When it comes to taming tricky creatures in the open-world survival game Ark: Survival Evolved, it can be a real frustration. For the most part, players either have to follow the creature around or knock it out with a tranquilizer before beginning to feed it. The Equus is a little different and can be a slippery creature to tame.
Luckily, with the right advice, the correct location, and the best food in the player's inventory, many could see themselves quickly riding this almost Horse crossed with a Zebra. It only takes finding one and having the patience to trap or tame this useful animal.
4 What The Equus Can Do
With the amount of challenge taming the Equus brings, it can often feel like there's no point in getting hold of one. After all, they don't look as deadly as the Triceratops or as adorable as the Dodo.
However, the Equus is actually the perfect Dinosaur companion to have. It's essentially the jack of all trades and can bring a vast amount to any player's game. It excels in fighting battles, gathering resources, and is one of the quickest animals available, which is ideal for exploration.
Battles
Fighting is a vital aspect of Ark: Survival Evolved. It often happens between players or other creatures, meaning the player must always be prepared to get into a tough fight. Therefore, they need a creature that can both withstand a few hits, hit back, or run away if the player needs a quick escape.
The Equus brings all three. It's a tough battle mount that has pretty useful health to keep the player safe. It can do some useful knocking out hits and will hold its own if the player needs it to. If they would rather run, then this speedy creature is ideal.
Racing
This creature is bred for speed. It's ideal for exploring the island and even better for getting away from a tricky fight, or running into one before the creature or another player even realizes they're there. Speed is a fantastic element that is desirable among many tamable creatures in Ark.
Trapping
Using the speed and the high health of the Equus, players can create a creature that's ideal for exploration. Especially if that exploration involves finding new animals to tame or capture. This is primarily due to the fact that players can craft Lassos through the Equus' saddle. This makes for easy capture and works especially well when the player sees a creature they really need.
Gathering
If riding the Equus isn't the primary objective then setting it to gather is also a wonderful idea. This dinosaur is great at gathering berries and will collect a fair amount for the player's every need.
3 Where To Find The Equus
Finding the Equus is the first part of the struggle. Luckily, it does appear on every available map in the game, but only in certain locations:
- The Centre: The Jungles and The Eastern Island
- The Island: The Westend Plains, Forests, or the Mountain
- Scorched Earth: Southeast of the map, The North Canyon, or in the Desert
2 How To Tame The Equus
Once the player has found an Equus, they then need to tame it. It's vital to be very slow and careful when approaching this creature since they are renowned for being easily startled and quick to run. Try wearing a Ghillie set before approaching for the least amount of notice or sharp movements. It's also worth making sure the area is cleared of any threats since this is a rather timely process and requires the least amount of disruptions.
Once the player has sneaked up on the Equus they will need to feed the animal. As soon as the player has fed it they need to quickly mount; this is the only way to effectively feed and tame the Equus. Once mounted the creature will certainly try to buck players off so they need to be ready to try and stay on by pressing E, or the respective button. Repeat the feeding and staying to tame it. If the player is pushed off then they need to feed it and mount again.
In summary, the player needs to:
- Sneak up to it
- Feed the Equus once
- Mount it
- Calm the Equus and try to avoid being kicked off
- Feed the Equus and repeat until it's tamed
1 The Best Food
While the Equus will take most foods, it's vital to choose the most efficient item when taming this creature, especially since it's such a challenge to complete.
The best foods to give the Equus are the Rockarrots or the Kibble. Ideally, players want to create around 12 Simple Kibble or Dilophosaur Kibble depending on the console they use. This is due to the fact it takes the least amount of resources for the second shortest time and is the most reliable way to tame it. It's not easy but can be particularly useful when taming something like this. If Kibble isn't available then the player will need around 30 Rockarrots to get this creature tamed.
Ark: Survival Evolved is currently available on PC, macOS, PS4, Xbox One, Switch, Mobile, and Stadia.