So, you’ve just witnessed that epic growth spurt, and Link is now all grown up! A vast new world filled with mysteries and challenges stretches before us. Our immediate goal? The enigmatic Forest Temple. But before we even think about stepping into that shadowy domain, we’ve got some essential groundwork to cover.
Think of this guide as your trusty companion, walking you through every crucial step to ensure we snag every collectible and miss absolutely nothing on our path to 100% completion of the game.
Before we even consider entering the Forest Temple, there are a few key tasks we need to accomplish. These aren’t just optional side quests; they are vital for our journey and for achieving that sweet 100% completion.
We need to secure our loyal steed Epona, establish a convenient warp point using the Scarecrow Song, and acquire the indispensable Hookshot – a tool that will quickly become our best friend, not just in the temple, but throughout our entire adventure. First things first, let’s talk about getting around Hyrule in style.
Prerequisites for Riding Epona
Before you can claim the trusty steed Epona as Adult Link, you must ensure you have met a few key requirements during your adventure:
- Become Adult Link: This is the most fundamental prerequisite. You must have completed the initial “Child Link” portion of the main quest, which involves:
- Gathering the three Spiritual Stones: Kokiri’s Emerald (from Inside the Deku Tree), Goron’s Ruby (from Dodongo’s Cavern), and Zora’s Sapphire (from Inside Jabu-Jabu’s Belly).
- Obtaining the Ocarina of Time.
- Learning the Song of Time.
- Visiting the Temple of Time and pulling the Master Sword from the Pedestal of Time, triggering the seven-year time skip.
- Learn Epona’s Song (as Child Link): This is absolutely crucial and must be done as Child Link. Epona will only respond to Link if he knows her song, and Malon will not teach it to Adult Link when Ingo is in charge.
- How: As Child Link, visit Lon Lon Ranch after your initial meeting with Princess Zelda in Hyrule Castle Courtyard (Malon only appears in the corral after this event). Find Malon standing inside the central horse corral. Talk to her, then pull out your Ocarina. She will teach you Epona’s Song.
- Have at Least 50 Rupees: While the first race against Ingo costs 10 Rupees, the second race, where Epona herself is the prize, costs 50 Rupees. Ensure you have enough money in your wallet before speaking to Ingo as Adult Link inside the corral.
Once you have met these three conditions – you are Adult Link, you learned Epona’s Song as a child, and you have at least 50 Rupees – you are ready to head to Lon Lon Ranch and win your horse!
Taming the Wild Steed: Getting Epona as Adult Link
Our destination is Lon Lon Ranch, located in the heart of Hyrule Field. Once there, seek out Ingo, who seems to have taken over the ranch’s management. Engage in a conversation with him and agree to pay the 10 Rupees he asks to ride one of the horses in the corral. Now, instead of mounting one of the slower horses Ingo provides, pull out your trusty Ocarina and play Epona’s Song. Your magnificent mare will instantly recognize the melody and come galloping towards you. Take this opportunity to familiarize yourself with riding Epona.
Once you’re feeling confident in the saddle, target Ingo while still mounted on Epona and challenge him to a race. He’ll propose a wager of 50 Rupees, which you should readily accept. During the race, try to maintain the inside track, and use your carrots (activated by pressing ‘A’) strategically, especially when you need a burst of speed towards the finish line. Don’t hesitate to try and block Ingo if he attempts to overtake you. Victory in this first race will undoubtedly irk Ingo, and he’ll immediately challenge you to a second race. This time, the stakes are much higher – the ownership of Epona herself!
Accept this crucial second challenge. This race will be more challenging as Ingo will be more aggressive in trying to cut you off. Stick to the inside track, continue to use your carrots wisely, and be careful not to let him force you into the fence, which will slow Epona down. Winning this second race will finally secure Epona as your permanent companion.
As a final act of spite, Ingo will lock you inside the ranch. However, this won’t hold us back for long. Simply build up Epona’s speed and jump over any of the fences or even the main gate to make your triumphant escape from Lon Lon Ranch.
