You tamed a horse in Minecraft, but the beast still has a mind of its own -- it absolutely will not follow your lead. You can corral it inside a fence, but trying to ride it isn't working like you hoped. Aside from flying, horses are one of the fastest ways to travel, but to take control of your mount, you need a saddle. Previously, you weren't able to craft a saddle and would have to get one in other ways, including trades at villages, exploration, and fishing. However, after many years, we are finally able to make a saddle for ourselves and we will show you exactly how to do it.
How to craft a saddle
As of May 2025, crafting a saddle in Minecraft is only an option in the snapshot test version of the game. However, it is expected to be included into the full game this summer. Either way, this is how making a saddle will work.
Step 1: Collect three leather.
Step 2: Collect one iron ingot.
Step 3: At a crafting table, place the iron ingot in the bottom middle square and the three leather pieces above and beside it as shown in the picture above.
Step 4: Take the saddle from the output.
Step 5: You can now put your saddle on any compatible animal you wish, but there's also a new feature where you can remove it from a pig without resorting to killing it. If you have some sheers, you can safely remove it from a pig by using them on the pig to collect the saddle and use it on another mount.
How to trade for a saddle
While crafting a saddle is still the easiest way to get them, you can still obtain one via trading.
Step 1: Find a village and look for the leatherworker.
Step 2: You’ll need to level up the villager, however, as it won’t offer a saddle until it reaches Level 3. This is accomplished by trading emeralds, leather, rabbit hide, flint, and whatever else the villager wants.
Step 3: Once you get the leatherworker to Level 5 (Master), your chance of acquiring a saddle jumps up to 50%.
How to find saddles in chests
If you don’t want to craft or spend the time to level up a Leatherworker, your next best bet is to head out and find a saddle packed into a chest. Luckily for you, there are plenty of places to look. Unfortunately, you’re not guaranteed a saddle each time you crack open a chest. Below we provide the locations and your chances of finding a saddle in percentages.
- Abandoned mineshafts (percentage unknown)
- Desert temples (23.5%)
- Dungeons (27.9%)
- End City (13.3%)
- Jungle temples (12.9%)
- Nether Fortress (35.3%)
- Strongholds (2.5%)
How to get a saddle from fishing
This is the least likely method to produce a saddle, with a 0.8% chance. Simply fish like you would for a normal fish and just hope that you end up pulling a saddle out of the water.
How to use a saddle
You didn’t go through all this trouble just for a conversation piece. Slap that saddle on a horse and giddy-up!
Step 1: Make sure you are empty-handed and interact with the horse.
Step 2: The horse may or may not try to buck you off. If it does, repeat step 1 until the horse gives up.
Step 3: While still sitting on the horse, open your inventory. You should see the horse’s inventory combined with yours. Drag the saddle from your inventory up into the top square with a gray saddle icon. Once it’s applied, the horse icon will change.
Now that you have a saddle on the horse, you can steer it wherever you like.
