Zombie horse vs skeleton horse in Minecraft: How different are the two mobs?

Zombie horses and skeleton horses are two variants of the horse mob in Minecraft. They're both undead varieties of the horse, and they have several similarities.

However, they've got some key differences from each other as well as the regular horse mob. Here's everything players need to know about zombie horses and skeleton horses in Minecraft.

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Zombie horses vs skeleton horses in Minecraft: A complete guide

Since these are both variants of the horse mob, there are considerable similarities between the two. Obviously, they can both be ridden in Minecraft to much greater speeds than walking or running. They're four-legged and exist in the game, but that's where the similarities stop. Conversely, they have tons of differences.

For starters, they're both based on hostile mobs, but different ones: a zombie and a skeleton. The zombie horse is green and mirrors the esthetic of a zombie, and the skeleton is pure white with only bones showing.

Skeletons and zombies are the basis for these two horses. Image via Minecraft

Additionally, the skeleton horse can be ridden with or without a saddle. If players come upon a skeleton horse they can ride it immediately. A zombie horse, on the other hand, needs a saddle.

Skeleton horses can naturally spawn in Minecraft. They occur when a horse is struck by lightning within a certain distance of an active player. Zombie horses don't occur naturally and must be summoned or spawned by the player.

The skeleton horse is also a bit faster than the zombie horse, which makes sense given that zombies are notoriously slow. A skeleton horse will drop bones when killed, as well as a bit of XP. Zombie horses will drop XP as well, along with a few pieces of rotten flesh.

Zombie horses are spawned with a health of 15, speed of 0.2, and have a jump strength ranging from 0.4–1.0. On the other hand, since the skeleton horse is an actual horse, it will keep the original stats of the horse it once was.