Minecraft first captured the hearts of gamers when it became publicly available in May 2009. By the following year, its popularity surged, accompanied by frequent updates that introduced a plethora of new features. Among these updates in 2010 was the addition of saddles, enabling players to ride pigs and, later on, horses. Interestingly, despite the game’s emphasis on crafting, players could not create saddles themselves; they had to embark on explorations to find them. Fast forward 15 years, and this limitation is finally being lifted.
Exciting New Update
Earlier this week, Minecraft developer Mojang unveiled an upcoming update that has sparked excitement within the community. While the update introduces some fresh music to enhance the gaming experience, the highlight is the long-awaited ability for players to craft saddles. For nearly two decades, acquiring a saddle without the aid of mods or cheats meant relying solely on chance encounters in chests or dungeons.
For the past 15 years, players have faced the frustration of searching endlessly for this essential item, which allows for the riding of pigs and horses—though the latter was only introduced in 2013. In a blog post announcing the update, Mojang acknowledged the longstanding grievances of fans regarding the non-craftable status of saddles.
“Gone are the days of endlessly scouring the Overworld’s chests just so you can tell your steed to go left,” remarked Mojang’s senior creative writer, Cristina Anderca. “Now you can simply craft a saddle using 3 leather and 1 iron ingot. Want to give your pig a frolic break? Simply remove the saddle by shearing it. It’ll pop off, ready to be stored, put on another mount, or pointlessly carried in your inventory until you remember it’s there.”
While some veteran players have humorously pointed out that saddles and horse riding may seem trivial given the existence of faster modes of transportation within Minecraft, many are nonetheless pleased to see the introduction of craftable saddles. It has always seemed somewhat absurd that players could construct elaborate castles, swords, and armor, yet were unable to create a simple saddle. This new recipe is straightforward, allowing new players or those starting fresh worlds to utilize horses for travel more readily, without the need for luck. Indeed, it marks the end of an era in the beloved game.
