Feeding horses in Minecraft plays a part in a few key features. The most important is so that its health doesn’t reach zero due to hunger, just like your own. Other than that, unless fed regularly, you can’t expect to ride it into your adventures, which means your in-game exploration will be slower. Furthermore, food alters their behavior, makes Minecraft horse breeding possible, and speeds up the growth of a baby horse into an adult horse. Both of these situations are ideal times to do it, especially you have a Saddle already. Now, let’s answer, “what do horses eat in Minecraft?”
Horses in Minecraft eat these things
The following table represents the foods you can feed a horse, how much health it regenerates, and how much the growth of a baby horse (foal) is sped up by feeding.
| Item Name | Health Restored | Growth Speed Acceleration |
|---|---|---|
| Sugar | 1 health point (0.5 ♥) | 30 seconds |
| Wheat | 2 health points (1 ♥) | 20 seconds |
| Apple | 3 health points (1.5 ♥) | 1 minute |
| Golden Carrot | 4 health points (2 ♥) | 1 minute |
| Golden Apple | 10 health points (5 ♥) | 4 minutes |
| Enchanted Golden Apple | 10 health points (5 ♥) | 4 minutes |
| Hay Bale | 20 health points (10 ♥) | 3 minutes |
Things to keep in mind
Here are 3 things you should know about feeding a Minecraft horse:
- You can only do it when the horse is hungry e.g. its health is missing.
- Giving food that exceeds its missing health amount will only heal the horse to full health, with no other benefits.
- You cannot feed a Hay Bale to an untamed horse in Minecraft.
What does Skeleton horse eat in Minecraft?
Skeleton horse in Minecraft cannot be fed. It is an undead creature that can be tamed, ridden, and equipped. These zombie horses regenerate health automatically over time. You can use direct healing items, however. One example includes the Potion of Regeneration.
How to feed a horse in Minecraft
Did you read our guide to tame and ride a horse in Minecraft? If you haven’t, it’s something to consider doing afterward. If you have, you’re familiar with how to find a horse in the first place. Additionally, the in-game controls to give the food to a horse are almost identical to the mounting one. In fact, they’re identical to carving a pumpkin in Minecraft in Survival Mode. Use the same instructions as mentioned in step 3, except while holding any of the food items instead of Shears. Unlike Shears, a food item will be consumed (disappear) one by one.