Horse vs Donkey: How different are the two Minecraft mobs?

Horses are a passive mob in Minecraft and are one of the few mobs in the game whom players can tame and ride. They spawn naturally in Minecraft's plains and savanna biomes, and can be found in herds of two to six. Horses can appear in a wide variety of colors and patterns, with a few distinct variants.

With long ears and gray coats, donkeys are one such variant. Players can tame and ride donkeys like any other Minecraft horse, but there are still some differences between the two.

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Minecraft Horse vs. Donkey: Similarities and differences

An image of a Minecraft donkey equipped with a saddle and chest (Image via Minecraft)

Similarities

1) Behavior

Horses and donkeys are both tamed in the same way. Players can tame one of the mobs by repeatedly mounting a horse or donkey until it stops bucking them off, at which point hearts should appear briefly above the mob.

Neither untamed horses nor donkeys can be bred, given equipment, or controlled while riding. Tamed horses and donkeys can both be equipped with saddles, which allows players to ride them.

2) Breeding

Horses and donkeys can both be bred by being fed golden carrots, golden apples, or enchanted golden apples. Two horses can be bred to produce a baby horse. Similarly, two donkeys bred together will produce a baby donkey.

Horses and donkeys can also be bred together. Cross-breeding these two mobs will produce a baby mule. This unlocks the Artificial Selection achievement. Mature mules are unable to breed.

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Differences

An image of an armored Minecraft horse standing in the rain (Image via Minecraft)

1) Appearance

While Minecraft horses can have a variety of coat colors and patterns, donkeys are more or less identical. Donkeys are also slightly more miniature than regular horses. They have taller ears, and manes that don't visibly stick off the back of their heads.

2) Spawning

While horses and donkeys both spawn in Minecraft's plains and savanna biomes, donkey herds are a little bit smaller. Players will only find one donkey per spawn in savanna biomes, or up to three in the game's plains.

3) Equippability

Horses have two equipable item slots available. One slot is for a saddle, and one is for horse armor. Horses equipped with this armor are granted additional protection and an armored appearance.

Donkeys cannot be equipped with horse armor. They can, however, be equipped with chests. This gives players an additional in-game inventory that they can access, and makes traveling by donkey one of the most efficient ways for players to transport items over long distances.

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Regardless of how similar or different these mobs may be, horses and donkeys remain one of Minecraft's most useful and unique creatures and have rightfully earned their place in the hearts of many Minecraft players.