Representatives of the Horse family are frisky by nature, since in the wild they had to flee from dangerous predators. As a rule, horses are used as a means of transportation and transportation of heavy loads. In the new article we will talk about the average and maximum speed of a horse.
How fast can a horse reach?
Racehorses can even compete with a car in terms of speed of movement. But animals are capable of moving at a high pace for a short time. Therefore, once upon a time, in order to cover the distance between points, messengers had to change horses several times.
The horse's speed also depends on the gait or method of movement that will be preferred. There are 4 types of gaits - walk, trot, quarry, gallop. The horse develops a speed of about 4 - 5 km per hour when moving at a simple step. Riding horses can reach 6–7 km at a walk.
Practical experience proves that this is not the maximum. When trotting, the animal alternates its hind and front legs. The trot is faster than a walk and slower than a canter. The speed indicator in this case can be 10 – 40 km per hour.
Trotters specially bred for this gait quickly run up to 50–60 km. From a quick walk, these amazing animals are able to move to a gallop, the average speed of which is 40 miles per hour. Moving in a quarry, an animal can accelerate to 65–70 km. Although it is considered difficult and exhausting, trained animals can do it.
average speed
Experts note that running speed is on average 15–20 km per hour. These indicators are relevant not only for riding breeds, but equally for other species.
It must be remembered that riding horses have internal organs and physiques that are more naturally adapted to fast running than working draft horses. The latter will have to put in a lot of effort to develop at least an average speed during the movement. But, based on the scope of their application, this is not required.
When galloping long distances, animals can run about 30–50 kilometers in a day if they take a break every 3–3.5 hours. This is an important factor for equestrian enthusiasts.
Maximum performance
The highest rates of running speed usually depend on the characteristics of the breed and the chosen method of movement. During the races, animals move not just at a gallop, but at an accelerated gallop or gallop. It is not typical for all stallions and is a fast variant of the gait. Nowadays, horses of the English riding or thoroughbred breed show a tendency to accelerated gallop. Their running speed is usually from 50 to 60 kilometers per hour.
When galloping under normal conditions, riding horses can have a speed of about 35 - 40 kilometers. For a long time, animals are not able to move at this pace. The exception is situations when their lives are in danger.
In the natural mode, the distance that a horse can travel at maximum speed rarely exceeds 1 kilometer. But racing breeds, which are specially trained for performances, are able to move at a fast gallop for 15 to 20 minutes.
First competitions
It is impossible to say exactly when equestrian sport was born, since even the selection of breeds was not documented. The first mention of “under-competition” dates back to 2154 BC. This happened between the tribes of the Arabian Peninsula. Some “hippodromes” were created, more like a labyrinth made of bamboo. At the beginning of these labyrinths there were 3 or 5 horses.
They were deliberately not given water for several days to create an incentive for the race. At the end of the “track” there was a trough with water. Whose horse finishes first wins. It's more like a rat race than a sport. Nowadays equestrian sport is a race between a horse and a rider on a hippodrome. Nowadays, at horse races, the speed of horses is recorded and the numbers are simply amazing.
Record holders among horses
There are also individual individuals who can boast of certain achievements and belong to the English thoroughbreds. The world record, set by a stallion named Beach Racket in 1945, remains unattainable today. He managed to reach a speed of 69.69 kilometers per hour at a distance of 400 meters.
History also knows other impressive facts. Another achievement belongs to the stallion Siglevi Slave, who covered a distance of 800 meters without a rider. What speed did he manage to achieve? This figure is 69.3 kilometers per hour. The animal managed to develop this agility in 41.8 minutes.
The speed record, which was set by the stallion John Henry with a rider, is more than 60 kilometers per hour. The duration of the entire distance was 2400 meters.
It is worth mentioning the achievements of other purebreds. In 1975, in Mexico, a three-year-old horse named Tiskor was able to cover a distance of 500 meters in 26.8 seconds. A year later, in England, a stallion named Indigenes galloped a distance of 1000 kilometers in 53.6 seconds. The noble horse Sardar in Rostov-on-Don was able to surprise the audience by running 1,500 meters in 1.30 minutes. And in 1989, a mare named Tri Lege-Malt in Japan galloped 2414 meters in 2.22 minutes.
Breeders continue to work on creating new and giving existing breeds of fast horses higher performance indicators. And horse racing fans can only decide for themselves which breed to give preference to.
Suit
By the way, a connection between a horse’s color and its speed and character traits has long been noticed.
- Red horses have always been the personification of fire and were considered the fastest and most irrepressible;
- black suit - hot, slow and angry;
- white - too tender;
- The bays were distinguished by courage, cheerfulness, hard work and incredible abilities.
Therefore, red horses, as the most ardent and fastest , were more popular among Russian cavalrymen.
Main types of gait
Gait also plays a big role. The type of movement of a horse is called a gait. Different types of gaits require the development of different speeds, and for each type there is a special case of application. Each of them is used during training. The main types of gait include:
- Step;
- Lynx;
- Gallop.
The first and calmest is the step. During a walk, a horse usually moves at a speed of three and a half to seven kilometers per hour. A horse can move with this type of gait for several hours in a row, as it is the most natural for it. In addition, she uses this move when she is carrying something heavy.
The horse moves at a trot at a faster pace; the speed will develop 12-13 km per hour . But the physical parameters of the horse do not allow this type of movement for a long time. If she is not forced, after resting at the walk, she may return to trotting again. The trotting time depends on the physical condition of the horse and its breed, on average it is 20 minutes, then the walk is 10 minutes. While moving at a trot, the horse is capable of performing certain work related to the transportation of goods. But in this case there are some restrictions: a horse is allowed to trot only if the load does not exceed eight percent of its body weight.
When galloping, it can reach the highest speed. Experts have identified several types of this gait. Even at the slowest gallop, the horse reaches a speed of about 25 km per hour, and when galloping at a fast pace it can reach speeds of up to 70 km per hour and higher.
It is clear that with such fast movement the horse gets tired and cannot gallop for a long time at such a rhythm. Under natural conditions, she moves at such a run only in exceptional cases , for example, in case of danger and an impending threat to life. Therefore, under natural conditions, with such a move, its distance is approximately one kilometer. However, trained horses taking part in racing are able to gallop quickly for about twenty minutes.
Which breed is the fastest?
Many people consider Arabian horses to be the fastest horse breed, but this is a common misconception. This merit belongs to the thoroughbred English horse .
This breed was bred through racing and specifically for racing. Such horses were bred generation after generation through strict selection: only the strongest and fastest were selected. The English Saddlebred is currently one of the top three purebred breeds in the world. In addition to her, this list includes Arabian horses and Akhal-Teke horses. The title “purebred” means that this breed is bred in purity and it is forbidden to add the blood of horses of other breeds to it. It should be noted that today most breeds on our planet are half-blooded; they need to periodically be exposed to a rush of blood from one of the purebred breeds, otherwise it will become isolated in its gene pool and die out.
As already reported above, the purebred English breed or, more simply, the thoroughbred horse breed is distinguished by its extraordinary agility . When galloping, these horses are capable of speeds of about one kilometer per minute. They manage to conquer short and medium distances at an average speed of 60 km per hour, and long distances (more than three km) at a speed of 55 km per hour. We are talking about average speed, since no horse is capable of moving at a maximum speed of more than 500 meters.
Many people believe that riding horses can reach speeds of more than 85 km per hour, but this is nothing more than a myth. In fact, thoroughbred riding horses - the fastest horses - are capable of moving at a speed of 65 km per hour, no more, over a short distance (up to 500 meters), others gallop even slower. If anyone else had developed such a speed, her heart would not have withstood such a load and she would have died. After all, purebred horses differ not only in their external characteristics, but also in the internal structure of their organs, for example, the heart size of horses of this breed is twice as large as that of representatives of another breed. They remind you that a horse is born to gallop quickly and its body is able to cope with maximum load.
Victories at the races
The fastest horse known to the world was a representative of the thoroughbred horse, the stallion Beach Rackit, he was able to reach a speed of 69.6 km per hour over a short distance of 409 meters, this record was held in 1945.
Only 50 years later, in 1993, the stallion Onion Roll was able to repeat such a race, but he failed to break the previous record. This horse also belongs to the purebred riding breed. The stallion Siglevi Slave was able to cover a distance of 804 meters in 41.8 seconds, running without a rider; his average gallop speed was 69.3 km per hour. And the long-distance record holder was John Henry, also a representative of the thoroughbred horse. He covered 2400 meters under the rider, moving at a speed of 60.7 km per hour. The weight of the rider including the saddle was 57.1 kilograms.
Organizers of official races are very careful when choosing horses. They check not only the health and speed characteristics of the horse, but also its pedigree. Thoroughbred horses are recorded in a special stud book, which records the entire pedigree of the horse, and if at least in the tenth generation there was a mixture with another mare, then it will not be allowed to participate in official races. This circumstance cannot significantly affect the speed of the horse, but the rules are the rules.
Whatever breed the horse belongs to, you should always take into account its purpose . You should not expect too high speed parameters from working breeds, and accordingly, do not expect endurance in field work from riding breeds. If you plan to participate in horse racing, then pedigree plays a decisive role. Of course, an impeccable horse passport affects its price, but this is a guarantee of participation in major races.
Fast running was given to horses by nature itself: in the wild, they had to escape from predators. But man also found a use for this ability and for a long time used horses as a means of transportation and for transporting goods. Now the speed of a thoroughbred horse is used as the main indicator in horse racing - the fastest horses take prizes and are able to move with amazing speed.
Features of horse racing
Horses have different purposes and are conventionally divided into riding and draft horses. Harnesses are used according to their name: they are larger and stronger, capable of performing various heavy jobs for a long time. Breeds of this type are, of course, capable of running, but the average speed of a horse usually varies between 15-20 km/h.
Riding horses used in horse racing move much faster, rivaling even a car. But they do not have high endurance. It is for this reason that it became known that in ancient times, messengers with a message replaced a tired horse with a new one several times along their journey.
Currently, the fastest breed in the world is the English Thoroughbred. It was just such a stallion that set a record entered in the Guinness Book: a horse named Winnig Bru was able to run at an acceleration of up to 70.76 km/h.
Before you find out what speed a horse can develop, you need to clarify that it depends on the gait. There are 4 types of it, according to increased agility: walk, trot, gallop and quarry - and we suggest learning more about each of them.
Step speed
If you do not take into account the breed, then the average horse, moving at a walk, does not overcome the speed level above 5 km/h. Horse breeds can move at a speed of 7 km/h. Although for some this is not the limit.
Trot speed
Trotting is a method of locomotion in which the horse moves its hind and front legs alternately. With a correct trot, the legs move diagonally, which can be seen in the photo below, and with an amble, they move parallel. It is believed that ambling is more convenient for a person when riding on horseback or in a carriage. Also, when ambling, the horse is capable of developing greater agility.
As a rule, horses do not tend to trot and go straight from a walk to a gallop. However, man corrected this ability and bred breeds that are able to move like this for a long time, they are called “trotters”. Among them:
The average speed of a horse moving at a trot is 10-40 km/h, but breeds specially bred for this gait can even outpace a galloping horse, increasing this parameter to 60 km/h.
This type of gait is divided into three subtypes: slow, which is also called collected, working and extended. The running speed of a horse at a slow trot is 10-15 km/h, while a worker reaches about 20. At an increased pace, horses can run quite fast: 50-60 km/h.
To understand even better what this animal looks like when it moves at a trot, we suggest that you watch the video below, provided by the channel “Oryol Trotters - the Pride of Russian Horse Breeding”:
Gallop
This type of gait, the gallop, is used most often by horses, since it is the most convenient type of fast movement for them. It is very light, but at the same time allows you to achieve great agility. The average speed of a gallop is 60 km/h, but breeds specially bred for racing can reach a higher limit.
In nature, when covering long distances, horses gallop at an average pace of 15-18 km/h. This is enough to avoid becoming prey to a predator. During the day, at this rhythm, the animal overcomes up to 50,000 meters per day.
Quarry - the fastest running horse
This type of gait is considered the most exhausting and therefore horses can only move for a short time. To have a better idea, you just have to imagine that in 1 second at this pace the animal covers up to 17 meters. But she can only run 2000-3000 meters with this gait. The maximum speed of a horse that it develops with this type of running can reach 65-70 km/h, and it can be developed by riding breeds bred specifically for racing.
Have you ever attended an event such as a horse race? What, if not this sport, will make it clear how quickly beautiful and graceful representatives of the animal world can move! We invite you to watch the video from the Equestrian sport channel below to find out how the race goes.
Amble
A type of gait that cannot be trained; it is considered innate. We are talking about ambling. The speed of a pacer's horse is 50 km/h, but the rider hardly feels the ride, which makes pacers ideal horses for marathons and cross-country races.
*Ambling is an innate type of walking, which is characterized by the simultaneous raising of both legs on the left or right side of the horse. This gait is similar to that of a human. Ambling is considered a defect by most hippologists and horse breeders, and therefore is not welcome at the hippodrome.
The maximum speed of a horse of a modern breed allows it to compete, if not with four-wheeled vehicles, then certainly with motorcycles. At the moment, the Guinness Book of Records contains hundreds of records set by horses. Some results are immediately surpassed by other horses, and another horse's record seems simply unattainable. There are 3 more interesting facts about the speed of horses.
- There is such a breed of horses on earth as the Akhal-Teke, whose representatives can run up to 250 km in a day (12 hours), without stopping for food and drink. The average speed of the animal is 21 km/h. Only the Mustang can compete with such endurance.
- Not every horse can trot. Most often, sporting animals immediately go from a walk to a gallop. Trotting requires separate training, which takes a lot of time. Acceleration from 7 km/h (walk) to 20 (trot) takes 7-8 seconds.
- The Schleich toy company released a series of figurines of running horses. They are made in detail and everyone will have the opportunity to learn what a walk, trot, gallop, gallop and amble are.
Now we know what speed a sports horse develops and what speed a working horse develops. One has only to add that the speed of decorative horses is 15-18 km per hour, which is more than enough for a carriage, but not for sport.
By and large, it is worth agreeing that the characteristics of the animal completely influence the speed: sports horses are much smaller than decorative and working horses, which makes it easy to gain high speeds. No matter how cool it is, equestrian sport is the entertainment of aristocrats.
What is the horse's maximum and minimum speed?
Since ancient times, people have been interested in the question of what the speed of a horse is. Why? The answer is simple. Once upon a time, man began to use these animals to transport certain goods. People wanted to invent a breed of horse that would have good running speed. And very soon, by crossing various breeds, livestock breeders managed to get an English thoroughbred horse. These animals remain the fastest in the world to this day.
The English Thoroughbred is one of the fastest breeds in the world.
What speed can a horse develop? The agility of animals can be seen when participating in horse races. This is a very interesting equestrian sport, in some cases even dangerous, which is suitable for gambling people. But only here can you truly enjoy all the power and speed of the horse’s movement.
The agility of horses is inherent in nature itself. These are herbivores and in the wild they simply had to run away from predatory animals. People were able to see how fast a horse could be.
Types of Horse Speed
Walk is a slow four-beat gait of a horse, when the hooves are rearranged sequentially, without a hanging phase. The stride is also divided into short, medium and extended. Their speed increases accordingly.
Trot - this gait is faster than a walk and has a suspension phase. The rider needs to move in time with the horse, rising when suspended.
Gallop is the fastest running. During a gallop, 3 hooves hit the ground. There is also a hanging phase between cycles.
Types of speed
There are several types of horse speed:
- Average. If we talk about this parameter, it will be within 15-20 km/h. Every breed of horse, even non-riding ones, can maintain such a speed. Different breeds have their own body structure characteristics. Therefore, sports horses tolerate running much better than working horses. Since they need to spend less effort and energy on it.
- The maximum speed of a horse is determined by the breed and type of running. Horse racing involves not only a gallop, but also an accelerated version - a quarry. Not all horses can run so fast. Thoroughbred or English horses are especially good at moving in gait. Usually running at a fast gallop reaches 50-60 km/h, while slower running is only 35-40 km/h.
Gallop speed - 60 km/h
Who is faster?
Horse breeds can be divided into 3 types:
- Sports horses. Animals specially created for racing have incredible speed.
- Workers or heavy trucks. Horses have incredible endurance and strength, but are inferior in speed to their athletic counterparts.
- Decorative or show breeds . Such horses are not suitable for sport or work.
The main goal of breeders when creating them is exterior.
There is not a single decorative horse among the record holders. But draft horses and racing horses compete constantly.
Interesting! Sports horse breeds reach maximum speed without a rider and show incredible results with a jockey. With a cart, they lose their advantage over strong workhorses. The maximum for decorative breeds is a walk with a carriage.
Famous runners
Many purebred animals belonging to the English riding breed are record holders in running. The fastest purebred horse, named Beach Rackit, has been a world record holder since 1945. In Mexico City, this horse, running a distance of 400 meters, reached a speed of 69.69 km/h. This world record remains unbroken to this day.
History knows many records related to horse speed. Compared to the rest, the most striking value seems to be 69.3 km/h. It was recorded on a segment of 800 m, which the horse named Siglevi Slave covered in 41.8 seconds. There was no rider on it when it covered this distance. But despite this, the figure remains very high.
What speed can a horse move over a long distance? The horse, named John Henry, covered 2.4 km at a speed exceeding 60 km/h. The horse took part in the race under saddle.
Siglevy Slave - record holder of the English breed
The relationship between speed and type of running
Gait has a direct impact on the horse's agility. There are four main ways of moving horses:
- Step. The speed of movement of a simple horse in this case is from 4 to 5 km/h. Riding horses can walk up to 7 km in an hour. From practical experience it is known that this is not their limit.
- Trot is one of the main types of running. With it, the animal rearranges two limbs in turn: the hind and the front. If the trot is correct, then they are diagonal. Pacers do this with their legs on one side. This type of running is much faster than a walk, but inferior in speed to a gallop. The average value is from 10 to 40 km/h. Trotters are breeds of horses bred exclusively for this type of racing. They can even outpace a racehorse at a trot. Such an animal reaches speeds of up to 60 km/h. The trot is divided into several varieties: slow (10-15 km/h), working and advanced (50-60 km/h). The speed of Russian trotters is kept at 40 mph. And a horse of the Oryol breed set a world record, breaking the bar of 50 mph.
- Gallop. Trotting is not natural for a horse. Most horses begin to gallop after a quick step. It is faster, easier and more convenient for these animals. This gait allows you to move at a speed of 40 mph for a couple of kilometers. Only special racing breeds of horses demonstrate high performance.
- The quarry, also known as an extended gallop, is used only at short distances. This species is very difficult and greatly exhausts the animal. It is with its help that almost all world records (over 65 km/h) have been set. This speed is already comparable to the speed of a car. True, the horse can only hold it for a short time.
Wild animals rarely exceed the 20 km/h mark. Horses show us how fast they run during races and other competitions. The trot and gallop of thoroughbred horses amaze spectators.
Modern horses no longer need to solve applied problems with the help of fast movement.
But breeders continue to work on creating new and improving existing breeds of fast horses.
The influence of gait on speed
The way a horse moves is called gait (from the French “gait”, “running”). Naturally, the running abilities of an animal are closely related to the physique, breed, purpose and other factors, but the gait itself has a significant impact on the running pace. Gaits are usually classified by type.
Natural gaits
This type assumes a natural, natural manner of movement of the horse and includes 4 types of gait.
Step
The walking gait is the simplest and least tiring for the horse. In this case, running begins with the back leg. The average speed of movement is comparable to the speed of a pedestrian: from 4 to 7 km/h, depending on the breed of animal.
This gait allows the horse to cover impressive distances and is often used when transporting goods.
Lynx
This is a faster running style, with the horse using its diagonal limbs, raising them in pairs.
The lynx may vary in speed:
- quiet - up to 10 km/h;
- average - from 10 to 13 km/h;
- fast - 15 km/h;
- maximum -25 km/h.
Important! Regardless of the breed, not a single horse can trot for a long time without a break; generally, such running lasts 15–20 minutes, after which the animal needs to go to a walk to regain strength.
Not all breeds are adapted to this gait. Horses that prefer this style of running are called trotters.
Gallop
Recognized as the fastest and most technically complex gait. Moving at a gallop, the horse performs a kind of leap, helping its legs with its body.
This method of running is three-stroke, in which the animal alternately lifts off first its front legs and then its hind legs, after which it enters a short-term unsupported phase and lands on one of its hind legs, then lowering the other.
Gallop allows the horse to perform races up to 8 meters in length, however, in natural conditions without the influence of a mentor, the horse will move in this way only in cases of danger and a clear threat to life.
Artificial gaits
In addition to natural ones, demonstration or artificial gaits are common. These are the manners of movement of an animal, developed as a result of training and constant training. These types of gaits are used mainly in competitions and other demonstration performances in horse riding.
Learn more about the different types of horse gaits.
This type of running is similar to a quiet trot with a short stride and a slight extension of the legs, which allows you to visually make the gait graceful and playful. When performing a passage, the front legs rise high, bending at the joints, and the hind legs sharply push off the ground.
This type of running requires a lot of preparation; in addition, the build of the horse is also important: the back muscles must be powerful and developed.
Piaffe
Another variation of the demonstration step. At its core, this element is a passage in place. When performing it, the animal moves diagonal limbs in pairs, slightly lowering the croup; the greatest load falls on the hind legs, which are in a half-bent position during movement.
Spanish step
This is the most complex element of horse riding, in which the horse moves, alternately raising high the front legs, completely straightened in the joints, and then smoothly lowering them. The hind legs move at a standard pace.
This gait is used mainly in circus performances. When performing a perfectly executed Spanish step, there should be no sound of the front hooves.
Gallop on three legs
One of the circus elements, very difficult to perform. The horse gallops, but at the same time one of the front legs is extended forward and does not touch the surface.
Gallop back
This is a rare trick gait in which the horse moves backwards and all leg movements are made in the opposite order to a normal gallop. It should be borne in mind that not every animal is able to learn how to perform this element.
Factors on which speed depends
The horse's speed depends primarily on:
- general condition of the horse;
- breeds;
- gait method.
The health of horses taking part in sports competitions is carefully monitored by veterinarians. To achieve good results, a horse must be well fed and healthy.
One of the deciding factors is breed. Each breed has its own limit, which is difficult to cross. For example, draft horses are able to drag a large load, but do not have high-speed qualities. Those breeds of horses that belong to the group of workers are distinguished by their endurance, but they cannot develop great speed, even if they are trained. Racehorses have speed qualities, but they only run at maximum speed for a certain amount of time. To find out what speed a horse of a particular breed can develop, it is enough to study its basic characteristics.
The horse's speed also depends on the way it runs. Among all types of gaits, there are three that are considered basic: walk, trot and gallop. When walking at a walk, the horse moves slowly. When trotting, the horse shows average speed, but the maximum speed of the horse is visible when galloping.
A horse's running speed varies depending on whether the horse is running with or without a rider. The speed of a racehorse with its rider also varies depending on the size of the jockey.
What affects speed?
The pace of a horse's movement depends on a number of factors. If the breed sets certain limits that limit the lower and upper barriers, then external factors compete for the championship tenths and hundredths of kilometers per hour.
Heredity plays a significant role. Along with breed characteristics, various anomalies are noted that allow horses to develop significant speed. The most famous stallion was Secretariat, who was found (after death) to have physiological enlargement of the heart with myocardial hypertrophy. The heart of this stallion was 2-2.5 times larger than usual. This largely determined his outstanding abilities.
Just like for athletes, it is important for racehorses and trotting horses to create optimal conditions (sports regime). Without daily intense exercise, the horse's strength decreases - do not allow the horse to stand idle in the stall for a long time, without movement he will quickly become lazy and show poor results. If it is not possible to conduct training, then it is better to place the animal in a pen. Proper balanced nutrition and regular cleaning are a must - a healthy stable microclimate prevents emphysema.
Speed indicators for different types of gaits
Let's consider what speed a horse develops when walking, running and galloping.
Speed indicators during a step
During the walk, the horse moves slowly. The average performance of racehorses during a walk is 5 km/h. If we talk about the minimum speed, then it is 3 km/h, while the maximum speed of a horse does not exceed 7.5 km/h.
This type of gait is suitable for long walks. The animal can run at this pace for several hours in a row. The step is not tiring for the horse. If the animal is carrying a heavy load, then a walk is generally the only suitable type of gait.
Speed indicators while trotting
The average speed when trotting is 12 km/h. It is considered quite large. This method of gait is more energy-consuming for the horse than the walk. You shouldn’t expect a horse to run at this pace for several hours in a row. Such stress leads to serious health problems. Another option is to alternate the trot with the walk.
How long a horse can move at a speed of 12-13 km/h depends on the health of the animal and the degree of its training. If we talk about average performance, a horse runs at this pace for no more than 20 minutes. Longer trotting walks are detrimental to health. After 20 minutes the horse should be given the opportunity to rest. It is not necessary to stop; it is enough to take the horse to a walk. Within 10 minutes the animal will recover, and it can again be transferred to a trot.
As for transporting goods, you should not load the horse while trotting. If, moving at a speed of 12 km/h, an animal is pulling a heavy load, then it will quickly get tired. In order not to harm the horse, you can put a load on its back, the mass of which is no more than 8% of the animal’s body weight.
Speed indicators when galloping
The average speed of a horse and rider while galloping is 40-50 km/h. This type of running is the most energy-consuming. Accordingly, the horse will not be able to move at such a speed for a long time. If we talk about wild horses, they use galloping only in situations that pose a threat to life. As a rule, a horse does not cover more than 1 km at such a speed.
Horses who take part in races train almost daily. Accordingly, they can gallop a little longer than wild horses. But as a rule, after 20 minutes of galloping, the average speed of racehorses decreases, and the horse begins to trot.
Speedy horse breeds
The fastest horses are purebred English Saddlebreds. They most often take part in horse racing. This is not surprising considering that the breed was bred for sporting competitions. Over the years, breeders have been improving the breed. The work was a success. Only the fastest representatives of the breed were selected for crossing. It is the representative of the English riding horse who holds the world record at a distance of 400 m. While overcoming it, the horse reached a speed of 69.69 km/h. This record was set back in 1945.
There are 2 more records belonging to English riding horses. The fastest horse in the world is Siglevi Slave I. The record was set at a distance of 800 m. When covering the distance, the average speed was 69.3 km/h. Slave did not have a jockey on his back during Slave's fateful race.
John Henry set the record with a jockey on his back. Over a distance of almost 2.5 km (1.5 miles), his average speed was 60.76 km/h.
The Arabian purebred is also a fast breed. She can often be seen at the races. In addition to the fact that representatives of this breed have speed qualities, they look elegant. This grace is not only in appearance, but also in movements. What speed does an Arabian horse have? It can cover about 60 km in an hour. This is not the fastest horse, and it is difficult for it to compete with the English Saddlebred. But she has well-developed muscles, which has a positive effect on endurance, so over long distances these horses can easily compete for awards.
If we talk about the average speed of a horse of the Akhal-Teke, Budenov or Terek breed, then they can also be considered as racing horses. Representatives of these breeds can often be seen at races.
Interesting Facts
Many horse lovers believe that the color of the animal somehow affects its speed. And despite the fact that this fact has not been scientifically confirmed to date, there is an opinion that red horses are the fastest.
The horse of the Mustang breed is capable of developing great speed. It is difficult to answer what the maximum speed of horses of this breed is, since the breed is wild. But there is an opinion that it reaches 100 km/h. Due to human poaching, the breed has been practically destroyed. If breeders can increase the population, the speed qualities of Mustangs can be more accurately determined.
If horses move in a harness and pull, for example, a sleigh, then in an hour they will be able to cover no more than 15 km. It is impossible to see the gallop while the team is moving. The most you can hope for is a trot.
The statement that a horse travels more than 80 km in an hour is today considered a myth. Not a single similar case has been officially recorded in the world.
When in their natural environment, horses do not trot. If necessary, they move from a walk to a gallop. A man teaches horses how to trot. There are breeds that are especially prone to learning. A striking example is the Trotter. Moreover, all types of horses of this breed (Russian, American, French and Oryol trotter) are equally easy to train.
