Release Java Edition Major update

Minecraft 1.6.1 “Horse Update”

Released on 1 July 2013, Minecraft Java Edition 1.6.1 is the first release of 1.6, the Horse Update. It adds Horses, Donkeys and Mules, horse armour, Leads, Name Tags, Carpets, Stained Clay, Hay Bales and the Block of Coal. Texture packs become resource packs, and the update requires the new Minecraft Launcher.

Released 01 Jul 2013

Are my mods ready?

Key takeaways

New mobs: Horses, Donkeys and Mules, which you can tame and ride.
Riding gear: horse armour in iron, gold and diamond, plus Leads to tie animals and Name Tags to name mobs.
New blocks: Carpets, Hardened Clay and Stained Clay (today called Terracotta), the Hay Bale and the Block of Coal.
Resource packs: texture packs become resource packs, which can also hold sounds.
New launcher: 1.6.1 requires the new Minecraft Launcher, which lets you choose which game version to play.

Headline features

The changes you will notice first, with the pages that go deeper.

Mob

Horses, Donkeys and Mules

Tame a horse by riding it until it accepts you, then steer it with a Saddle. Donkeys and Mules are tamed the same way and can carry a chest.

Horse Donkey Mule

Items

Leads and Name Tags

A Lead ties an animal to you or to a fence post. A Name Tag, renamed at an Anvil, gives a mob a custom name.

Lead Name Tag

Items

Horse armour

Iron, Golden and Diamond Horse Armor protect a horse in three levels of defence.

Iron Horse Armor Golden Horse Armor Diamond Horse Armor

Blocks

Carpets, clay and hay

Carpets come in all 16 wool colours, and Hardened Clay can be dyed into Stained Clay. The Hay Bale and the Block of Coal store wheat and coal.

White Carpet White Terracotta Hay Bale

What changed

LauncherThe update needs the new Minecraft Launcher, which replaces the old launcher and lets you pick the game version.

Resource packsTexture packs are now resource packs that can also hold sounds and other files.

GameplayThe food bar is now drained when you regenerate health with a full food bar.

GameplayIn Creative mode, you can no longer destroy blocks with a sword.

Source: official Java Edition 1.6.1 changelog

Mods & loaders for 1.6.1

Mods must be rebuilt for each version. Counts from the files published on Modrinth and CurseForge, in our catalog.

Loader	Mods with a 1.6.1 file	Latest build
Fabric	1	·
NeoForge	1	·
Forge	1	8.9.0.775
Quilt	1	·

Shader loaders	Shaders with a 1.6.1 file	Latest build
Iris	4	·
OptiFine	3	·

Popular mods OptiFine · Not yet

2 mods in our catalog have a 1.6.1 file →

23 texture packs and 3 maps in our catalog support 1.6.1.

How to play 1.6.1

01
Open the Minecraft Launcher and select Minecraft: Java Edition.
02
Go to Installations, create a new installation and choose version 1.6.1.
03
Back up your worlds before opening them in a new version.

From first snapshot to release

19 snapshots, 0 pre-releases and 0 release candidates over 70 days.

13w16a21 Apr 2013
13w22a30 May 2013
1.625 Jun 2013
1.6.101 Jul 2013

All 19 test builds →

Minecraft 1.6.1 FAQ

When was Minecraft 1.6.1 released?

On 1 July 2013. It is the first release of 1.6, the Horse Update. The 1.6.2 bug-fix update followed on 8 July 2013.

Do I need the new launcher for Minecraft 1.6.1?

Yes. Mojang's notes say you need the new Minecraft Launcher to get 1.6.1, and it replaces the old launcher. It also lets you choose which version of the game to run.

How do you tame a horse in 1.6.1?

Mount it with an empty hand until it stops throwing you off and hearts appear. Then put a Saddle on it to control it. Donkeys and Mules are tamed the same way and can carry a chest.

Do old texture packs work in 1.6.1?

Not directly: texture packs became resource packs in 1.6, with a new file structure, so older packs must be converted to the new format.