Goats vs Horses in Minecraft 1.17 version: How different are the two mobs?

Goats and horses are two of many real-life animals implemented into Minecraft mobs. They were added at different stages of the game and in completely separate updates.

Horses were added as a key part of the 1.6 update, released almost eight years ago. Meanwhile, goats just made their debut in the latest 1.17 Minecraft Cliffs and Caves Part 1 update.

Although both mobs are four-legged, they are quite different in terms of behavior and functionality. This article highlights the main differences and similarities between the goat and the horse in Minecraft.

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Key differences between a goat and horse in Minecraft

There are certain mobs that players can mount and ride in Minecraft. Horses are an example of such a mob and can easily be mounted by players using a saddle.

Goats, on the other hand, cannot be ridden and can barely even be tamed. They display highly unique taming properties that are different from any other mob in the game.

Players can somewhat tame a goat by feeding it 5 wheat. If the goat "likes" the player, it will become tamed. However, if it doesn't, it will simply attack the player.

Armor can also be applied to horses with iron, gold and diamond tiers. This is not possible with goats, as armor cannot be applied to them.

Unlike horses, goats have the ability to be milked. Players can drink this milk to remove all status effects.

A horse in Minecraft wearing diamond armor

Finally, the biomes in which goats and horses spawn are also different. Horses spawn exclusively in plains and savanna biomes, whereas goats spawn in mountainous areas.

Similarities between a goat and horse in Minecraft

One similarity between goats and horses is that they both drop 1-3 XP when killed. 1-7 XP is also dropped when they are successfully bred.

Another similarity is that both goats and horses spawn in groups, emulating the real-life behavior of their herd animal nature. Horses spawn in groups of 2-6, while goats spawn in groups of 2-3.

Finally, feeding baby goats and baby horses yields the exact same growth stimulus effect on both animals.

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