How To Make A Saddle In Minecraft: Your Updated Guide To Getting Around

Nettie Hill 31 Jul 2025

Riding around in Minecraft, whether on a speedy horse or a wobbly strider, really opens up your world. It makes travel so much easier, and you can explore vast distances without tiring yourself out. For a long time, getting a saddle was a bit of a challenge, almost like finding a rare treasure. Players often spent hours searching through chests or patiently fishing, hoping to get lucky. But things have changed quite a bit in the game, which is, you know, really good news for everyone who plays.

There was a time when saddles were items you could only find, not create. This meant a lot of effort just to get one for your favorite mount. Many players, myself included, often wished for a simpler way to get these very useful items. It was, arguably, one of the more frustrating parts of early game travel, especially if you wanted to ride a horse right away. So, this guide is going to walk you through all the ways you can get a saddle now, including the brand-new crafting method, which is, you know, a pretty big deal.

If you're wondering what materials you need to hoard in order to saddle up on your mount, you're in the right place. We'll explain how to make a saddle in Minecraft with this simple guide, and we'll also give a brief explanation of the saddle's uses. This way, you'll be fully prepared to get your mounts ready for action, which is, actually, a fantastic feeling when you're exploring new areas. So, let's get into it.

Saddle Basics: What They Do
The Big Change: Crafting Saddles in Minecraft
- Materials for Crafting a Saddle
- Step-by-Step Crafting Instructions
Traditional Ways to Find Saddles (Before Crafting)
How to Use a Saddle on Your Mount
- Taming a Horse and Adding a Saddle
- Riding Other Mobs: Pigs and Striders
Removing a Saddle from a Mob
Keeping Your Mounts Safe: Persistence and Despawning
Common Questions About Saddles

Saddle Basics: What They Do

A saddle is an item required to ride pigs and striders. It also helps you control ridden camels, horses, donkeys, and mules. This is, you know, pretty important for anyone who wants to travel efficiently across their Minecraft world. Without a saddle, these creatures are just, well, walking around, and you can't really steer them where you want to go. It’s a bit like having a car but no steering wheel, in a way.

Saddles make all rideable mobs better as an early game transport option, plus, it means you don't have to kill striders to get your saddles back anymore! That's, actually, a very nice quality-of-life improvement. So, if you're looking to get from point A to point B quickly, especially over rough terrain or even across lava, a saddle is your best friend. It really changes how you interact with the game world, you know, for the better.

The Big Change: Crafting Saddles in Minecraft

For a long time, the question "Can you craft saddles in vanilla MC?" was met with a firm "no." Players would often say, "You can't craft saddles in Minecraft but you can in Mo' Creatures mod." This was, arguably, a bit of a pain for many players. However, this has changed in Java 1.21.6 and Bedrock 1.21.90, since they are now craftable. This means players can finally craft saddles in Minecraft on their own, provided they're playing on the latest Java snapshot or Bedrock beta branch. It's, truly, a fantastic update that many have waited for.

Players no longer have to waste hours searching through chests or fishing endlessly. This new crafting option makes getting a saddle much more predictable and, you know, much less frustrating. It's a huge shift from how things used to be, and it really makes the game feel more complete in some respects. So, if you're playing on these newer versions, you're in luck! You can actually make your own saddle now, which is, basically, amazing.

Materials for Crafting a Saddle

If you're wondering what materials you need to hoard in order to craft a saddle, you're in the right place. You need the following materials to craft a saddle in Minecraft. It's, actually, a pretty simple recipe, which is nice. The main item you will need is an iron ingot. That's, more or less, it for the key component. You will also need some leather, which is, you know, a common item from cows or other animals.

To make this, the recipe for the crafting looks like this: you'll need three pieces of leather across the top row, one iron ingot in the middle of the second row, and then two more pieces of leather on either side of the iron ingot. Then, for the bottom row, you'll need three more pieces of leather. So, in total, that's seven pieces of leather and one iron ingot. It's, pretty much, a straightforward recipe once you have the items. Getting leather is usually not too hard, and iron is also quite common, so this is, arguably, a very accessible recipe for many players.

Step-by-Step Crafting Instructions

Having found the above items, follow these simple steps to craft the saddle. It's, basically, just like crafting anything else in Minecraft, but with a specific pattern. First, you need a crafting table. Get a crafting table and place it on the ground. This is, you know, your essential tool for making almost anything in the game. You can't really do much crafting without one, so make sure you have it ready.

Once your crafting table is set up, open its interface. This will show you a 3x3 grid. Place the iron ingot at the center of the 3x3 grid. This is, in a way, the anchor of your recipe. Then, arrange the seven pieces of leather around it in the specific pattern mentioned earlier: three across the top, one on either side of the iron ingot in the middle row, and three across the bottom row. And just like that, you should see the saddle appear in the output slot. It's, really, that simple now, which is, frankly, a huge improvement.

Traditional Ways to Find Saddles (Before Crafting)

Even though crafting saddles is now an option in newer versions, it's still good to know the traditional ways to find them. These methods are still valid, especially if you're playing on an older version of Minecraft or if you just prefer to find items through exploration. If you're looking to obtain a saddle, you will need to find it through exploration, trading, or fishing. These were, for a long time, the only ways to get your hands on one, so they're, you know, still quite relevant to many players.

Understanding these methods can, in some respects, give you more options in your game. Sometimes, finding a saddle this way might even be faster than gathering the materials for crafting, depending on your luck and your world. So, it's always good to have these strategies in your back pocket, which is, basically, what many experienced players do. They offer different ways to get what you need, which is, actually, pretty neat.

Fishing for Saddles

Saddles can be obtained as a treasure item from fishing with a base chance (without fishing rod enchantments). This means you can just cast your line into any body of water and, with a bit of patience, you might pull up a saddle. It's, arguably, one of the more relaxing ways to get a saddle, if you enjoy fishing in Minecraft. You just need a fishing rod, and you're good to go. It's a bit of a waiting game, but it can be, you know, quite rewarding when you finally hook something good.

To increase your chances, you can use a fishing rod enchanted with Luck of the Sea. This enchantment, basically, boosts your odds of catching treasure items, including saddles. So, if you're planning a fishing trip specifically for a saddle, getting a good enchanted rod is, you know, a very smart move. It's a passive way to get them, which is, frankly, pretty convenient if you're doing other things nearby.

Exploration and Loot

Exploring your Minecraft world is another primary way to find saddles. They often appear as loot in various chests scattered across different structures. This means you need to be adventurous and willing to search through dungeons, strongholds, village blacksmith chests, desert temples, jungle temples, and even Nether Fortresses or End Cities. Each of these places has a chance to contain a saddle in one of their chests. It's, basically, a treasure hunt every time you explore, which is, actually, pretty fun.

Finding saddles through exploration is, in a way, one of the most exciting methods because you never know what else you might discover along the way. You might find other valuable items, rare blocks, or even new biomes. So, while you're looking for that elusive saddle, you're also, you know, getting to experience more of your world. It's a great reason to go out and see what's out there, which is, really, what Minecraft is all about for many players.

Trading for Saddles

Trading with villagers is another viable option for getting saddles. Specifically, Leatherworker villagers sometimes offer saddles as part of their trades. You'll need to level up their trades by selling them leather or other related items until they unlock the saddle trade. This method requires a bit of setup, as you need to find a village and establish a trading relationship with a Leatherworker. It's, arguably, a more reliable way than pure luck, once you have a good trading hall going.

In the Nether, you can also trade with Piglins. Piglins are creatures that love gold, and if you drop gold ingots for them, they will give you random items in return. Saddles are one of the items they can offer. This is, you know, a bit more unpredictable than trading with villagers, but it can be a quick way to get a saddle if you have a lot of gold. It's a unique mechanic, and it's, basically, another interesting way to acquire items in the game. So, if you're in the Nether, keep an eye out for these gold-loving creatures.

How to Use a Saddle on Your Mount

Once you have a saddle, the next step is to put it on your chosen mount. A saddle is an item required to ride pigs and striders or control ridden camels, horses, donkeys, and mules. So, you know, it's pretty versatile. The process is a little different depending on the creature, but the general idea is to get the saddle into the creature's inventory slot. It's, really, quite simple once you get the hang of it.

Having a mounted mob can greatly speed up your travel and make certain tasks, like moving resources, much easier. It's, basically, a game-changer for exploration and transport. So, let's look at how to get that saddle onto your chosen animal, which is, you know, the fun part after all that effort to get the saddle itself.

Taming a Horse and Adding a Saddle

First, you have to find the horse you want to tame. You can do this by exploring your world and keeping an eye out for one. Horses spawn in plains and savanna biomes, so you'll usually find them there. Once you find a horse, you need to tame it. To tame a horse, make sure there's nothing in your hand, then right-click the horse. It might buck you off a few times, which is, you know, pretty normal. Just keep getting on it until you can access its inventory or until hearts appear above its head. Hearts mean it's tamed, which is, basically, what you're looking for.

Once the horse is tamed, go into its inventory. You can do this by right-clicking it again after it's tamed, or by pressing the 'E' key while mounted. You will see a saddle slot where your armor usually goes. Place the saddle in that slot. Now, your horse is saddled and ready to ride! You can then control it using your movement keys. It's, actually, a very satisfying feeling to finally ride your own tamed horse around your world. Learn more about horse taming techniques on our site, and link to this page here for additional tips.

Riding Other Mobs: Pigs and Striders

While horses are a popular choice, saddles also work on other mobs like pigs and striders. Riding a pig requires a saddle and a carrot on a stick. You can put the saddle on a pig by right-clicking it with the saddle in your hand. Once the saddle is on, right-clicking with the carrot on a stick out will give the pig a temporary boost that doubles its speed, but will use up 1/4 of the stick's durability. This is, you know, a fun way to get around, especially if you have a lot of carrots. It's a bit quirky, but it works.

Striders, found in the Nether, are also rideable with a saddle and a warped fungus on a stick. They are, actually, quite useful for crossing lava lakes. Just like with pigs, you place the saddle on them, then use the warped fungus on a stick to guide them. This makes navigating the Nether much safer and easier, which is, arguably, a huge benefit. So, if you're exploring the fiery depths, a saddled strider is, basically, your best friend.

Removing a Saddle from a Mob

Sometimes, you might want to remove a saddle from a mob. Perhaps you want to move it to a different animal, or you just don't need it on that particular one anymore. You can also use shears on a mob equipped with a saddle to remove it. Simply craft some shears (two iron ingots) and shear the saddle off your chosen mount. Once you do, it’ll fall off and land in your inventory if you have space. This is, you know, a very convenient feature. It's much better than having to kill the animal to get your saddle back, which was, frankly, a bit harsh.

I really like this change; it makes all rideable mobs better as an early game transport option, plus, I don't have to kill striders to get my saddles back anymore! This means you can reuse your saddles, which is, basically, a great resource saver. It's a simple mechanic, but it adds a lot of flexibility to how you manage your mounts. So, keep a pair of shears handy if you plan on swapping saddles around.

Keeping Your Mounts Safe: Persistence and Despawning

Keeping your tamed mounts safe is, you know, pretty important. There are certain things that can cause a horse to despawn every time. This includes having a saddle on it, having horse armor on it, or any one or combination of the three. This was, arguably, a frustrating issue for many players in older versions. However, taking all items off the horse and leaving it in a fenced-in area should allow the horse to stay around, even if you leave the chunk. This has worked every time for me except once, so it's, basically, a reliable method for keeping your horses safe.

To ensure your tamed animals don't disappear, it's a good idea to name them with a name tag. Naming a mob prevents it from despawning, regardless of whether it has a saddle or armor on it. This is, actually, the most reliable way to make sure your beloved mount stays with you. So, if you've invested time in taming and saddling a special horse, giving it a name is, you know, a very smart move. It provides that extra layer of security, which is, really, quite comforting.

Common Questions About Saddles

Here are some common questions players often ask about saddles in Minecraft. These are, you know, the things people often search for when they're trying to figure out how saddles work. We'll try to give clear answers, which is, basically, what this guide is all about.

Is it possible to craft a saddle in Minecraft now?
Yes, absolutely! As of Java 1.21.6 and Bedrock 1.21.90, saddles are now craftable. This is, arguably, one of the biggest changes for saddles in a long time. You will need seven pieces of leather and one iron ingot to craft it at a crafting table. This means you no longer have to rely solely on finding them through exploration or fishing, which is, you know, a huge relief for many players.

Where can I find saddles in Minecraft if I can't craft them?
If you are playing on an older version where crafting isn't an option, or if you simply prefer to find them, saddles can still be obtained as treasure items from fishing. You can also find them through exploration in various chests located in dungeons, strongholds, temples, and other generated structures. Trading with Leatherworker villagers or Piglins in the Nether are also ways to acquire them. So, there are, basically, many ways to get them even without crafting, which is, you know, pretty good to know.

How do I put a saddle on a horse in Minecraft?
To put a saddle on a horse, you first need to tame the horse. This involves repeatedly right-clicking it until hearts appear. Once tamed, you can access its inventory by right-clicking it again or pressing 'E' while mounted. Inside the horse's inventory, you will see a specific saddle slot. Simply drag and place the saddle into that slot, and your horse will be ready to ride! It's, really, quite a straightforward process once the horse is tamed, which is, actually, very convenient for getting around.

How to FIND and USE SADDLES - Minecraft 1.19+ (Easy Tutorial) - YouTube

How to Put a Saddle on a Minecraft Horse - Playbite

How To Make A Saddle And Saddle A Horse In Minecraft

Global Artist Buzz