New Minecraft snapshot introduces craftable saddles

Minecraft is a game about mining and crafting, which is evident from its name. However, there are many items that players cannot craft. These items must be obtained from chest loots, and while this mechanic makes sense for rare items, basic things such as the saddle are something that should be craftable. The saddle is required to ride a horse or a pig, and exploring the blocky world to find one without a ride seems counterintuitive.

However, things are finally changing as Mojang Studios just released the 25w20a snapshot for Minecraft Java Edition, and it allows players to make saddles. The snapshot also brings some other tweaks and improvements to the game. Here’s everything about the latest update.

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Minecraft saddles can now be crafted

Saddles can now be crafted (Image via Mojang Studios)

In the latest snapshot titled 25w20a, the developers have finally made the saddle craftable, something players have been asking for years. As mentioned in the official post by Mojang Studios, a saddle can be crafted using three leather and 1 iron ingot. The recipe also unlocks when the player obtains their first leather.

Another minor change made to the saddle is the process of removing it. Players can now remove the saddle from the mob by using a shear. However, there are some exceptions. For example, if a player is riding the mob, the shears won’t work. Saddles also cannot be removed using shears if the player is crouching. Furthermore, this method won't work if you want to remove a saddle from a ravager.

The developers are making some minor but substantial changes to the core gameplay mechanics with these updates. For years, it made no sense why saddles in Minecraft were not craftable. While this item was not very rare, it did take some effort to find multiple saddles. This became a big problem in multiplayer playthroughs, as only a few players would be able to ride their horses in the beginning.

Everything changes for the better with this new update. The second drop of the game is heavily focused on improving the exploration aspect of the game. This drop will also bring the much-awaited ghast variants. The happy ghast adds a flying mechanic that allows four players to fly around the world. It should also be noted that the happy ghast requires a harness to maneuver.

The ability to craft saddles ensures that the moment players find a horse, which is often at the beginning of the new world, they can craft a saddle, hop on the steed, and start exploring the blocky world of Minecraft.