# Long-haul average speed of horseback travel?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/long-haul-average-speed-of-horseback-travel/409504>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [June 26, 2007, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/long-haul-average-speed-of-horseback-travel/409504 "2007-06-26T18:14:37Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Hello\_Again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)\
**Post date:** [June 29, 2007, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/long-haul-average-speed-of-horseback-travel/409504/21 "2007-06-29T14:36:40Z")

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[QUOTE=Broomstick]

Keep in mind that ponies and mustangs, being physically smaller, can not haul/carry as much as larger horses or draft animals. So it’s a trade off. Larger animals carrying more stuff but requiring grain, or “native” type ponies that can live on vegetation alone but can’t carry as much.

[/quote]

Good points, but bear in mind, people were smaller on average during this time. According to [this link](http://www.vikinganswerlady.com/vikheight.shtml) average male height during the 12-14th centuries was about 5’7, as opposed to 5’9-5’10 as is the [average today](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_height).

You’re going to tell me that a [chunkster](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Gracie-rhs2005.jpg) of this type (a Highland Pony) cannot easily carry a 5’6" man and all his gear?

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**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\
**Post date:** [June 29, 2007, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/long-haul-average-speed-of-horseback-travel/409504/22 "2007-06-29T23:46:26Z")

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Depends on the gear, to a large extent.

I’ve _seen_ horses collapse under too much weight - they’re strong animals, but they have limits.

One man traveling light can go far and relatively fast on a single animal. Moving a large party with lots of gear… not nearly so fast. And terrain counts, too.

Also keep in mind that in the bad old days most animals were NOT championship material. They were, to put it bluntly, mongrels whose health and nutrition were likely no better than the average person’s. A king’s horse was superior because he could _afford_ to buy superior stock and superior feed. The average traveler’s horse was not so well coddled.

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**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\
**Post date:** [June 30, 2007, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/long-haul-average-speed-of-horseback-travel/409504/23 "2007-06-30T00:18:37Z")

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The Pony Express could manage 10MPH, changing horses _every hour_ and riders every 10 hours or so.

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