
Horses and humans have worked beside one another for as long as we can remember. They’ve been bred for farm-work, pulling, and racing. And even in this day in age, we’re still mesmerized by their agile speed and persistent nature.
A horse can sprint as fast as 54.6 miles per hour, or 88 kilometers per hour. They average a speed of 20 – 35 mph / 32 – 56 kph. Each horse breed maintains different speeds, this is due to many reasons. Health, age, size, origin, and simply evolution all have a part to play in that.
But one thing is for certain, they’re still quite the nifty animal with impressive traits to them. If you’d love to learn more about how fast horses can run, continue reading!
How Fast Do Race Horses Run on Average?
Race horses are agile competitors, that average a speed of 40 – 44 miles per hour, or 64 – 70 kilometers per hour when racing. They’re rigidly trained, and often reach such speeds in under 20 seconds.
How Fast Can a Horse Run with a Rider?
Depending on the circumstances, 30 miles per hour (48.2 kilometers per hour) is the approximate fastest speed at which a horse should be able to run with a rider. But even without a rider, some breeds would find this speed too fast. All in all, it truly depends.
How Fast Can a Horse Run a Mile?
Every horse has a top-speed depending on their breed. Other factors can vary how fast a horse can run a mile, such as:
- Distance
- Environment
- Ground substance (Concrete, grass, sand)
- Age/gender/health
The average speed at which a horse can run is between 20 – 35 miles per hour or 32 – 56 kilometers per hour. As for the fastest sprinting speed, this would be 54mph/ 88kmph.
How Fast Can a Horse Run a Marathon?
It’s unknown how fast a horse could run in a marathon, even still after the many years in which the Man versus Horse Marathon has existed. As per horse racing records, the longest duration which a horse has run in a marathon was 1 hour and 20 minutes.
Despite the lack of information, one could guess that most horse breeds could remain at a constant speed of 20 – 30 miles per hour, or 32 – 48 kilometers per hour if competing in a marathon.
How Fast Can a Horse Run at Full Speed?
The average speed at which a horse has been recorded to run at full speed is 54 miles per hour or 88 kilometers per hour. Of course, this will vary depending on the breed, age, and health– however, horses are extremely fast animals.
The top-speed at which horses can run at full speed is 8 kilometers faster than a lion, with their quickest speed being 49 miles per hour or 80 kilometers per hour.
How Fast Can a Horse Run 100 Yards?
If we use the average speed of 25 miles per hour (40 kilometers per hour) for a horse being able to run, they’d likely be able to run 100 years in less than 20 seconds. Depending on the breed of horse, however, some would be able to sustain higher speeds.
It’s believed a racehorse has been able to achieve a speed of 43.2 mph / 69.5 kph in less than 5 seconds. But as an overall average, it’s safe to bet that most horses could run between 20 – 25 mph / 32 – 40 kph.
How Fast Can a Horse Run in the Desert?
Given the circumstances, horses are in no way suited to be running in the desert. However, if they were– it’s believed a horse could reach a speed of 20 – 25 miles per hour or 32 – 40 kilometers per hour, but no more. And if this were true, they’d need to drink plenty of water beforehand.
How Fast Can a War Horse Run?
Unfortunately, a War Horse (also written Warhorse) is known to not be able to run very far. Their average speed was no faster than 20 miles per hour, or 32 kilometers per hour. Many believe that without a rider, they might have been able to reach speeds of 40 mph/ 64 kmph– but even then, it wouldn’t have been long until they’d be kneeling over.
How Fast Can a Shire Horse Run?

Although not the fastest horse breed around, the Shire Horse still has an average speed of 35 miles per hour or 56 kilometers per hour. Established in the mid-eighteen centuries, the Shire Horse is a great working-animal– suitable for pulling, transportation, and farm-work assistance.
How Fast Can an Arabian Horse Run?
One of the oldest horse breeds in history, the Arabian Horse has a recorded top speed of 40 miles per hour or 64.3 kilometers per hour. They’re one of the most recognizable horses, have great versatility, and are popular for their endurance.
How Fast Can an Appaloosa Horse Run?
An Appaloosa Horse has an officially-recorded running speed of 41 miles per hour or 65.9 kilometers per hour. They were once selectively bred by the Native Americans, and are mainly used in The United States for horse racing given their agile speed and dominant behavior.
How Fast Can a Belgian Horse Run?

The average speed at which a Belgian Horse can run is 25 miles per hour or 40 kilometers per hour. Belgian Horses were primarily used for farm work, and once exported to America– they were bred further for lighter bodies and a taller physique.
How Fast Can a Clydesdale Horse Run?
A Clydesdale horse can run as fast as 20 miles per hour, or 32 kilometers per hour. They’re a Scottish breed, named after their area of origin. A Clydesdale horse was once bred for industrial work and assistance on farms.
How Fast Can a Friesian Horse Run?

Originating in the Netherlands, Freiseian horses run an average speed of 25 – 30 miles per hour or 32 – 48.2 kilometers per hour. Although not the fastest horse breed, their durable-size allowed them to carry knight-persons in the late middle ages.
How Fast Can a Thoroughbred Horse Run?
A popular breed used in horse racing, the Thoroughbred Horse has a recorded top speed of 44 miles per hour or 71 kilometers per hour. They average a galloping pace of 16 mph/ 27kmph and are widely known for their speed, agility, and spirit.
How Fast Can a Gypsy Horse Run?

If you’re looking for a laid-back, easy-going riding horse, the Gypsy Horse might be the one for you. With an average speed of 22 miles per hour or 35.4 kilometers per hour, Gypsy horses developed over-time– as they were once used to pull Vardoes until 1850.
How Fast Can a Standardbred Horse Run?
The Standardbred Horse is an American breed, impressing members for its performance and ability during harness racing. A Standardbred Horse has an average speed of 30 miles per hour, or 48.2 kilometers per hour-– which estimates as the average pace for a horse of such nature.
How Fast Can a Morgan Horse Run?
Developed in the United States for general riding during the American Civil War, a Morgan Horse has an estimated run-speed of 20 miles per hour or 32 kilometers per hour. They’re known best for their endurance, speed, and agility when racing.
How Fast Can a Miniature Horse Run?
Despite their small-size and cute features, don’t be fooled by their speed. The Miniature horse has been recorded to run as fast as 20 – 30 miles per hour, or 32 – 48 kilometers per hour.
How Fast Can a Tennessee Walking Horse Run?
As per their name, the Tennessee Walking Horse has a distinguishable “walking-run” like-feature to them, pacing themselves with a top-speed of 10 – 20 miles per hour, or 16 – 32 kilometers per hour.
How Fast Can a Quarter Horse Run?
Known for their whooping speeds at such short distances, a Quarter Horse has been recognized to run a top speed of 55 miles per hour or 88.5 kilometers per hour. This breed has a reputation for its performance in rodeos, horse shows, and as a working ranch horse.
How Fast Can a Wild Mustang Horse Run?
Coming from an origin dating back to the Spanish explorers and previous descendants from the Colonial Spanish Horse arriving in America in the 15th century, Wild Mustang Horses have been recorded to have a top speed of 54 miles per hour or 88 kilometers per hour.
How Fast Can a Wild Horse Run?
There’s limited information as to how fast a Wild Horse (sometimes referred to as a Feral Horse) can run. It’s estimated a wild horse can run between 30 – 40mph / 48 – 64kmph, and as fast as 43mph (68kmph).
Although they have experience living in the wild, they’re still much slower than trained race-horses and even some domesticated horses.
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