Horses aren’t just a great means of transportation, they’re also incredibly practical animals that can change the way you explore the world of Minecraft. They appear in herds of several individuals, so if you come across one, there’s a high chance you’ll find more nearby. They allow you to travel faster, jump over obstacles, explore without getting hungry (since you won’t use up your hunger bar), and most importantly – they offer style and comfort.
These animals can be found in the following biomes:
- Plains
- Sunflower Plains
- Savanna
- Savanna Plateau
- Windswept Savanna
- Villages
How to tame Horse in Minecraft
Before your dream steed becomes a loyal companion for your journeys, you’ll need to tame it. Unlike some other mobs, horses don’t attack or flee in panic. Taming is a process that requires patience and just a few simple steps.
You can only tame a horse when it’s wild – meaning it hasn’t been ridden by anyone yet. You’ll know it’s untamed when, after right-clicking it, your character mounts the animal, but it immediately starts bucking and tries to throw you off. That’s completely normal, and you just need to keep trying until hearts appear, indicating that the animal has started to trust you.
You can speed up the taming process by feeding the horse certain foods:
- Apples (drop from oak leaves when destroyed, and can also be found in chests in villages, strongholds, and shipwrecks)
- Golden Apples (craft using an apple and 8 golden nuggets)
- Golden Carrots (craft using a carrot and 8 golden nuggets)
- Sugar (craft using sugar cane)
- Wheat (plant it using seeds and wait for it to grow, or find it fully grown in villages)
- Hay Bales (craft using 9 wheat)
Here are the steps you need to follow:
- Locate a wild horse.
- Right-click to mount.
- Wait until it throws you off and try again.
- Repeat the attempts until hearts appear.
- Put on a saddle.
Horse Breeding
Once you have two tamed horses, you can start breeding them to raise your own foals. It’s a great way to get new mounts, often with better stats – faster, stronger, and with higher jumping ability.
Breeding doesn’t work the same way as with other animals, which can be fed any food. They have special requirements in the form of a golden apple or golden carrot.
If both horses are fed the special item, they will enter love mode, and a baby foal will appear. It will be small at first and you won’t be able to ride it, but you can speed up its growth by feeding it things like sugar, wheat, or hay bales.
The foal partially inherits stats like speed and health from its parents, but there’s also a random factor involved. You can breed better and better ones over time by pairing up the strongest ones.
Here are the steps you need to follow:
- Tame two horses.
- Bring them close together – preferably in a stable.
- Feed each of them one item, such as a golden apple or golden carrot.
- Wait for them to enter love mode.
How to make Horse Saddle in Minecraft
A saddle is essential for horseback riding in Minecraft. Without it, you won’t be able to control the animal or direct its movements. An important fact about it is that you can’t craft it! You have to find it or obtain it while exploring.
To find a saddle, head to:
- Dungeons
- Desert Temples
- Nether Fortresses
- Villages
- Shipwrecks and Ocean Ruins
- Igloos
Another way to find a saddle is through fishing, as it can be caught as a “treasure” item. You can also buy it from a master-level butcher villager in exchange for emeralds.
How to ride a Horse
Once you’ve obtained a saddle, you can mount a horse by right-clicking on it. You’ll control it using the standard movement keys. These animals can jump over obstacles when you press the spacebar. While riding, you need to watch out for bodies of water, as horses do not swim well – they might throw you off or start sinking. To dismount, press Shift.
How to make Horse Armor in Minecraft
Once you’ve tamed your horse, equipped it with a saddle, and plan to use it regularly, it’s a good idea to take care of its safety. Horse armor increases your horse’s chances of surviving fights with monsters, falling from heights, or taking accidental damage while exploring the Minecraft world.
There are three types of armor available in the game:
- Iron Horse Armor
- Golden Horse Armor
- Diamond Horse Armor
In the Bedrock Edition, you can also find Leather Armor.
Armor cannot be crafted and must be found in loot chests in locations such as:
- Dungeons
- Desert Temples
- Jungle Temples
- Nether Fortresses
- Bastions
- End Cities
- Villages
- Ancient Cities
- Shipwrecks
- Woodland Mansions
- Strongholds
- Ruined Portals
Other Useful Information
Animals are available in 35 different variants, which are combinations of 7 coat colors and 5 marking patterns.
Available coat colors are:
- White
- Creamy
- Chestnut
- Brown
- Dark Brown
- Black
- Gray
Available marking patterns are:
- None
- White stockings and blaze
- White spots
- Black dots
- White field with dots
Each mount has three hidden stats that affect its usefulness. These stats are random and do not depend on appearance. It’s worth testing multiple individuals and selecting the best ones for breeding.
The stats are:
- Speed – how fast it can move.
- Jump Strength – how high it can jump.
- Health – the amount of hearts it has.
An interesting feature is the zombie horse, a rare and mysterious mob that does not spawn naturally in the Minecraft world and can only be obtained using commands. It has green, decayed skin and is completely silent. It can be tamed and ridden, but it cannot be bred or healed.
