Here’s How To Get a Saddle in Minecraft
Non-aggressive mobs in Minecraft such as pigs, camels, and horses can be used as a pretty efficient form of transportation when you’re exploring Minecraft’s vast world. However, riding them isn’t as easy as simply taming them and hopping on their backs. To ride mobs, you will need a saddle, and if you’re here, you’ve probably figured out that saddle cannot be crafted in the game at all. This is why we decided to create this guide on how to get a saddle in Minecraft and what’s the fastest way to obtain it.
Editor’s Note: This post was updated in November 2023 and reflects the most up-to-date mechanics in the game.
Why can’t saddles be crafted in Minecraft?
The exact reason why saddle can’t be crafted way never explained even though plenty of animals in the game can be tamed and ridden. In fact, you can’t ride animals at all if you don’t have a proper saddle.
The most logical explanation is that since saddles would be crafted by using simple leather parts, the developers likely wanted to gatekeep “riding” the animals until you’ve explored enough world and obtained the saddle.
Saddle drops in numerous chests across several landmarks in the world
Even though saddle cannot be crafted, it’s obtainable relatively easily if you’re exploring landmarks closest to you. Saddles can be found at the following locations:
- Dungeons
- Ancient cities
- Bastion Remnants
- Desert Temples
- End Cities
- Jungle Temples
- Nether Fortresses
- Strongholds
- Villages
Your highest chance of coming across a saddle is in Nether Forthress chest, the drop rate stands at 35.3 % meaning that if you come across several chests you’re likely to leave the location with at least one saddle.
As far as the lower drop rate goes, it’s in Strongholds. Stronghold altar chests have only a 2.5 % chance of dropping a saddle, meaning that you will likely leave Stronghold without one unless you are really lucky.
Alternative ways of obtaining a saddle
If you’re really not keen on exploring the world to be able to ride donkeys, horses, and camels there are several alternative ways to obtain a saddle.
Villages are good sources of saddles for several reasons. Weaponsmith’s chest has a 16.2 % of spawning a saddle, which is pretty much the same chance when compared to most of the locations on the above-mentioned list.
Savanna house chest has 11.3 % of dropping a saddle, which are once again pretty good odds when you take into account that basically no work is involved, especially if you happen to come across a savanna village that has a weaponsmith.
However, you’re highest chances of obtaining a saddle from a village come from Tanner’s chest. Tanners work with leather so it makes sense that the chances are highest standing at 17.3 %.
You might also get extremely lucky and fish out a saddle, your base chance of getting one during your fishing trip stands at 0.8%, and this percentage does not take enchantments into account.
Mobs such as striders and ravagers will also drop their saddles upon their death, the same goes for your mobs that were equipped with saddles upon death. The saddle is rarely lost.
In Minecraft Bedrock Edition, master-level leatherworker villagers have a 50% chance to sell a saddle for 6 emeralds as part of their trade. In Java Edition, this trade is always offered by master-level leatherworker villagers.
The fastest way to get saddle
Based on everything we’ve stated so far, it’s clear that the fastest way to obtain a saddle is to simply purchase it (if you have the means) from master-level leatherworker villagers.
However, if you have no moral qualms about cheating you can always add yourself a saddle through commands by using /give @p Minecraft:saddle 1 .
Also, explore as many village chests as possible, especially if you find yourself in the savanna biome.
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