How Fast Can A Horse Run?
It depends on a few things.
If you’ve ever seen a horse run, you know they can go super fast — but how fast can a horse run, actually?t If you’ve ever wondered, we did the research, and the answer actually varies depending on what kind of horse you’re talking about
“Horsepower” is a term that was coined at the end of the 18th century to describe how many horses a steam engine would replace.
A mathematical equation was derived to figure out how much weight a large horse could pull and how fast he could do it, and that equation is still used today to measure the power of engines in cars, tractors and other vehicles. So although it sounds like horsepower might have something to do with speed, it actually has more so to do with how strong a horse is.
But that still leaves the question: Just how fast can a horse go? Let’s go over some numbers.
How fast can a horse run?
Depending on what gait, or style, a horse is running in, a horse will clock at varying speeds. For example, if a horse is trotting or cantering, he’ll only be running about 8 to 12 miles per hour (mph) — 17 mph tops.
But when the average horse breaks into a full gallop, meaning he’s running at this top speed, he can reach up to 30 mph to 40 mph. However, one wild mustang horse was reportedly recorded running at a speed of 54 mph, so some horses can definitely break the mold.
Of course, horses need plenty of space to reach that top speed. If you live in a more rural area or are visiting or driving through one, you might be able to see a wild horse reach his top speed in a wide-open plain or meadow.
Unsurprisingly, horses can run pretty darn fast! When given the space and that feeling of freedom, a horse will gallop as fast as he can, and that’s a beautiful thing!
