In search of glory
Ishokin Shrine isn’t your run-of-the-mill Tears of the Kingdom puzzle or combat shrine. This is a shrine quest that requires you to complete a full side quest to get the Light of Blessing. Before you go any further, do note that to complete this quest, stamina upgrades are necessary. We completed the shrine with two full stamina wheels without the need for stamina boosting or restoring items. However, it is possible to complete the shrine with as little as two stamina upgrades if you have enough restores. Before we get onto how to complete the Ride the Giant Horse quest, let’s look at how to find the shrine.
How to find Ishokin Shrine in Tears of the Kingdom
Ishokin Shrine is in the Faron Grasslands area of Hyrule. Unless you have other shrines nearby that you can fast travel to, it’s pretty out of the way. The closest tower is Popla Foothills Skyview Tower. To get to the shrine, head southwest from the tower across Lake Hylia. You’ll find Ishokin Shrine between Oseira Plains and Pappetto Grove. Check the screenshot above for the precise location of Ishokin Shrine on the map.
How to complete Ishokin Shrine
Ishokin Shrine is a shrine unlike the majority you’ll come across in the game. Instead of entering the shrine and completing a puzzle or challenge, this one requires the completion of a quest.
After you start the shrine, a green light will point you in the direction of a large green crystal sitting at the top of the hill. Go to the crystal and speak to Baddek, who is confused about why the crystal has lit up. Check the screenshot above for the direction to head in.
Baddek thinks the crystal would look great on a horse. Tell him, “I need that crystal.” Predictably, he is not willing to let you just have the crystal. He wants to see a giant horse that is rumored to be in the area. This begins the shrine quest called “Ride the Giant Horse.”
The next step in the quest is to go to Highland Stable. The stable is next to Haran Lake. You can head east from the quest start or fast travel back to Popla Foothills Skyview Tower and glide south. The tower option is only recommended if you have significant stamina upgrades.
At Highland Stable, talk to Phanna. She will be excited to share tips on the local area. When you end the conversation, she will talk about some travelers that were headed south to the Lake of the Horse God in search of the “giant white stallion or “the god of horses.”
From Highland Stable, head southeast to the Lake of the Horse God. The two travelers are across the bridge on the southern part of the lake. When you cross the bridge, talk to the travelers on the other side. They will discuss looking for a giant white stallion and a horse god. Tell them you are looking for the giant white stallion, and they will tell you it has been seen in this valley.
Follow the path through the valley to find the giant horse standing near the water. Crouch to walk up to the horse quietly and attempt to mount it. As mentioned above, it is highly recommended to have close to two stamina wheels successfully soothe the horse. Alternatively, it is possible to soothe the horse with less total stamina if you have food/items that restore your stamina while you are mounted.
Once you have successfully tamed the horse, you have two options. The first is to take it to Highland Stable so you can register it as your own horse. It’s recommended to do this now if you want to keep the horse for use after the quest.
Otherwise, head west back to Baddek at the quest start. When you get there, talk to him while riding the horse, and he will be very grateful to see it. He will tell you how he does not need the crystal anymore, and you are now free to pick up and move it as you please.
Pick up the crystal physically or using Ultrahand and take it down the hill to the shrine. Place the crystal down, and a cut scene will begin. The crystal will turn into the full stone shrine that you can enter.
This will mark the completion of the Ride the Giant Horse quest. All you need to do now is enter the shrine to complete it. On the way to the shrine completion pedestal, make sure to open the chest containing a topaz.
That’s it! Ishokin shrine and the shrine quest are both complete.
