Anime Last Stand Tier List (December 2025) Best Units Ranked
Welcome to the most comprehensive Anime Last Stand tier list you’ll find anywhere! I’ve spent countless hours analyzing every unit…
Zombie horses are finally making their survival mode debut in Minecraft with the upcoming Mounts of Mayhem game drop, and I couldn’t be more excited to share everything you need to know about finding, taming, and riding these undead steeds. After years of being stuck behind commands and spawn eggs, these eerie mounts are galloping into the game as naturally spawning creatures that you can actually tame and ride through the Overworld.
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Spawn Locations | Plains and Savanna biomes (night only) |
| Taming Method | Defeat zombie rider, feed red mushrooms, mount repeatedly |
| Equipment Needed | Red mushrooms, saddle, horse armor (optional) |
| Special Note | Burns in sunlight without horse armor |
Taming a zombie horse in the Mounts of Mayhem update is completely different from previous Minecraft versions. These undead mounts spawn naturally during nighttime in specific biomes, always accompanied by a hostile zombie jockey wielding an iron spear. The taming process requires defeating this rider first, then building trust with the zombie horse through feeding and patience.
Before you can tame a zombie horse, you need to know where to look. Unlike regular horses that spawn freely during the day, zombie horses have very specific spawning requirements that make them a rare and valuable find.
Spawn Biomes for Zombie Horses:
Zombie horses only spawn during nighttime at light level 0, making them a creature of darkness. With a spawn rate of just 0.96%, finding one is like discovering treasure in the night. They never spawn in peaceful mode, and they always appear as part of a zombie horseman – a zombie wielding an iron spear mounted on the zombie horse.
Pro Tip: Set up a base near plains or savanna biomes and patrol these areas during the night. The zombie horseman is hostile and will actively pursue you, so be prepared for combat before you can begin the taming process.
Now that you’ve found a zombie horse, here’s exactly how to tame it and make it your loyal mount.
The zombie rider controlling the horse is hostile and will attack you on sight. The zombie horse itself is passive, but the rider makes the entire entity hostile. You must eliminate the zombie rider before you can interact with the horse. Be careful – these zombies wield iron spears and can deal significant damage, especially from mounted charge attacks.
Once the rider is defeated, approach the now-passive zombie horse. Feed it red mushrooms by holding them in your hand and right-clicking (Java) or using the interact button (Bedrock) on the horse. Red mushrooms heal the zombie horse’s health, making it more receptive to taming.
After feeding, mount the horse by right-clicking (Java) or pressing the mount button (Bedrock). The horse will rear up and throw you off after a few seconds – this is completely normal. Each zombie horse has a “temper” value ranging from 0 to 99. Every time you mount it, the temper increases by 5 points. Once the temper exceeds 99, the horse becomes tamed, and you’ll see red hearts appear around it.
Keep mounting the zombie horse repeatedly. It typically takes several attempts (anywhere from 5 to 20 tries depending on the initial temper value) before the horse is fully tamed. Be patient and persistent – each mount brings you closer to success.
Once tamed, you can mount the zombie horse, but you won’t be able to control its movements yet. To gain full control, equip the horse with a saddle. Hold the saddle in your hand and right-click the horse, or mount the horse and press E (Java) to open its inventory, then drag the saddle into the saddle slot.
After successfully taming and saddling your zombie horse, you’re ready to ride through the Overworld. Here’s what you need to know about riding mechanics and special features.
Basic Riding Controls:
Unique Zombie Horse Features:
Zombie horses have a charging jump mechanic similar to camels and nautilus mobs. Hold the jump button to charge up a powerful leap, then release to dash forward with increased speed. This makes them excellent for covering large distances quickly or escaping dangerous situations.
Important: Sunlight Burns Zombie Horses
This is critical – zombie horses are undead mobs and will burn in direct sunlight, taking continuous fire damage during the day. To prevent this, you must equip your zombie horse with horse armor. Horse armor protects the zombie horse from sunlight damage, allowing you to ride it safely even during daytime.
Where to Find Horse Armor:
Equipping Horse Armor:
Open the zombie horse’s inventory (press E while mounted or right-click with an empty hand) and place the horse armor in the armor slot below the saddle slot.
Understanding your zombie horse’s capabilities helps you use it effectively in different situations.
Health and Speed:
Special Zombie Horse Traits:
Transportation Advantages:
Zombie horses are one of the fastest transportation methods in Minecraft. They can climb one-block-high slopes automatically, jump over fences, and navigate difficult terrain with ease. The combination of speed, jumping ability, and the charging dash mechanic makes them excellent for exploration and travel.
Based on my extensive experience with zombie horses, here are the most common mistakes players make and how to avoid them.
Mistake 1: Fighting at Night Without Preparation
Zombie horsemen spawn at night in dark areas, often alongside other hostile mobs. Trying to isolate and defeat the zombie rider while being swarmed by skeletons, creepers, and regular zombies is a recipe for disaster.
Solution: Bring torches to create a safe zone around the zombie horse encounter. Light up the immediate area to prevent other mobs from spawning nearby, giving you space to focus on the zombie rider.
Mistake 2: Forgetting Red Mushrooms
Some players try to tame zombie horses like regular horses using sugar, wheat, or apples. This doesn’t work – zombie horses specifically require red mushrooms for healing and building trust.
Solution: Always carry at least 10-15 red mushrooms when hunting for zombie horses. Red mushrooms are found in dark forests, swamp biomes, and mushroom islands.
Mistake 3: Not Equipping Horse Armor Immediately
I’ve seen countless players lose their newly tamed zombie horses because they forgot about the sunlight burning mechanic. As soon as dawn breaks, unprotected zombie horses start taking fire damage and can die within minutes.
Solution: Equip horse armor as soon as you successfully tame the zombie horse, even before you start riding it. Don’t risk losing your mount to a sunrise you didn’t see coming.
Mistake 4: Riding Into Water Too Deep
While zombie horses can breathe underwater, they’re not particularly fast swimmers. Getting caught in deep ocean biomes can leave you vulnerable to drowned attacks, especially since drowned now spawn riding zombie nautilus mobs in the Mounts of Mayhem update.
Solution: Use zombie horses primarily for overworld land travel. When crossing water, stick to shallow rivers and coastal areas where you can quickly reach land if needed.
Mistake 5: Expecting Zombie Horses to Breed
Unlike regular horses, zombie horses cannot breed. There’s no way to create baby zombie horses through breeding mechanics.
Solution: If you want multiple zombie horses, you’ll need to find and tame each one individually. Consider this when planning your mob collection strategies.
Once you’ve mastered the basics, these advanced strategies will help you get the most out of your zombie horse.
Strategy 1: Create a Protected Stable
Build a covered stable with a roof to house your zombie horse safely. Even with horse armor, it’s better to keep your zombie horse in a protected area during the day. Use fences or walls to prevent it from wandering, and ensure the stable has adequate lighting to prevent hostile mob spawns inside.
Strategy 2: Use Name Tags for Permanent Ownership
Apply a name tag to your zombie horse to prevent it from despawning. Named mobs never despawn, ensuring your hard-earned mount stays with you permanently. Find name tags in dungeon chests, mineshaft chests, or through fishing.
Strategy 3: Combine With Combat Gear
The new spear weapon introduced in Mounts of Mayhem is designed specifically for mounted combat. The spear’s damage scales with your movement speed, making it devastatingly effective when charging on a zombie horse. Equip a diamond or Netherite spear and use the charging dash mechanic to deliver massive damage to enemies.
Strategy 4: Set Up Zombie Horse Hunting Outposts
Since zombie horses have such a low spawn rate, create small outposts in plains and savanna biomes specifically for hunting them. Stock these outposts with:
Strategy 5: Use Zombie Horses for Nether Travel
Zombie horses are immune to fire damage like other undead mobs, making them surprisingly effective for Nether travel. While you can’t breed them in the Nether, you can bring a tamed and saddled zombie horse through a portal and use it to navigate the dangerous Nether terrain safely.
Let’s compare zombie horses to regular horses to help you decide which mount suits your playstyle.
Advantages of Zombie Horses:
Advantages of Regular Horses:
My Recommendation:
For general transportation and breeding programs, regular horses remain the better choice. However, zombie horses excel in specific situations like Nether exploration, underwater travel, and aesthetic preferences. If you value uniqueness and don’t mind the extra maintenance (horse armor requirement), zombie horses are an excellent addition to your stable.
The zombie horse taming mechanics differ slightly between Minecraft platforms.
Java Edition:
/summon minecraft:zombie_horse ~ ~ ~ {Tame:1b}Bedrock Edition:
Console Editions (Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo Switch):
Problem: Zombie Horse Disappeared After Taming
Solution: Zombie horses can still despawn if not properly secured. Always use a name tag immediately after taming to prevent despawning. If you didn’t name it and moved far away, it likely despawned.
Problem: Can’t Find Zombie Horses Despite Searching
Solution: The 0.96% spawn rate means zombie horses are incredibly rare. Try these techniques:
Problem: Zombie Horse Keeps Taking Damage During Day
Solution: This means the horse armor isn’t equipped properly or you forgot to equip it. Check the horse’s inventory and ensure armor is in the correct slot. If armor is equipped and damage continues, the armor may be damaged – replace it with fresh armor.
Problem: Can’t Control Zombie Horse After Taming
Solution: You likely forgot to equip a saddle. Taming allows you to mount the horse, but controlling its movement requires a saddle in the saddle slot. Craft or find a saddle and equip it.
Problem: Zombie Horse Won’t Accept Red Mushrooms
Solution: The zombie horse may already be at full health. Horses only accept food when they’re damaged or hungry. Try taking the horse into combat to reduce its health, then feed it red mushrooms.
No, zombie horses cannot be bred. Unlike regular horses, zombie horses are undead mobs and lack breeding mechanics entirely. The only way to obtain additional zombie horses is to find and tame more naturally spawning zombie horsemen during nighttime in plains or savanna biomes.
Tamed zombie horses can still despawn if they’re not named with a name tag. To permanently secure your zombie horse, use a name tag obtained from dungeon chests, fishing, or trading with librarian villagers. Once named, the zombie horse will never despawn, even if you travel far away.
If your zombie horse dies, it drops rotten flesh and its equipped saddle if it had one. You cannot revive a dead zombie horse, and you’ll need to find and tame a new one. This is why protecting your zombie horse with horse armor and keeping it in a safe stable is crucial.
No, zombie horses are undead mobs with unique healing mechanics. They’re healed by Potions of Harming and damaged by Potions of Healing (opposite of normal mobs). During the taming process and for regular healing, feed them red mushrooms, which gradually restore their health.
Zombie horses have slightly lower average speed (0.225) compared to the fastest regular horses (which can reach 0.3375). However, zombie horses have the charging dash mechanic, which can make them feel faster for short bursts. Speed isn’t the main advantage – their undead properties and unique abilities are the real draw.
You can mount a tamed zombie horse without a saddle, but you cannot control its movement. The saddle is required to steer the horse, make it jump, and control where it goes. Without a saddle, you’ll just sit on the horse as it wanders randomly.
No, zombie horses do not burn in the Nether. As undead mobs, they’re immune to fire and lava damage. This makes them surprisingly effective mounts for Nether exploration, though you’ll need to use a Nether portal to bring them into the Nether dimension.
Zombie horses have a spawn rate of 0.96% in plains and savanna biomes during nighttime at light level 0. This makes them one of the rarest naturally spawning mobs in Minecraft. Expect to spend several nights searching before finding one, especially in smaller biome areas.
No, zombie horses only have one equipment slot for a saddle. They cannot equip chests like donkeys or mules. If you need storage capacity while traveling, consider using a donkey or mule instead, or carry items in your personal inventory.
Netherite horse armor provides the best protection for zombie horses, followed by diamond, gold, iron, and copper armor in descending order. Since the primary purpose of horse armor on zombie horses is sunlight protection rather than combat defense, even copper armor is sufficient for basic daytime riding.
Taming zombie horses in Minecraft’s Mounts of Mayhem update brings an exciting new dimension to the game. These undead mounts offer unique advantages like fire immunity, underwater breathing, and a distinctive appearance that sets them apart from regular horses. While they require more maintenance than standard horses (needing horse armor for sun protection), the effort is worthwhile for players who want something different from the typical Minecraft mount experience.
The key to success is patience during the search and taming process, always carrying red mushrooms, and immediately equipping horse armor after taming. With these strategies, you’ll have your own loyal zombie horse companion galloping through the Overworld, ready for whatever adventures await.
