The horse's movement speed can vary. However, with maximum effort and a suitable gait, such as a canter, a horse can run quite fast, overtaking even a medium-speed vehicle.
The maximum running speed of a horse depends on many factors, including breed, height, weight, and of course the chosen gait.
Slow motion
Allure is a term that came to the Russian language from French; literally translated, it means "gait." Currently, in Russian, this word is used mainly to denote the type of horse's move, which can be different in speed and other parameters.
So, it is customary to distinguish between three main types of gait. The first, the slowest, is the step. Moving in this way, the horse usually develops a speed of 3.5 to 7 kilometers per hour. At the same time, however, this type of gait is the most natural for a horse, so it can walk quite easily for several hours. In addition, it is on this type of movement that it switches under load, for example, when carrying a heavy load.
Fast movement
The trot is a faster pace of movement of a horse: its movement speed in this case can be 12-13 kilometers per hour. However, the horse is physically capable of moving at this pace for a limited time. A horse, not urged by a man, will from time to time switch from trot to walk and, after some rest, will return to trotting again. Depending on the physical condition of the horse and its breed, the duration of the trot can be 10-20 minutes, and the subsequent duration of the walk in steps is 5-10 minutes.
When trotting, a horse can perform a certain amount of work, that is, carry loads, but in this case there are certain restrictions: for example, it is recommended to start a horse at a trot only if the weight of the load does not exceed 7-8% of its own weight.
The horse develops the highest speed when running at a gallop. Experts distinguish several main types of this gait. At the same time, even the slowest canter is characterized by a speed of about 20-30 kilometers per hour, and the maximum rate of movement of a horse during a canter can reach 70 kilometers per hour or more.
However, it is clear that a horse cannot move at this pace for a long time. In nature, a horse moves at such a speed only in exceptional cases, for example, when a threat to life arises. Therefore, in natural mode, the distance traveled at such a high speed usually does not exceed 1 kilometer. However, racehorses trained to race can move at a brisk canter for 15 to 20 minutes.
