How fast can a horse run?
Most horses gallop at about 40 to 48 km/h (25 to 30 mph). Thoroughbred racehorses can reach about 70 km/h (44 mph) over short distances.
Horses have four main gaits: walk, trot, canter and gallop. The walk is about 6 to 7 kilometers per hour, the trot about 13 to 19 and the canter about 16 to 27. The gallop is the fastest gait, when all four hooves leave the ground at one point in each stride.
Thoroughbreds are bred for speed in racing. Guinness World Records recognizes a Thoroughbred named Winning Brew, which reached about 70.76 kilometers per hour over a quarter mile in 2008. Quarter horses, named for their speed over a quarter mile, can sprint even faster over very short distances, reaching around 88 kilometers per hour.
Endurance
Horses cannot gallop at top speed for long. However, endurance breeds like Arabians can travel 160 kilometers in a single day in endurance races. Their large hearts and lungs and efficient cooling through sweating help them cover long distances.
Did You Know?
Secretariat won the 1973 Belmont Stakes by 31 lengths, setting a record time that still stands for the 1.5-mile race.