How do I make my horse rear up without falling off?
A: To RDR2 cause mount to rear without being ejected, pull back sharply on the left stick or analog stick while holding the calm button (if available, or just holding the stick back). If you do this gently, the horse will rear briefly, but you will remain seated, especially at higher bond levels. The key to the throw is pushing the rear action beyond the safe limit.