Release Date: July 1, 2013
Version: Java Edition 1.6.1
The Horse Update (Java Edition 1.6.1) was a major update that introduced rideable horses and several new features to Minecraft. Players also gained access to donkeys, mules, leads, horse armor, coal blocks, carpets, and a fully revamped resource pack system. Additionally, this update brought a new launcher and various gameplay improvements.
Development
Work on the Horse Update began shortly after the release of version 1.5.1. During its development, 18 snapshots were released, ranging from 13w16a to 13w26a. The focus towards the end of development shifted from adding new content to fixing bugs. Pre-releases were made available on June 25 and June 28, 2013, prior to the final launch. A fun Easter egg was included: mobs named “Dinnerbone” or “Grumm” appeared upside down.
Key Features
New Blocks:
- Block of Coal: Crafted from nine coal pieces; also works as fuel for smelting 80 items per block.
- Carpet: Made from two wool blocks; can be placed on any surface.
- Hardened Clay (Terracotta) & Stained Terracotta: Obtained by smelting clay and applying dyes.
- Hay Bale: Crafted from wheat; used for feeding horses.
New Items:
- Horse Armor: Available in iron, gold, and diamond; provides protection for horses.
- Lead: Crafted from string and slimeball; used to leash mobs.
- Name Tag: Found in dungeons; allows renaming mobs so they do not despawn.
New Mobs:
- Horses: Rideable in plains, tamed by repeatedly riding or feeding specific items. Can wear saddles and armor, with stats varying by individual.
- Donkeys & Mules: Rideable, with donkeys able to carry chests. Mules are bred from horses and donkeys.
- Skeleton and Zombie Horses: Obtainable via third-party tools; considered undead mobs.
Gameplay Updates:
- Resource Packs: Replaced texture packs, allowing customization of textures, sounds, music, fonts, text, and languages.
- New Effects: Absorption (from golden apples), Health Boost, and Saturation effects added.
- Item & Entity Attributes: Improved gameplay mechanics, including commands and sub-commands for
/gamerule.
Other Changes:
- Enhanced launcher with auto-update functionality.
- Improved chat system and mob-riding mechanics.
- Zombies gained longer targeting distance and summoning abilities.
- Villager sounds added, and several blocks were retextured.
Further Revisions
- 1.6.2: Introduced baby zombies and baby zombie pigmen spawning.
- 1.6.4: Fixed a bug where structures weren’t being saved properly.
Trivia
- Last version using the third launcher.
- First Minecraft version capable of auto-updating.
- Update poster featured the “nitwit” villager and an iron golem.