How far could a horse travel...?

Question

How far could a horse travel

in a day?

How far could it travel in 1 week?

In 2 weeks?

How far could it go in that time if it pulling a wagon?

and on that note...

How far could a person travel on foot in 2 weeks?

Answer 1

Depends on the breed , in one day (12 hours)- about 200 - 300 km    .    in one week 1400 - 2100km    .   two weeks 2800 - 4200km  .  pulling a wagon  ? depends on terrain , i assume bad ground , about the same as a human walking 8km per hour x 12hours = 96km per day . 1 week = 672km  , and a human walks at approx. the same 8km per hour  x 2 weeks = 1344km

Answer 2

There are a lot of variables in your question.  A lot depends on the terrain the horse is being asked to cover, the condition of the horse and the rider, the weather, the surface of the ground, and what they might have available in the way of rest stops with water/food.

The horses that do the Tevis Cup Endurance Ride are asked to complete 100 miles in 24 hours.  The course is over terrain that includes mountainous trails and rolling hills;  the horses that compete have been conditioned for the race and are attended by support crews who assist in rehydrating the horses and providing electrolytes and feed at every mandatory rest stop.  The horses are overseen by a crew of vets who have the right to pull a horse out of the ride for any reason.  

The fastest of the Tevis Cup winners completed the ride in under 12 hours for the hundred miles, and was probably good to go for another 20-50 miles.  But these are not average, typical horses-- they are the best-conditioned endurance horses in the world.

The question about how far a horse can travel in a week is somewhat of a trick question:  a horse can only travel as far as feed can be provided for it.  If the horse is going to have to carry its own feed, that limits how far it can go.  (Unless, of course, you're talking about riding a horse literally into the ground, and are willing to ride it to death.)  If we assume that there are rest stops available and the horse has access to good quality food at these rest stops, and is being ridden by a light-weight rider who wants to make sure the horse doesn't get sick or injured, then it's possible that the horse might be able to make 60-75 miles per day over the course of a week.  (That assumes a horse in good condition, over reasonable roads that don't involve a lot of climbing or uphill travel.)  The horse would probably not be in good shape at the end of the ride, but would survive it and after a recovery period would return to normal.

In two weeks, again assuming that sufficient feed and water were available, I would assume a horse in good condition might be able to go 40-50 miles per day if ridden by a lightweight rider over reasonably level terrain.

Pulling a wagon greatly complicates things.  A lot depends on what you define as a "wagon" and what the road is like.  If you define a "wagon" as any horse-drawn vehicle, then a light roadster or a sulky might be pulled over a reasonably hard road at a consistant 10-12 miles per hour.  If you're defining a "wagon" as something heavier, more like a buckboard or a carriage, progress will be slower.

FWIW, in the days when horses or oxen were used for getting about, it was rare for people to travel extended distances for extended periods of times-- the pioneers notwithstanding.  Because of the necessity of feeding and watering animals used as transportation, travel was much slower than it might have been if feed and water availability was guaranteed.  Also, travel was a much more serious consideration back in those days-- people didn't travel just for fun, even very wealthy people who could mitigate some of the discomfort and risk of travel.  

I'd be very interested to know the reason for your question.  Theoretical and practical answers are very different things.