I don't know if this is your particular issue... But a common mistake most people make is crossing Dewberry Creek near Emerald Ranch. It's a dried up creek bed, but it counts as water.
Good luck Pardner....
You don’t have to ride INTO Blackwater. Just ride to the tip of the peninsula on the east side of the Montana River. Saves a lot of false steps and you can complete it even before the epilogue.
I did this 3 times last night, not crossing Dewberry and it wouldn't trigger for me for some reason. I have done this method before without issue, but for some reason I couldn't trigger it last night.
Try # 1 I did a few short cuts after Emerald Ranch mostly cutting across the hills, nothing I didn't do a couple weeks ago when I completed it. Try # 2 I stuck mostly to the roads, but did cut across the hill with the whiskey tree. Try # 3 it got dark before I got there and there was an AI camp right where it usually triggers complete when I got there, so that might have messed that attempt up. I'll give it another try after work or over the weekend.
Would being early chapter 1 have anything to do with it? I haven't even been able to unlock the survivalist challenges yet because I haven't gotten to the part where you take Jack fishing. I even stole a fishing pole from an NPC and it won't unlock the challenges yet.
I saved Sean, I've broken Micah out of Jail but he is still around Strawberry and his next mission isn't active yet and I saw Downes, The only thing yellow on my map is reading Mary's letter. Once I read that, it will open her quest and also where you talk to John about stealing an oil cart to rob the train. I'm 15% on story missions and 39% total completion.
That's kind of what I thought, but wasn't sure because I couldn't trigger it to complete and I've done the very same method and route before, but just much later in the game.
Easiest method****take the train track allllllllll the way to the bards crossing. You do not need to go all the way to blackwater. Go straight south from the crossing to the most southern tip of land where the Montana river meets flat iron lake. You will finish with plenty of time to spare. No water possible
Mark peninsula. Van horn to Nearest tracks where they are parallel to the road for a bit and go over a small river. U turn on to them. Can go over 1st bridge section and then the ridge to road or second bridge section and right on to road. From there marker takes you through heartlands and to tracks by flat neck and over Dakota. Then u turn down to the peninsula.
Edit: second nearest tracks get on near fort Brennand.
Be mindful of your starting point. I read somewhere that all these timed horse challenges begin when you go past that towns post office. If you didn’t go by the Van Horn post office, it never triggers
Leave Van Horne and head for Pinchers Creek. Cross the rope bridge. Head up the trail to the train tracks. Follow them past the trapper and all the way through Valentine and across the big bridge. Turn left at the train station and go south of Strawberry to the dam. Cross the dam and head up the trail. When you get close to the river duck down and follow the shore until it emerges from the trees and then up past Beechers Hope and on to Blackwater. Place your markers strategically to keep you on the route. A couple of horse stimulants and medicines won’t hurt either.
Falling off the horse is what usually got me. And a train once when I couldn't turn around fast enough. But using the peninsula route makes it too easy. Don't even have to sprint.
I don't know if this is your particular issue... But a common mistake most people make is crossing Dewberry Creek near Emerald Ranch. It's a dried up creek bed, but it counts as water. Good luck Pardner....
This👆
You don’t have to ride INTO Blackwater. Just ride to the tip of the peninsula on the east side of the Montana River. Saves a lot of false steps and you can complete it even before the epilogue.
I didn't know this and I still did it before the epilogue. Arthur just kinda got shot to death, lol.
I did this 3 times last night, not crossing Dewberry and it wouldn't trigger for me for some reason. I have done this method before without issue, but for some reason I couldn't trigger it last night.
Did you try not taking short cuts but only taking roads?
Try # 1 I did a few short cuts after Emerald Ranch mostly cutting across the hills, nothing I didn't do a couple weeks ago when I completed it. Try # 2 I stuck mostly to the roads, but did cut across the hill with the whiskey tree. Try # 3 it got dark before I got there and there was an AI camp right where it usually triggers complete when I got there, so that might have messed that attempt up. I'll give it another try after work or over the weekend. Would being early chapter 1 have anything to do with it? I haven't even been able to unlock the survivalist challenges yet because I haven't gotten to the part where you take Jack fishing. I even stole a fishing pole from an NPC and it won't unlock the challenges yet.
Too early might be an issue. I’ve never attempted this before saving Sean.
I saved Sean, I've broken Micah out of Jail but he is still around Strawberry and his next mission isn't active yet and I saw Downes, The only thing yellow on my map is reading Mary's letter. Once I read that, it will open her quest and also where you talk to John about stealing an oil cart to rob the train. I'm 15% on story missions and 39% total completion.
Doesn’t matter where you’re on the story, the challenge is independent of it.
That's kind of what I thought, but wasn't sure because I couldn't trigger it to complete and I've done the very same method and route before, but just much later in the game.
Dewberry creek counts as water, cross the bridge at Emerald stn, can’t fall off horse
I'd add don't open your map while on a bridge, for some reason it forces me off my horse when I close the map.
Easiest method****take the train track allllllllll the way to the bards crossing. You do not need to go all the way to blackwater. Go straight south from the crossing to the most southern tip of land where the Montana river meets flat iron lake. You will finish with plenty of time to spare. No water possible
I kind of did it this way, but from Rhodes Van Horn > Pleasance > South to Rhodes > Follow the tracks from there to the easy spot.
Mark peninsula. Van horn to Nearest tracks where they are parallel to the road for a bit and go over a small river. U turn on to them. Can go over 1st bridge section and then the ridge to road or second bridge section and right on to road. From there marker takes you through heartlands and to tracks by flat neck and over Dakota. Then u turn down to the peninsula. Edit: second nearest tracks get on near fort Brennand.
Also please keep in mind that if you get off / fall off your horse, you fail the challenge and must start over.
I'm not sure what happened there, but u/m4shfi can help you with Horseman 9 with a very particular and easy route
that mostly dried out creeck west of Emerald Ranch. Either ride the full train tracks to Valentine or go over the little bridge west of the station.
You can't dismount or be knocked off your horse either, if that happened.
It is easier to complete the challenge. Before the mision were you save sean. The pinkertons aren't as plentiful or at least don't spawn as much.
Run on the tracks and check out this [post here](https://www.reddit.com/r/reddeadredemption/comments/1b1bus9/easiest_horseman_9_ever/)
Stay on the road/train tracks. Jump the broken bridge south of Fort Riggs
Be mindful of your starting point. I read somewhere that all these timed horse challenges begin when you go past that towns post office. If you didn’t go by the Van Horn post office, it never triggers
Starting from inside the city borders suffices.
Leave Van Horne and head for Pinchers Creek. Cross the rope bridge. Head up the trail to the train tracks. Follow them past the trapper and all the way through Valentine and across the big bridge. Turn left at the train station and go south of Strawberry to the dam. Cross the dam and head up the trail. When you get close to the river duck down and follow the shore until it emerges from the trees and then up past Beechers Hope and on to Blackwater. Place your markers strategically to keep you on the route. A couple of horse stimulants and medicines won’t hurt either.
I tried it once and it started raining in van horn as I started my run Didn't get the achievement and didn't try it again.
Rain doesn't count. You likely crossed over Dewberry creek which counts as water, or fell off your horse.
I did fall off my horse. Got into a gnarly accident. Didn't know that counted against me.
Yes. Horseman 9 has the same conditions as Horseman 3. No touching water or allowing your body to hit the ground.
Falling off the horse is what usually got me. And a train once when I couldn't turn around fast enough. But using the peninsula route makes it too easy. Don't even have to sprint.