Horse Speed
in MPH - How fast is your horse going?
Horses speed varies with
their stride length, body build, and other factors, but here is
a basic idea of how fast-- in miles per hour-- horses move at
their various gaits:
Walk: Roughly 3-4 MPH. A pleasure show horse
can go as slow as 2 mph. Gaited horses-- who do not trot-- can
do a 'running walk' as fast as 15 mph.
Trot:
The trot is roughly 8-10 MPH. Again, a shorter striding horse
could trot slower, and a horse with a long stride could move faster.
Canter/Lope:
10-17 MPH.
Gallop:
This depends on the horse's condition and athletic ability. Some
horses are not built to run fast an may only do a fast canter
at their best; however, the gallop is about 30 mph. Thoroughbreds,
which are bred for running distance but not speed, have been clocked
at over 40 MPH. Quarter horses, bred and raced for short distances
at speed, can reach 50 MPH in short bursts according to the AQHA's
website.
How fast does
your horse move?
Measure a mile's distance
and time your horse's walk and trot to see how many MPH your horse
goes. If you have a road that has miles measured, you can use
this (be careful of traffic and the footing so your horse doesn't
get sore or go lame):
Minutes
to go 1 mile
|
Speed
in MPH |
| 30 |
2 MPH |
| 20 |
3 MPH |
| 17 |
3.5 MPH |
| 15 |
4 MPH |
| 13 |
4.5 MPH |
| 12 |
5 MPH |
| 11 |
5.5 MPH |
| 10 |
6 MPH |
| 9 |
6.5 MPH |
| 8.5 |
7 MPH |
| 8 |
7.5 MPH |
| 7.5 |
8 MPH |
| 6 |
10 MPH |
| 5 |
12 MPH |
For
more information on horse speed and distance, see the "Far
and Fast" page.
