Mojang Studios gives Minecraft’s stables a surprise twist in Snapshot 4 for version 26.1-introducing baby horse mobs with fresh animations, improved behavior, and a dose of cuteness that’s stealing the spotlight from the adult herd.
New Baby Horse Models Added in Minecraft 26.1 Snapshot 4
The 26.1 Snapshot 4 update introduces new baby horse models that bring more life and personality to Minecraft’s plains and villages. These updated designs feature smoother animations, refined proportions, and unique coat patterns that mirror their adult versions. Baby horses now interact more naturally with their environment and herds, adding a touch of realism and charm to breeding and exploration activities in the game.
The Minecraft 26.1 Snapshot 4 introduces an equestrian-themed makeover that focuses on baby horse mobs and their related variants.
As you head towards the villages or the plains region, you will see new models for the baby horses. These will ne now be smaller, cuter, and better proportioned compared to their adult counterparts. This remodelling is done for the following baby mobs in Minecraft:
- Horses
- Donkey
- Mule
- Zombie Horse
- Skeleton Horse
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Furthermore, the bounding box for the baby horses has been increased to properly match the new models. This also improves the interaction and movement accuracy in the game.
As you can see from the list above, the snapshot doesn’t stop at remodelling the horses alone. The baby donkeys and baby mules have received the same treatment. Also, you can see the same model updates being applied to a couple of undead baby mobs, such as the zombie horses and the skeleton horses. However, they can only spawn in the creative mode or using Minecraft commands.
Another notable change is the brand-new baby horse audio that adds an extra layer of realism. Now, it sounds more like a young, playful baby mob that is full of life. The wing texture of baby chickens has been improved as well.
How to install Minecraft 26.1 Snapshot 4
Here’s how to install and play Minecraft 26.1 Snapshot 4 (Java Edition) through the official launcher.
Enable snapshots in the launcher
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Open the Minecraft Launcher and sign in with your Mojang/Microsoft account.
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Go to the Installations tab at the top.
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In the top-right, enable Snapshots (toggle it on so snapshot versions are visible in the list). This is required to see versions like “26.1-snapshot-4”.
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Confirm any warning about testing versions possibly being unstable or corrupting worlds; always back up your main saves first.
Create an installation for 26.1 Snapshot 4
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Still in Installations, click New Installation.
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Give it a name like “26.1 Snapshot 4”.
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Click the Version dropdown and scroll until you find “26.1-snapshot-4” (or similar wording).
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Select a game directory if you want to keep snapshot worlds separate (recommended so they don’t mix with main worlds).
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Click Create to save the installation.
Play the snapshot
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Go back to the Play tab in the launcher.
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Next to the big Play button, open the version dropdown and select your new 26.1 Snapshot 4 installation.
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Click Play, accept any “experimental/modified version” warning, and the game will start on that snapshot.
If you also want to run a 26.1 Snapshot 4 server or use mods (NeoForge/Fabric) with this snapshot, tell me and I can walk you through those steps separately.
What new features are in Minecraft 26.1 Snapshot 4
Minecraft 26.1 Snapshot 4 focuses on enhancing baby horse-type mobs with new visuals, sounds, and tweaks as part of Mojang’s “cutest drop” theme.
Key Additions
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New baby sounds for horses, making foals sound more playful and distinct.
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Updated models and textures for baby horses, donkeys, mules, zombie horses, and skeleton horses, giving them cuter, better-proportioned looks.
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Adjusted bounding boxes (hitboxes) for baby horses, zombie horses, and skeleton horses to match the new models more accurately, improving gameplay interactions.
Other Changes
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Fixed the baby chicken wing texture for more detailed, less blocky wings.
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Technical updates: Data Pack version bumped to 97.1 and Resource Pack to 78.1; new block tags for vegetation support; End dimension now has a world clock for sky effects.
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Numerous bug fixes, including shipwreck generation, beacon beam rendering, villager trade issues, and mob behaviors like piglin hunting or hoglin attacks.
Baby zombie/skeleton horses remain Creative/commands-only in Survival. This snapshot builds on prior ones with more baby mob love, but no Golden Dandelion (that’s a later snapshot).
