To tame a horse in Minecraft, you just need to find one, keep mounting it until it accepts you, and then use a saddle to control it.

Step-by-step: how to tame a horse in Minecraft

  1. Find a horse
    • Horses spawn in Plains and Savanna biomes, often in small herds.
 * Villages can also generate with stables containing horses.
  1. Empty your hand
    • Put an item you don’t need away so you have at least one empty hotbar slot.
    • You should interact with the horse using an empty hand or an item that doesn’t have a special use on horses.
  1. Mount the horse
    • Java Edition: Right-click the horse.
    • Bedrock (controller): Use the “interact / mount” button (for example, L2/Left Trigger on PlayStation/Xbox).
 * Your character will sit on the horse, but at first the horse will probably buck you off.
  1. Keep trying until you see hearts
    • Every time you get on, the game checks a hidden “temper” value for that horse.
 * If the temper is too low, the horse throws you off; each attempt increases its temper, making it more likely to accept you next time.

 * Just keep mounting over and over; once the horse is tamed, **red hearts** will appear above it.
  1. (Optional) Make taming faster with food
    • You can feed the horse some of its favorite foods (like apples, wheat, or golden apples/carrots) to increase its temper before or between attempts, which speeds up taming.
  1. Add a saddle so you can steer
    • A tamed horse still can’t be controlled until you put a saddle on it.
 * Open the horse’s inventory while riding:
   * Java: Press the inventory key (default E) while mounted.
   * Bedrock: Use “Open inventory” button shown on screen.
 * Place a **saddle** in the saddle slot; now you can steer, sprint, and jump with the horse.
  1. (Optional) Add horse armor and name it
    • Put horse armor in the armor slot to give it extra protection and a different look.
 * Use a name tag on an anvil, then right-click/use it on the horse to name your new companion.
  1. (Optional) Tie your horse and keep it safe
    • Use a lead on the horse, then attach the lead to a fence post so it doesn’t wander away from your base.

Tiny story version

You spot a horse on the plains, walk up with empty hands, and hop on.
It instantly throws you into the grass. You climb back on. Thrown again. You feed it an apple, try one more time—and suddenly a ring of hearts pops into the air. Now you open its inventory, strap on a saddle, and ride off across the biome with your new tamed horse, jumping rivers and racing the sunset.

Quick FAQ

  • Do I have to feed a horse to tame it?
    No, you can tame a horse just by repeatedly mounting it, though food can make it faster.
  • Can I craft a saddle?
    No; saddles can’t be crafted. You must find them in loot chests (dungeons, temples, villages, etc.) or other non-crafting methods.
  • How do I choose a “good” horse?
    Different horses have different speed and jump heights. Many guides recommend trying several horses and keeping the faster, higher-jumping ones.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.