How to Make a Harness in Minecraft

Guide Java Bedrock

Quick answer: Craft a harness with 3 leather across the top, 2 glass on the middle sides and 1 wool of any color in the center. Equip it on a happy ghast to ride it - up to four players on one ghast - and recolor it anytime with a single dye.

What you need

Leather x3
Glass x2
Wool x1 (any color - sets the harness color)
Dye x1 (optional, to recolor later)
Shears (optional, to remove it)

Step by step

Gather 3 leather from cows, horses or hoglins, 2 glass from smelted sand, and 1 wool of the color you want - the wool sets the harness color.
Craft it: leather across the whole top row, glass in the middle-left and middle-right, and the wool in the dead center of the grid.
Get a happy ghast first: rehydrate a dried ghast from the Nether in water until it becomes a ghastling, then feed it snowballs to grow a happy ghast.
Equip the harness by using it on the happy ghast - or load it into a dispenser aimed at the ghast for hands-free equipping.
Ride with friends: up to four players can mount one harnessed happy ghast. The aviator goggles slide down over its eyes while someone is riding.
Lead unharnessed ghasts: happy ghasts without a harness follow any player holding one, so carry a spare to walk your fleet home.
Recolor freely: combine any harness with 1 matching dye in a shapeless craft - all 16 dye colors work, no need to craft from scratch.
Take it back with shears: using shears on a harnessed happy ghast removes the harness and drops it as an item.

Java vs Bedrock

Identical recipe and behavior in Java and Bedrock, including four-player riding, dispenser equipping and shears removal.

Versions: Revealed at Minecraft LIVE March 2025 and added in 1.21.6 (Java snapshot 25w15a); Bedrock got it experimentally in 1.21.80 and fully in 1.21.90, alongside the happy ghast and dried ghast.

Frequently asked questions

What is the harness for in Minecraft?

It's the saddle for happy ghasts: only a harnessed happy ghast can be ridden, and up to four players can ride the same ghast at once. Without it, happy ghasts just follow players holding one.

How do you dye a harness in Minecraft?

Craft it with wool of the color you want, or recolor any existing harness by combining it with a single matching dye in a shapeless recipe. All 16 colors are available.

How do you remove a harness from a happy ghast?

Use shears on the harnessed ghast - the harness pops off as an item you can reuse or recolor.