How fast would a horse go with a rider on a dirt road?

Question

I'm not talking about racing here. Just going at a steady pace, though not trotting. So like the pace it would go if the rider wanted to get somewhere (and there is no speed limit).

Answer 1

as fast as the rider and horse can manage

Answer 2

Going as fast as they can go? Assuming the horse and rider actually can physically do it.... very fast (sorry I'm not really sure how many MPH). If you've ever watched a barrel race, etc. you'll see- when a horse wants to, they can MOVE.

Answer 3

Well, one thing to keep in mind,  is that in the 16th century horses were a lot more used to long hard labor than most horses are today. They were literally riden all day, every day in some cases. Not anything like todays horses who stand in a heated/airconditioned stall doing nothing but eat then come out a couple times a week  for a ride.

In those days a horse that couldn't stand up to a brisk 10 mile ride wouldn't make very long as they simply couldn't afford to feed a horse (or anything else) that didn't pull it's own weight.

Even in today's horses a 10 mile ride isn't anything extreme. Endurance horses often cover 50 miles in less than 12 hours -- that is including trail time & vet check time. 12 hours is actually the time limit for a 50 miler.

You might find more info that would help you research the matter at an Endurance Riding site like

http://www.olddominionrides.org/Enduranc...

Here is the average speeds of a average sized horse

Walk -- 3.7-4mph

Slow Trot -- 5mph

Medium Trot -- 6-8mph

Fast Trot -- 9-11mph

Cantor -- 12-15mph

Hand Gallop -- 15-25

Endurance horses spend most all of their time at a medium trot. So going by those averages going at a fast trot a rider could make 10 miles pretty easy in an hour to hour and half even if they slow to a walk to give the horse a breather, whichy in those days I seriously doubt they would..

Answer 4

Well... it would depend on how fit the horse is. If the horse is a very fit endurance horse, I'd say it could go at a steady pace for awhile.

If it were the average schooling horse... I'd say not so much.

Answer 5

Most of us here wouldn't have any experience to answer that.  Try looking up something like pony express...they would have recorded times and miles travelled, etc.

Answer 6

Cross-country Old West riders averaged 20 miles on a good

day.  Roads today are't built for for moving stock so watering

and feed resources may limit mount progress.

Answer 7

at a gallop, sometimes 40 mph, about 30 though. at a canter, about 20-25. good luck with your book, send me a copy!

Answer 8

My mare walks about 5 miles per hour.  She would prefer to do 4 mph.

My gelding walks faster...about 6 miles per hour.

**EDIT..10 miles is nothing...and very easy for a horse that is in shape.  That is a 'short' trailride for mine.  Done about twice a week in the summer.  In your story...the horse would be in good shape...because they were used ALL the time.

Mine can do that in a walk in a little over 2 hours with no stopping.

Answer 9

I could ride a horse (Walk, trot and canter. Not in a hurry.) 5 miles in 45 minutes.

Answer 10

like cantering 20mph. why?