What Is the Fastest Horse in the World?

The horse has conquered the hearts of man thanks to its elegance, its power and its magnificence. His speed is something else entirely, which makes him even more fascinating. In the world of racing, the Quarter horse can reach peaks at nearly 95 km/h. So is this the fastest horse? How do you judge a horse’s speed? Here is everything you need to find out about the fastest horse breeds.

Focus on horse power

To determine which isthe fastest horse in the world, it is important to know the criteria for selecting the speed of a horse. The speed of a galloping horse is 15 to 21 km/h on average, the fastest exceed 60 km/h. In this case, gait has an important role to play: stride, lynx, gallop, step, career, amble. The gallop is the fastest of them. It reaches 60 km/h over a short distance, and around 50-55 km/h over long distances.

In addition, the stride length mainly determines the speed of the racing horse, the stride being the distance covered in a single bound. In practice, the fastest horse knows how to move its legs forward quickly. While the horse with long legs will have more difficulty running.

The stride rate on the other hand is the number of strides taken by the racing horseduring a given time. Stride speedis 130 to 140 strides per minute. The most efficient horses then go at a stride speed of up to 160 strides per minute. Indeed, the stride cadence of the Quarter horse is faster than that of the Thoroughbred. The Thoroughbred must have the strength to maintain its stride for longer for a greater distance.

The stride angle is also another term to delimit the speed of the racing horse. This is the gap that translates between his front foot and his back foot. An essential calculation tool for estimating how far it will flatten out while running. Therefore, the fastest racehorseshave high stride angles.

The English Thoroughbred: the fastest horse in the world

A racetrack horse par excellence, also called "lord of the racetracks", the English Thoroughbred is without a doubt the fastest breed of horses in the world. Designed for distance horse racing, the English horse always occupies the best positions. English Thoroughbreds are regulars at the most prestigious galloping races such as the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, the Prix de Diane, the Epsom Derby or the Jockey Club. They have a lean, muscular body with long legs. Perfect anatomy for long distance horse racing.

Validated at 71 km/h, “Winning Brew” is classified by the Guiness Book as the fastest horse in the world. “Winning Brew” is a Thoroughbred of British origin, very famous in fast horse racing. At the age of just two, he achieved his feat at the Penn National Race Course in 2008. Compared to the average Kentucky Derby winner who runs around 60km/h. He holds the record for the fastest horse in the world thanks to his great energy and extraordinary speed.

The origin of this breed of racing horse dates back to the 17th century. It comes from countries with a horse racing tradition and is worth a small fortune. Arabian horses were the ancestors of this line of pure blood riders, hence their robustness and speed. However, the Thoroughbred is most often used in crossbreeding to participate in the improvement of other breeds. Crossed with Arabic, it gives Anglo-Arabic. In addition, the English Thoroughbred has its specific characteristics. Purebred is maintained by crossbreeding of purebred individuals only. The strongest and fastest have always been selected for breeding. Also, the English horseman breed is capable of undergoing extreme physical effort. His heart is very large, almost twice normal. Finally, its unusual speed puts it in first place among all breeds of horses.

The Quarter Horse: the fastest horse at short distances

Why was the Quarter Horse classified as the fastest horse in the world? It is a horse from America known since the 16th century, it is versatile and it is a very robust rider. Clocked at 86 km/h, it has the fastest rate of any horse breed. Since its owners have focused heavily on speed, the Quarter Horse has the record for speed at a short distance of 400m. It is a very muscular racehorse with a fairly massive and powerful hindquarters, and it has protruding musculature. He also has strong legs and hyper muscular thighs, his feet are however a little small compared to his remarkable size.

On the side character, this stallion is calm, affectionate, intelligent, very sociable, cooperative and extremely lively. Currently, the Quarter horse is found mainly in three countries: the United States, Canada and Mexico. However, this breed of horse can also be found in other countries that practice equestrian sports.

The purebred Arabian: extraordinary endurance

Originating from the Middle East, the Arabian thoroughbred is one of the oldest equine breeds in existence. It is a saddle horse with a feather weight of 400 kg maximum and measures on average 1.40 to 1.55 m at the withers. Arabian horses are rather more enduring than fast in equestrian competition. They are even the most enduring of all horse breeds.

Thus, it would be rare to see an Arabian Horse running at maximum speeds of 64km/h. Far slower than the Quarter horse and the Thoroughbred, this type of horse is particularly appreciated for its great resistance, which it could emerge victorious in an endurance race.

The Standardbred, the fastest harness racing horse in the world

TheStandardbredsare American trotting horses. Indeed, this horse name has its own meaning, “Standards” means speed and “Bred” means high. This breed of horse is known to be the fastest trotting horse in the world for its performance in harness racing. With his rapid speed, he covered 1600m in a record time of 1min 46s.

Designed in North America, this stallion is the result of a cross between the Thoroughbred and a Norfolk trotter. At first glance, the body of a Standardbred closely resembles that of a Thoroughbred horse. However, its speed depends on the musculature of its shoulders and its hindquarters. Otherwise, it is a tender animal with a good temperament.