While running around the map in Minecraft is definitely an easy way to get from A to B, eventually, you’re going to want to start moving a bit faster, especially if you want to alternate between biomes, or when you’re undertaking a speedrun and can’t waste any time.
Luckily, acquiring a saddle is not only very easy, but there are actually plenty of ways you can use one to make a few animal companions of your own.
Here is how you can find a saddle in your world, and what you can actually do with one once you have it stored in your inventory.
Is It Possible To Craft A Saddle?
It should be known that in standard or vanilla versions of Minecraft, you will not be able to craft a saddle in the game, meaning to acquire one, you will need to find it while exploring across the world.
Of course, you can still use creative mode to spawn them, or you can simply use mods or a data pack to be able to grant you access to crafting them. However even if you’re playing the most recently updated version of Minecraft without any mods, the saddle will still be one of the rare items in the game that cannot be crafted.
How To Acquire A Saddle
The good news is that while you can’t craft a saddle through a crafting table, there are still plenty of ways to acquire one, and while they can be a little tricky and will require you to do some exploring, it’s more than worth it considering how much easier saddles make the rest of the game.
Here are the different ways you can acquire a saddle in a regular game of Survival:
Find A Ravager
Ravagers are definitely one of the most threatening and dangerous mobs in the game and will often attack the player during a raid. They will even attack wandering traders and villagers, making them a real force to be reckoned with.
It should be noted that ravagers are a mob that will only spawn in the Overworld and are usually seen appearing close to villages, so it’s worth checking on the villagers every now and again to see if a raid occurs since they do appear fairly frequently.
If you do manage to kill a ravager however, they will drop a saddle, so if you have a few enchanted weapons and potions at the ready, you might want to hunt down these fearsome beasts to acquire a saddle.
Loot Chests
There are plenty of areas where you can loot chests and have a high chance of finding a saddle. These areas are:
- Dungeons
- End Cities
- Desert Temples
- Nether Fortresses
- Jungle Temples
- Remnants Of A Bastion
- Villages
- Strongholds
Before you go venturing into the Nether Fortresses looking for a saddle, it can be worth looting all of the chests that you find in regular Overworld villages since these still have a low to moderate chance of containing at least one saddle, saving you a tremendous amount of time and effort.
Trade With Villagers
A player is able to purchase saddles from master-level leather workers in villages for 6-7 emeralds each, and while this can definitely seem pretty pricey, it is a much easier method if you have already done a good amount of mining in the Overworld and aren’t prepared to venture into the Nether just yet.
The amount of emeralds you will have to pay varies since there is a 50/50 chance it will be either 6 or 7, although with that being said, a player will still need to level up a villager to become a master-level leatherworker if they want to be able to buy a saddle from them.
To do this, simply find a villager with a brown apron and gloves, or if you find an unemployed villager, place a cauldron down next to them which will function as their “career block,” and they will then become a leather worker.
As you trade emeralds with them over time, they will level up their profession and offer more valuable goods to the player, until eventually, they will be able to sell saddles once they become a master.
Fishing
Fishing for a saddle may sound a little strange at first, but it has been proven to work, though keep in mind it is definitely the least-efficient method of acquiring a saddle since there is less than a 1% chance you can hook one out of the water.
If you use a Luck of the Sea III Enchantment, your odds will be a little better, but this is still a method you should only use if you have plenty of spare enchantments to go around or if you’re struggling with finding any nearby villages.
What Animals Can You Ride With A Saddle?
When using a saddle on certain animals, players will not only have the option to ride the animal, making for a speedy way to get around the map, but they will also tame the animal, making them their own personal companion who will follow them around the world.
Here is a list of all the animals you can ride with a saddle, and the extra requirements that must be met in order to tame each one.
- horses/Mules – As soon as you place a saddle on a horse or mule’s back and hop on it, it will be tamed, although it might buck you off a few times before it feels comfortable around you.
- Pigs – Use a saddle and a carrot on a stick to tame a pig.
- Striders – Found in the Nether, these strange-looking creatures can be tamed using a saddle and a warped fungus on a stick.
- Donkeys – Donkeys can be tamed after riding them 3-4 times.
Summary
While you cannot technically craft a saddle in a game of Minecraft without using any data packs or mods, there are still plenty of ways to find them so that you can start traveling across the map far faster than before.
This guide should get you on your way with saddles in Minecraft. Best of luck on your journey!
