Mojang has begun testing Netherite horse armor as the final addition to Mounts of Mayhem, meaning your trusty steed can now wear the toughest armor tier the game offers.
This update moves horse protection up a notch from Diamond to Netherite, so if you like charging mobs while mounted, the upgrade matters. The feature appears in an announcement on the official Minecraft site and is being trialed as part of the Mounts of Mayhem testing cycle. Why Netherite for horses matters – Netherite brings the same traits players have long loved: higher durability and better protection, plus the lava resistance that makes the material feel appropriately metal. For players who use horses in combat or prefer riding through hazardous terrain, that extra toughness reduces the teeth-gnashing moments when a risky crossing or a surprise blaze attack goes sideways.
The Netherite horse armor lands after several recent additions to Mounts of Mayhem, following weapon tweaks and a batch of new mounts and mobs. If you missed the earlier steps in the preview process, see the Minecraft Preview Update 1.80 coverage for the copper horse armor and other fixes. There’s a short clip attached to the announcement that shows the new armor on a horse, which gives a quick sense of scale and how it looks in motion.
For those keeping score, the recent testing run also introduced changes like a heavier spear weapon, new mounts such as the nautilus, and a few desert-themed mobs. Mounts can now swim across water, which alongside Netherite armor nudges the whole experience toward a more resilient and combat-ready riding game. Expect the usual testing caveats – things in the trial can change before hitting release. If you want to try the new armor now, look for the official test instructions on the Minecraft site and slot it into your playthrough carefully, because nothing says mayhem like a fully armored horse charging into a horde.
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