How fast is it reasonable for a horse to be ridden?
About 6-7mph for a day’s riding, up to the dizzying heights of 17mph if you have a good horse which you don’t mind exhausting after four hours or so. Sherrie Holmes writes (of modern horses): “The average horse walks at 5mph, trots at 8-10mph, and canters around 15mph. Travelling at distance, a rider will mostly trot and walk, with the occasional canter for variety if terrain is good. The primary gait will be the trot if they are in a bit of a hurry. The trot can be maintained for some time without unduly stressing the horse.
