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Horses are incredible animals of strength and speed. From the time of their domestication of wild horses around 4,000 BC to the invention of trains, they were still the fastest source of locomotion on land. Although they no longer provide an essential service, horses are still ridden for both pleasure and sport. This article covers the top nine fastest horse breeds in the world. Top speed will be the most important factor, but so will stamina and endurance over long distances. Many of the horses on this list are “warm-blooded.” This means that the breed combines excellent speed and agility with a bold and spirited temperament.
#9: Mustang
The Mustang is a free-running horse from the western United States descending from breeds brought to America by the Spaniards in the 16th century. They are often mistaken for wild horses, but this is not quite the case, as they were domesticated at one point and then feralized later. Weighing in at approximately 800 pounds, this stocky and versatile breed excels at a variety of challenging tasks such as dressage, horseback riding, ranching and racing. The typical Mustang can gallop at speeds of about 25 to 30 miles per hour, but they can potentially go even faster for short bursts.
#8: Standard Bred
Developed on the East Coast of the United States from a thoroughbred horse in the 18th century, this American breed is a solid, muscular, well-built horse—with powerful shoulders and hindquarters—that trades some speed for sheer strength. There are many qualities in which they excel, such as jumping, pulling and racing. This makes them especially popular in the sport of harness racing where the horse pulls a two-wheeled cart behind it while competing against other horses. Another potential sport in which they excel is in show jumping or eventing (a combination of multiple events).
They are also considered people-oriented horses, easy to work with and train, making them very good choices for pleasure and trail riding whether you are a beginner or an advanced rider. While it is remarkably strong, it is not fast enough to be among the fastest horses in the world, at least compared to the next breeds on this list.
#7: Akhal-Teke
The Akhal-Teke is an ancient but rare breed of Turkmen horse whose ancestors can be traced back thousands of years from central Asia. The beautiful metallic fur, which comes from the opaque centers of the hair shafts, is a particularly unique and alluring trait in some individuals of this breed. This horse excels in a variety of athletic endeavors, including racing, jumping, eventing, and dressage. While not exactly a popular choice on the racetrack, several members of this breed have had a huge impact on international dressage competitions.
An Akhal-Teke stallion named Absent (who also had some Thoroughbred ancestors) won a gold medal in individual dressage for the Soviet Union at the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome. He won an individual bronze dressage medal at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics and a team dressage silver at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics.
#6: American Paint Horses
The American Paint Horse is one of the fastest horses in the world. It shares a common ancestry with the American Quarterhorse and the Thoroughbred (both of which are mentioned later in this list). Its most notable feature is the pinto spot pattern of white and dark coat colors covering the body. Black, bay, brown and chestnut are all common and popular colors for this breed. They excel in many equestrian disciplines such as reining, western pleasure and show jumping.
The American Paint Horse Association, which maintains a complete registry for this breed, even operates its unique race track. A horse named Izzy Legal, which competed in the 1990s, still holds the record for number of race victories. It is thought that these fast horses can reach top speeds of about 40 miles per hour.
#5: Andalusians
The Andalusian, also known as the pure Spanish horse, which has lived in the Iberian Peninsula for thousands of years, exudes both speed and strength in its appearance. It is strongly built, compact and graceful in its movements, with a long, flowing tail and mane. Though historically a favorite of Spanish nobility since the Middle Ages, the Andalusian has also laid the foundation for numerous other breeds across Europe. Europe and America, making it a truly global breed.
The Andalusian isn’t quite among the fastest horses in history, but is prized for his extraordinary range of motion and agility; this has given it a huge advantage in show jumping, dressage and endurance racing. Andalusians were part of the Spanish team that won medals at the 2002 World Equestrian Games and the 2004 Summer Olympics.
#4: Appaloosa
One of the fastest horse breeds in the world, the Appaloosa was originally developed by the Nez Perce people of the Pacific Northwest from a stock of horses brought to America by the Spaniards in the early 16th century. Later additions to its lineage included the Arab and American Quarterhouse (of which more will be said later). It is characterized by a distinctive leopard-like spotted appearance over his body. This breed is particularly suited to traditional western activities such as reining, cutting and roping, but it can also be used for English disciplines such as jumping, fox hunting and eventing.
#3: Arabic
The Arabian is one of the oldest and most recognizable breeds in the world, dating back some 4,500 years to the Arabian Peninsula. With a distinctive wedge-shaped head and high tail carriage, this horse was bred to survive long journeys in difficult desert climates, making it one of the fastest horses over immense distances. Able to form strong bonds with peopleThe breed is also good natured, cheerful, quick to learn and eager to please. Because these traits are so appealing to breeders, some of the Arabian ancestry can be found in just about every modern racehorse in the world. These fast horses are thought to reach a top speed of anywhere between 35 and 40 miles per hour, perhaps even more in short bursts.
#2: American Quarter Horse
The American Quarterhorse, with its broad chest and powerful, rounded hindquarters, is arguably the fastest horse in the world over short distances, surpassing just about every other breed on this list. In fact, the name derives from its ability to sprint exceptionally well over a quarter-mile track. It dates back to the 18th century with several crosses between the English Thoroughbred and various Spanish wild horses that were released on the Great Plains and then domesticated by indigenous groups.
Today, the American Quarterhorse fills many roles as a racehorse, show horse, ranch horse, rodeo horse and all-round family companion. They have been known to reach speeds of about 45, maybe 50 miles per hour, although their limited stamina means they are less suited to longer races compared to the number one breed on this list. While not many members of this breed are household names, the American Quarterhorse is arguably one of the most popular breeds in the world among horse owners. They come in many different colors, including laurel, black, brown, gray, dun, red and blue grizzle, and palomino. Perhaps the most popular choice is sorrel, a brownish-red color.
#1: thoroughbred
Tall, lean and incredibly athletic, the Thoroughbred is largely considered the fastest horse breed in the world over longer distances. Reaching a top speed of about 40 to 45 miles per hour, it developed in the 17th and 18th centuries by crossing local English mares with imported Arabian, Barbs and Turkmen stallions. The horse was then exported to the rest of the world and formed the basis for numerous other breeds. While their exceptional speed is best suited to horse racing, Thoroughbreds also excel in other riding disciplines such as dressage, polo, jumping and hunting.
Thoroughbreds include some of the fastest horses in history, at least on the racetrack. In 2008, a two-year-old filly named Winning Brew set a Thoroughbred record for top speed over two furlongs (that’s about a quarter of a mile) at the Penn National Race Course in Grantville, Pennsylvania. Winning Brew covered the distance in a time of 20.57 seconds or the equivalent of just under 44 miles per hour. Other contenders for fastest horses in history include Man o’ War (an early Hall of Famer), War Admiral (the 1937 winner of the US Triple Crown), Secretariat (the winner of the 1973 Triple Crown), and the American pharaoh (the 2015 Triple Crown). Crown winner). The average speed of a Kentucky Derby winner, although not as fast as Winning Brew, is 60 miles per hour.
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