Can Horses Wear Elytra in Minecraft? The Ultimate Guide
The short answer is: no, horses cannot wear elytra in vanilla Minecraft. While you can adorn yourself with these coveted wings, your equine companion is limited to armor and a saddle. However, the creative world of Minecraft offers solutions that give the illusion of a winged horse and other workarounds for a modified gameplay. Read on to uncover more!
The Reality of Horses and Elytra
While the image of a majestic pegasus soaring through the blocky skies of Minecraft is enticing, the base game simply doesn’t support horses equipping elytra. Horses have dedicated slots for horse armor (Leather, Iron, Gold, or Diamond, and with mods, Netherite) and a saddle, but no designated slot for attaching wings. You can’t directly “put” an elytra on a horse through standard game mechanics or commands.
The closest you can get within the game is to use commands like /give to equip yourself with elytra. While this won’t give your horse wings, it does allow you to fly alongside your trusty steed, creating the appearance of a partnered flight.
Exploring Alternatives and Illusions
While a true winged horse remains beyond the reach of vanilla Minecraft, the game’s open-ended nature encourages creative solutions and exploration of mods. Some popular approaches include:
- Mods: Many mods introduce new creatures, items, and mechanics to Minecraft. Some mods specifically add pegasus or winged horse entities, complete with the ability to fly. These mods often have unique crafting recipes, taming methods, and abilities.
- Resource Packs: Resource packs change the textures of existing items and blocks. While they don’t alter gameplay mechanics, they can be used to visually transform a horse to make them look like a pegasus. For example, you could replace the texture of horse armor with one that resembles feathery wings.
- Command Blocks and Redstone: For advanced players, command blocks and redstone contraptions offer incredible customization potential. You could potentially create a system that teleports a horse along a pre-defined path while the player is flying, simulating flight. This is complex but possible.
Why Horses Can’t Wear Elytra: A Technical Perspective
The limitation stems from the game’s entity data structure. Each entity in Minecraft (horses, players, zombies, etc.) has specific data associated with it, including what items it can wear and what slots are available. Horses are programmed to recognize armor and saddles, but not elytra. This is a deliberate design choice by the developers.
Furthermore, the elytra’s functionality is tied to the player’s character controls. The game is designed for a player-controlled entity to glide when wearing elytra. Implementing the same mechanic for a horse, an entity not usually designed for in-air movement, would require significant re-engineering of the game’s physics and control systems.
A Word About Elytra in Real Life
It’s interesting to note the real-world inspiration for elytra. In the real world, elytra are the hardened forewings of beetles. They serve as a protective covering for the delicate hind wings, which are used for flight. While they provide protection, they aren’t used in flying themselves.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Horses and Elytra
1. What can horses wear in Minecraft?
Horses can wear horse armor (Leather, Iron, Gold, or Diamond, and with mods, Netherite) and a saddle. The saddle allows the player to ride and control the horse’s movement, while the armor provides additional protection from damage.
2. Is there a cheat command to put wings on a horse?
No, there is no built-in cheat command to directly add wings to a horse in Minecraft. You can use the /give command to give yourself an elytra, but you can’t apply it to a horse.
3. How do I get a Netherite horse armor?
In vanilla Minecraft, you can’t craft Netherite horse armor. However, many mods add this functionality. The most common method involves combining Diamond Horse Armor and a Netherite Ingot at a Smithing Table.
4. Can horses fly in Minecraft?
Without mods or external tools, horses cannot naturally fly in Minecraft. They can jump to significant heights, but they are bound to the ground.
5. What is the rarest horse color in Minecraft?
The Skeleton Horse is considered the rarest horse variant. They don’t spawn naturally; they appear as part of a “skeleton trap” during thunderstorms, and are rideable by skeletons.
6. How do you breed horses in Minecraft?
To breed horses, you need to tame two horses first. Then, feed each horse either a Golden Apple or a Golden Carrot. This will activate “love mode” and, after a few moments, a baby horse (foal) will appear.
7. How do you tame a horse in Minecraft?
To tame a horse, repeatedly attempt to mount it by right-clicking on it. It will buck you off several times until it accepts you as its rider. Feeding the horse apples, golden apples, or golden carrots can increase your chances of taming it.
8. Do horses take fall damage in Minecraft?
Yes, horses do take fall damage in Minecraft. The amount of damage they take depends on the height of the fall. Horse armor can help reduce fall damage.
9. What do I need to ride a horse?
You need a saddle to ride a horse and control its movement. Without a saddle, you can still mount a horse, but you won’t be able to steer it.
10. Can I dye leather horse armor?
Yes, you can dye leather horse armor in Minecraft. Simply combine the leather horse armor with dye in a crafting table.
11. Where can I find mods that add winged horses?
Several websites host Minecraft mods, including CurseForge, Planet Minecraft, and Modrinth. Search for terms like “pegasus mod,” “winged horse mod,” or “flying horse mod.” Always download mods from reputable sources to avoid malware. The Games Learning Society has additional resources you may find useful. Visit GamesLearningSociety.org to explore more.
12. Are there any data packs that can create a flying horse?
Yes, some data packs may offer creative solutions to simulate a flying horse. These often use command block logic to teleport the horse while the player flies, creating an illusion. Search for “flying horse data pack” to find available options.
13. Can Piglins give Netherite horse armor?
Piglins will be interested in Golden armor. While they are not likely to give Netherite armor to a player, it is not outside the realm of possibilities that you can trade golden armor for a high value item.
14. How can I pronounce Elytra?
The pronunciation given by Merriam-Webster is ˈe-lə-trə, which translates to /ˈɛlətrə/ in IPA. (In fact, many dictionaries don’t list this word at all.) /ɪˈliːtrə/ (or /əˈliːtrə/).
15. Does Elytra wear out?
An Elytra has a durability of 431 points. The durability of an Elytra will decrease by one point for every second it is being used in flight. When the durability of the Elytra reaches 1 point, it will stop working completely.
Conclusion: The Pegasus Dream Lives On
While horses can’t equip elytra in vanilla Minecraft, the game’s modding community and creative possibilities offer pathways to realize the dream of riding a pegasus across the digital landscape. Whether you choose to embrace mods, resource packs, or command block wizardry, the power to soar through the skies with your equine companion is within your grasp.