Horses were added to Minecraft in the 1.6 update. Since then, they have undergone several major transitions regarding their functionality in the game. Breeding animals has undergone a few changes throughout the years, and horses are no exception.
How to Breed Horses in Minecraft
The most important thing about breeding Horses in Minecraft is that they must be tamed for it to work. You cannot breed wild Horses. Taming is as simple as repeatedly mounting it until it stops bucking you off, but you can find a more in depth guide on how to tame Horses here.
Activating 'Love Mode' in Minecraft
The first step can also be considered the last since it is the only thing you're required to do. To activate Love Mode, you must feed Golden Apples or Golden Carrots to two tamed Horses that are near each other. Upon doing this successfully, the two Horses will mate and produce a Foal.
Alternatively, if you breed one Horse with one Donkey, the baby will be a Mule. Mules cannot be bred further. Instead, Mules are mostly used as pack animals that help players transport large quantities of items more efficiently.
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Horse Stats and Appearance
When Horses breed to produce a Foal, the Foal will most likely have traits that reflect the traits of at least one of the parent Horses. The chart below outlines the probability of a Foal's colors and markings according the game's mechanics.
| Color of Horse A | Color of Horse B | Random Colors | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Markings of Horse A | 17.78% | 17.78% | 4.44% |
| Markings of Horse B | 17.78% | 17.78% | 4.44% |
| Random Markings | 8.89% | 8.89% | 2.22% |
The stats of a Foal are determined by averaging both parent Horse's stats with a third set of random stats that mimic the stat ranges of a naturally spawned horse.
The slowest horses can barely run faster than a player can walk, while the fastest horse in the game is almost twice as fast as a Minecart on powered track! Horses vary in their jumping ability as well, from the minimum of one block (the same as a player) to being able to clear over five blocks! Because of these reasons, it's a good idea to selectively breed your most powerful Horses if you want a real powerhouse (powerhorse?) of an animal.
Growing Horses in Minecraft
If you're on a quest to eventually breed the most powerful horse possible, you can speed up the process by forcing Foals to grow to a full-sized Horse. To do this, you simply need to feed them things they like. The list below outlines which foods you can feed them, and how much it speeds up the time before they become Horses.
- Apple: One minute
- Golden Carrot: One minute
- Golden Apple: Four minutes
- Hay Bale: Three minutes
- Sugar: 30 seconds
- Wheat: 20 seconds
That's all you need to know about how to breed horses!
Want to see some of the best adventures you can go on in Minecraft? Check out our list of the Best Minecraft Adventure Maps!
Published: Nov 21, 2022 01:12 pm