Shahrukh Sial is a gaming content writer at Sparked Host. He covers game guides, tips, and updates to help players improve their skills and enjoy a better gaming experience.

Tired of endless walking in your Minecraft world? Ready to trade your two feet for four powerful hooves? Then it's time to tame a horse! Horses are one of the best ways to get around in the game. They let you ride farther, jump higher, and explore your world much faster than you can on foot.

This guide will walk you through everything you need to know, from finding your first wild horse to getting it ready to ride and even breeding a whole herd. Let's get started on your journey to becoming a true Minecraft equestrian.

What Do Horses Do In Minecraft?

In Minecraft, horses are mainly for transportation. They let players travel a lot faster and jump higher than they can on foot, which is super helpful for exploring and getting around the game world. You can also equip them with saddles and horse armor to make them even more useful.

  • Transportation: Horses give you a big speed boost compared to walking or running, especially when you're exploring big areas or traveling long distances.

  • Jumping: Horses can jump way higher than a player. This makes it easy to clear obstacles and get over uneven terrain.

  • Taming and Equipping: You tame a horse by repeatedly mounting it until hearts appear, which means it’s tamed. After that, you can equip it with a saddle and horse armor.

  • Breeding: You can breed two tamed horses to get a new one with potentially better stats, like more speed or a higher jump ability.

  • Roleplay: Horses can add a lot to the role-playing aspect of the game. You can build stables, ranches, and other fun structures related to owning a horse.

  • Pulling with a Lead: You can attach a lead to a horse and pull it along, even while swimming, which helps you get your horse across water.

What Edition Of Minecraft Were Horses Released?

Horses first came to Minecraft in the Java Edition 1.6.1, also known as the Horse Update, which was released on July 1, 2013. This update added horses, donkeys, mules, leads, carpets, coal blocks, and other features to the game.

How to Tame a Horse in Minecraft

To tame a horse in Minecraft, you need to mount it over and over again until it shows hearts, which is how you know it’s tamed.

Here are the steps:

  • Find a Horse: Look for horses in plains and savanna biomes.

  • Prepare to Mount: Make sure your main hand is empty (don't have any items selected in your hotbar). You can only tame adult normal horses, donkeys, and mules, not foals, skeleton horses, or undead horses.

  • Mount the Horse: Right clicking on the horse to mount it.

  • Repeat Mounting: The horse will probably buck you off. Keep trying! Each time a player is thrown off, the horse's temper increases, making it easier to tame with each successive attempt.

  • Tamed!: When hearts appear above the horse, it is tamed. At this point, it will no longer buck you off.

  • Access Inventory: While riding, open your inventory (on PC, you press 'E'). This will show you the horse's inventory.

  • Equip Saddle: Place a saddle in the horse armor slot to be able to fully control its movement.

  • Enjoy the Ride!: You can now ride and explore the world with your newly tamed horse. Using walls or water can help restrict a horse's movement, making taming easier.

Riding Horses In Minecraft

To ride a horse in Minecraft, first you tame it by repeatedly mounting until hearts appear. Then, you equip it with a saddle and optionally some horse armor. Once it has a saddle, you can control the horse using your movement keys and the jump button.

Here's a more detailed explanation:

  • Taming the Horse: Find a horse and approach it. Right clicking to mount the horse. It will probably buck you off at first. Keep mounting the horse until it stops bucking and hearts appear above its head, showing it’s tamed. You can feed the horse things like horse apples or wheat to help speed up the taming process.

  • Equipping the Saddle and Armor: Open your inventory (on PC, press 'E'). You will see the horse's inventory. Place the saddle in the special saddle slot. You can also place horse armor in the slot for extra protection.

  • Riding the Horse: Use the WASD keys to control the horse's direction. Press the space bar to make the horse jump. Hold the space bar to charge up for a more powerful jump. The horse will automatically run up any one-block high slope. You can dismount by pressing Shift (or the equivalent button on your platform).

Putting A Saddle On A Horse

To put a saddle on a horse in Minecraft, you must first tame the horse. Once it's tamed, you can open its inventory and place the saddle in the correct slot.

Here's a more detailed breakdown:

  • Find and tame a horse: Locate a horse in the wild and repeatedly mount it until it shows hearts, which means it’s tamed. You do not need a saddle to tame a horse.

  • Equip the saddle: While mounted on the tamed horse, open your inventory (on PC, you press 'E').

  • Place the saddle: Find the saddle slot in the horse's inventory and place the saddle in that slot.

  • Control the horse: Once the saddle is placed, you can now control the horse's movement and direction.

How To Get Off A Horse In Minecraft

To dismount a horse in Minecraft, you press the sneak or crouch button.

  • Java Edition (PC/Mac): Press the left shift key.

  • Pocket Edition (PE): Double-tap the center button (the sneak/crouch button).

  • Xbox/PlayStation Consoles: Press the Right Stick (RS) on your controller.

  • Windows 10 Edition: Press the left shift key.

  • Education Edition: Press the left shift key.

What Is The Fastest Horse In Minecraft?

The fastest horses in Minecraft that spawn naturally can reach a maximum speed of 14.23 blocks per second. This speed is random for each horse, and you can only find out how fast it is after you tame it and test its speed.

Breeding Horses In Minecraft

To breed horses in Minecraft, you need two tamed horses. Get them close to each other and feed both of them either a golden apple or a golden carrot. This will make them go into love mode, and a baby horse (foal) will be born soon after.

  • Tame the horses: Horses are wild at first. To tame a horse, mount it over and over until hearts appear.

  • Craft or find food: You can use golden apples or golden carrots to breed horses. Golden carrots are usually easier to find. Horses can also follow players if the player holds a golden carrot, golden apple, or enchanted golden apple.

  • Breed the horses: Once you have two tamed horses and the food, get them close together. Right clicking on each horse to feed it the golden apple or golden carrot.

  • Enjoy the foal: Hearts will appear above their heads, and they'll go into love mode. A baby horse (foal) will pop up soon after.

  • Optional: Speed up growth: You can feed the foal items like hay, horse apples, sugar, or wheat to make it grow into an adult faster.

Breeding Horses and Donkeys

In Minecraft, horses and donkeys can breed to make new horses or donkeys. If you breed a horse and a donkey, you'll get a mule. Mules, however, can't breed themselves.

  • Breeding Horses: Tame both horses and get them in an enclosed area. Feed both horses golden apples or golden carrots. They will then breed and make a foal.

  • Breeding Donkeys: Tame both donkeys and get them into an enclosed area. Feed both donkeys golden apples or golden carrots. They will then breed and produce a foal.

  • Breeding a Mule: Tame a horse and a donkey. Get them into an enclosed space. Feed both the horse and the donkey golden apples or golden carrots. They will breed and make a mule. Mules can't be bred further, but you can equip donkeys or mules with a chest for extra storage.

How To Heal Horses In Minecraft

To heal horses in Minecraft, you need to feed them specific food items. Hay bales, golden apples, and golden carrots can all restore a horse's health.

Here's a more detailed breakdown:

  • Hay Bales: These are the best way to heal a horse, instantly restoring 10 hearts of health.

  • Golden Apples: These also give a good boost, healing 5 hearts.

  • Golden Carrots: These restore 2 hearts.

  • Other Foods: Sugar, wheat, and horse apples can also be used, but they restore less health (half a heart, 1 heart, and 1.5 hearts, respectively).

To heal a horse, just hold the food item and right clicking on the horse. You can't feed a horse while riding it. Horses also regain health on their own over time, but feeding them makes it happen much faster.

What Do Horses Eat In Minecraft?

In Minecraft, horses can eat horse apples, enchanted golden apples, golden apples, golden carrots, hay bales, and sugar. Each type of food has different effects, such as healing, helping with taming, and making baby horses grow faster. Golden carrots and golden apples are also used to make horses breed.

Naming A Horse In Minecraft

To name a horse in Minecraft, you'll need a name tag and an anvil. First, rename the name tag in the anvil. Then, use the renamed name tag on the horse by right clicking on it.

  • Obtain a Name Tag: You can find name tags in dungeon chests, abandoned mineshafts, or woodland mansions.

  • Acquire an Anvil: You need an anvil, which you can craft with three iron blocks and four iron ingots.

  • Rename the Tag: Place the name tag in the anvil's input slot and type the name you want.

  • Apply the Name: Right clicking on the horse while holding the renamed name tag.

How To Get Horse Armor In Minecraft

In Minecraft, horse armor can be found in various chests, or you can craft the leather horse armor yourself. Leather horse armor is the only kind you can craft, using seven pieces of leather. Other types like iron, gold, and diamond horse armor are only found in places like dungeons, desert temples, and strongholds.

Here's a more detailed breakdown:

  • Crafting Leather Horse Armor: Put seven pieces of leather in an H shape on a crafting table. You'll get leather horse armor.

  • Finding Other Horse Armor: You can find horse armor in chests in places like dungeons, desert temples, Nether Fortresses, strongholds, and End cities. You might also find iron horse armor in abandoned mineshafts.

  • Trading: Some leatherworker villagers might offer leather horse armor for trade.

  • Equipping Horse Armor: Make sure you have the horse armor in your inventory. Right-clicking the horse will equip it with the armor. In Pocket Edition, you might need to open the horse's inventory to equip it.

Conclusion

Horses are an awesome addition to Minecraft, offering a fun and fast way to explore your world. By learning how to tame them, equip them with a saddle and horse armor, and even breed them, you can completely change how you ride and play the game. With this guide, you’re ready to get out there, find your perfect horse, and start your next big adventure!

Frequently Asked Questions

Can Horses Go In Boats In Minecraft?

Yes, but it's different depending on your version. In Bedrock Edition, horses can easily enter a boat. In Java Edition, it's more complicated. Usually, you have to use a baby horse to get it in the boat. You can use a lead to have your horse swim behind your boat.

How Do You Get A Skeleton Horse In Minecraft?

You get skeleton horses from a skeleton trap that appears during thunderstorms. A wild horse will be a skeleton horse, and when you get close, it will turn into a skeleton horseman with three other skeleton horsemen appearing. To get a skeleton horse, you need to defeat the skeleton riders first.

Can You Get A Zombie Horse In Minecraft?

No, you cannot get zombie horses in survival mode. They don't spawn naturally. The only way to get one is by using commands or a spawn egg, which are available in creative mode or when cheats are enabled. For example, you can use the /summon command in the chat window to spawn a zombie horse instantly, but this only works if you've allowed cheats in your world.