Skeleton horseman in Minecraft: All you need to know

A fairly rare spawn in Minecraft, the skeleton horseman is a hostile mob that appears via the "skeleton trap horse" spawn mechanic. This occurs when a lightning bolt strikes the ground during a thunderstorm, though the chances of a skeleton trap horse spawning will depend on the difficulty setting.

According to current metrics, skeleton trap horses spawn during a lightning strike .75 - 1.5% of the time on Easy, 1.5 - 4% on Normal, and 2.25 - 6.75% of the time on Hard Mode.

Lightning strikes caused by lightning rods or a Channeling-enchanted trident won't spawn these trap horses. This makes Hard Mode the easiest way to encounter a skeleton horseman, though this makes them more dangerous.

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The behavior and stats of skeleton horsemen in Minecraft

A skeleton horseman doesn't spawn alone, so always be ready (Image via Mojang)

When a skeleton trap horse has spawned in a world, and a player is within 10 blocks of it, a lightning strike will convert it into a skeleton horseman.

The skeleton horseman can be a standard skeleton, a stray zombie, or a wither skeleton. When it is created, it will spawn three additional skeletal horse riders. By default, the skeleton rider appears with an enchanted iron helmet and an enchanted bow.

Three seconds after spawning, a skeleton horseman and its steed will have immunity to damage. In Minecraft: Bedrock Edition, both the rider and the horse are immune to lightning damage.

Defeating the four skeleton horsemen after they spawn can be tricky, as they're quite mobile and can attack at range. Their enchantments are randomized and can be quite dangerous in combat, depending on the difficulty level. However, there are definitely a few ways to defeat these fearsome foes.

When a skeleton rider is killed, its horse becomes passive and can be tamed, giving players a new rideable mount.

Skeletal horses are one of the fastest rideable mounts in Minecraft. They have a high jump height of five blocks, allowing them to clear fences and small hills with ease. They can also be ridden underwater since they don't float.

Furthermore, skeletons defeated on horseback drop more experience orbs. However, it's imperative to be near the skeleton trap horse in order to get the riders to spawn. Additionally, if the player disengages the four skeletal horsemen and flees, they'll de-spawn after a 15-minute period.

It's even possible to create a skeleton horseman farm, which is a great way to get players and their friends skeletal horses to ride.

The farm can also serve as a solid means of collecting experience orbs, though it isn't as efficient as other mob farms. This is due to the small percentage chance that a trap horse will spawn during a thunderstorm. Other mobs spawn at a much more regular frequency.

Farming skeletal horsemen can also be helpful in getting items. In Minecraft: Java Edition, players can obtain leads and saddles by defeating skeletal horsemen and killing their horses. Unfortunately, Bedrock Edition players will only be able to acquire leads, and if they tame a skeleton horse, they cannot equip it with a saddle or horse armor.

Regardless, taking out skeleton horsemen is a worthwhile endeavor as long as Minecraft players are being careful when attempting it.