The Strider is a new mob in Minecraft since the Nether Update drastically expanded that dimension. These weird looking guys are super useful, actually, as the player can use them to walk across oceans of lava without taking any damage whatsoever. There's a trick to doing so, however.
Most Minecraft players are likely familiar with the ability to ride pigs. For the most part, this is extremely useless, especially since the addition of horses, but it can be done nonetheless. Mounting a pig doesn't give the player much unless they guide it with a carrot on a stick, though, and Striders work in much the same way.
Unlike the pig, the Strider is fully intended to be a mount. There are still some steps needed in order to ride this creature properly, but they have some unique attributes which make going through these hoops well worth the trouble for players wanting to spend a lot of time in the Nether.
In order to properly ride a Strider, the player will need two things: a saddle and the new warped fungus on a stick item. Saddles can be found in all the usual ways, from chests, trading with villagers, fishing, and the like, while warped fungus on a stick is a new item made in the Nether. Thankfully, making this item is relatively easy, as players just need to craft a fishing rod together with a warped fungus, which can be found all around the Nether now.
Place the saddle on the Strider and get on. At first it will wander aimlessly, unaware of the player's intent, but equipping the warped fungus on a stick will cause the creature to walk in the direction the player is facing. Activating the warped fungus on a stick will cause the Strider to go faster for a short time but will consume extra durability. Since Striders are able to walk on lava, they can be used for Nether transportation and are very helpful, but players should be sure not to break their warped fungus on a stick and wind up stranded in the middle of a lava ocean.
That's about all there is to it, and ironically the hardest part of riding a Strider is finding a saddle in the first place. Nonetheless, players will most certainly grow to love this bizarre looking creature as it carries them across the Nether's endless expanse of lava at high speeds.
Minecraft is available now on Mobile, PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One.