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Minecraft horse breeding: how to tame and breed a horse, donkey, or muleLearn how to tame and breed horses, donkeys, and mules

Learn how to tame and breed horses, donkeys, and mules

A Minecraft screenshot of a Mule standing on a beach.

Wondering how horse breeding works in Minecraft?You’re probably not alone. There’s a lot of confusion amongst newer players about how to tame and breed horses, donkeys, and mules inMinecraft, but our beginner-friendly guide to horse breeding will walk you through breeding each species, as well as which species is the best to breed in different situations. You and your friends will be riding between yourcastlesandtowersin no time!

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How to breed horses in Minecraft

Whatever you decide to breed, the offspring’s stats (HP, speed, and jump height) will be averaged from the two parents' stats and a third randomised set of stats. So there’s a fairly high chance that two parent horses with high speed will have a child which will also grow up to have very high speed.

A Minecraft screenshot of many horses of different colours and markings in close proximity on a bed of gravel.

Horse colour and markings

If you’d like to inject more variation in the looks of horses, donkeys, and mules, then your best bet is to find a goodMinecraft texture packthat does the job for you.

Horse vs Donkey vs Mule: which is best?

The main difference between the three types of mount in Minecraft is that horses can equip armour for greater protection (specialist horse armour, that is - you unfortunately can’t make your horse wearDiamondorNetheritearmour plating), while donkeys and mules can equip chests for increased storage.

In terms of the mount’s stats (HP, movement speed, and jump height), all three species have the same potential maximum stats. Naturally spawning horses can have random stats while naturally spawning donkeys always have fixed and mediocre stats, which has led many to believe that horses are faster than donkeys and mules, but with enough selective breeding you can have a donkey or mule that is as fast and can jump as high as any horse.

That concludes our Minecraft horse breeding guide. If you’re looking for an edge in combat on horseback, be sure to stock up on thebest Minecraft enchantmentsand the most powerfulMinecraft potionsavailable. If you’re having trouble finding horses, have a look at ourbest Minecraft seedslist for a good starting point. Or enlist the aid of friends or strangers on aMinecraft server! If you want to know how terrain generation might change, find out everything that you need to know aboutMinecraft 1.18, which will also bringDripstone.