Developed by Facepunch Studios, Rust is the ultimate test of survival. Players must brave the harsh wilderness of the game’s open world and do everything they can to stay alive. Whether facing off against wild animals, NPCs, or even other players, Rust presents a brutal challenge for fans of the survival game genre.
One key element of Rust is how players are able to use resources to their advantage. Resources include food, weapons, and even horses. But horses require a lot more care than other features of the game. Players need to choose the right food for their equine friends, which can be a tricky task.
15 Cactus Flesh
- Stamina: 0.3
- Health: 6
This first entry may be the only source of food for players building their base in the desert. Found by harvesting cactus plants, cactus flesh is a decent option as it provides a modest stamina top-up as well as some health restoration.
Cactus flesh can also be eaten by players, but for those braving the blistering desert, it may be better to save it for their horse. Cactus flesh can be tricky to obtain in large amounts, so it’s certainly not the most ideal option.
14 Mushrooms
- Stamina: 1.0
- Health: 6
Mushrooms are a great food option as they can easily be found in any kind of forested environment. Players will likely be familiar with mushrooms as a resource due to their use in early-game PvP.
For horses, mushrooms restore a mild amount of both health and stamina. However, the ease at which mushrooms can be found makes them a highly accessible option for players to quickly stock up on.
13 Pickles
- Stamina: 3.2
- Health: 10
A stack of sixty pickles goes for only ten scrap at the food market in the Outpost, so they’re a fairly cheap option for players heading that way. It’s also more than enough to fill a trough overnight, which is often the trickiest time to keep horses healthy.
Given how cheap pickles are when compared with farming crops or hunting animals, they’re a great option for players looking for an easy food source. By turning horse dung into fertilizer and selling it, players can even have their horse pay for their own meal once in a while.
12 Cooked Wolf Meat
- Stamina: 3.8
- Health: 10
While wolves may be a lower priority hunt for human consumption, they are a high priority for those seeking to craft armor. Using the meat acquired from a successful wolf hunt, players can also provide food for their horses.
Cooked wolf meat restores the fourth-highest amount of health for horses while also restoring a decent amount of stamina too. If players are headed out to get themselves a Wolf Headdress anyway, they should consider bringing some cooked meat back for their horse.
11 Cooked Pork
- Stamina: 3.8
- Health: 10
Pork can be acquired from the boars roaming any biome in Rust and is a great source of food for both horses and humans alike. Unlike wolves, boars are relatively slow and easier to kill. This makes them an excellent option for less-equipped hunters.
Cooked pork restores the same amount of stamina and health that cooked wolf meat does, in addition to being able to be harvested in higher amounts. However, some players might consider it a waste of good food.
10 Cooked Fish
- Stamina: 3.8
- Health: 10
Another food resource that restores the same health and stamina as cooked wolf meat is cooked fish. This resource is even easier for players to get their hands on, as all they’ll need to do is go fishing at their closest body of water for a while.
Different fish types will yield different amounts of meat, with the best being catfish, salmon, and small sharks. This is perhaps one of the most relaxed ways to keep your horse well-fed in the game.
9 Blueberries
- Stamina: 1.9
- Health: 20
This rare food item can only be found in food crates, making them a hot commodity that players may not see very often. In addition to their great restoration value for players, they provide the highest possible health boost for horses while also restoring a modest amount of stamina.
Due to their rarity, they’re not the most reliable food source for horses, but they are handy if players can find them. They are also best saved for player combat, so blueberries shouldn’t be given to horses too often.
8 Black Raspberries
- Stamina: 2.6
- Healing: 20
In the same category are black raspberries, which also can only be found in food crates. In line with their higher restoration levels for players, black raspberries restore the most health for horses and a bit more stamina than blueberries do.
Despite their higher value, black raspberries are at the same level of rarity to find within the game. Much like blueberries, players will need to choose carefully whether to feed them to their horse or save them for themselves.
7 Cooked Bear Meat
- Stamina: 6.4
- Health: 10
Hunting down a bear in Rust is no easy task, but the payoff can certainly be worth it. In addition to the other essential resources, bears are an excellent source of meat. Giving a maximum of nineteen meat depending on what weapon players use, bears will keep players and their horses well-fed.
Bears are powerful predators in the game and can easily take down both beginner and pro players. They’re often found in forests, but players may want to avoid them until they have the allies or the weapons to take them down.
6 Corn
- Stamina: 4.8
- Health: 12
A more passive food source is corn. Corn is one of the best natural resources for new players as it grows freely along the rivers in the game. It can be harvested fairly easily so long as players don’t find themselves competing with others nearby.
Corn heals the third-highest amount of horse health as well as the third-highest amount of stamina. This makes it a great passive and budget-friendly option for players’ horses.
5 Cooked Horse Meat
- Stamina: 2.9
- Health: 16
It may seem morbid, but the cooked flesh of their kin is indeed a viable food option for horses. Cooked horse meat restores the second-highest amount of health and a decent chunk of stamina as well. For players who don’t mind facilitating cannibalism, it can be a decent choice.
Of course, to get horse meat requires hunting a horse, which can be tricky with primitive weapons. Horses have 400 HP, so players will need something that can deal high damage.
4 Cooked Deer Meat
- Stamina: 2.6
- Health: 20
Stags are a common animal founding roaming the various biomes in Rust. While players may be hunting them for the vast crafting resources they provide, their meat can also be a valuable source of horse food.
Cooked deer meat heals the maximum amount of health for players’ horses as well as a decent amount of stamina too. If players often find themselves hunting stags, they should consider saving the meat for their equine companions.
3 Cooked Chicken
- Stamina: 2.6
- Health: 20
Though they might be at the bottom of their food chain, chickens are still a great resource to capitalize on in Rust. They are easy to kill and provide a modest amount of bone fragments, cloth, and meat.
Interestingly, cooked chicken restores the same amount of health and stamina that cooked deer meat does. So, if players are reluctant to hunt a deer, they should look for a chicken instead.
2 Potatoes
- Stamina: 8.0
- Health: 12
The ultimate versatile vegetable, potatoes are a fantastic resource in the game. Though the wild plants can be found in red forests, they can also be replanted by players elsewhere. Farmed potatoes are an incredibly hardy crop and can survive a variety of conditions.
Potatoes restore the third-highest amount of health and the highest amount of stamina. They're the only food source that provides this level of stamina restoration, and as such, are one of the best horse food options in the game.
1 Pumpkins
- Stamina: 6.4
- Health: 20
Found along streams or in food crates, pumpkins are undoubtedly one of the best food items in the game. Their high restoration capabilities for players are mirrored in their use for horses, as pumpkins restore the highest level of health and second-highest level of stamina.
Pumpkins can be easily farmed, worn on players’ heads, and carved for decoration too. With pumpkins, the possibilities are endless. Both players and their horses would do well to have pumpkin in their diet.
Rust is available now for PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.