There were a number of positive reviews for "Dark Horse", with "Billboard" magazine deeming it a "Spotlight" release. The reviewer described the album as "an excellent one" and compared it favourably with Harrison's acclaimed 1970 triple set, "All Things Must Pass". Brian Harrigan of "Melody Maker" credited Harrison with establishing "a new category in music – Country and Eastern" and lauded his "nifty" slide-guitar playing and "tremendous" singing. Although he found some of the tracks overlong, Harrigan declared: "Yep, the Sacred Cowboy has produced a good one." Gross highlighted "So Sad" as a "luxurious track" and described "Ding Dong, Ding Dong", "Dark Horse" and "Far East Man" as "all, simply, good songs".