How far by horse? - Writers Forum

Coldfire · 09-15-2007, 11:16 AM

I mostly write in the fantasy genre and it occurred to me that I have no idea how fast/far a horse can travel...i.e. when someone says it was "a day's ride away" how far is that?

And how much would different terrain factor into the equation?

I've done some research and found that most riding is done at a trot not an all out gallop but I still need a little more information from some horse experts!

Thanks in advance
~Coldfire

Non Serviam · 09-15-2007, 11:58 AM

What kind of horse, how heavily-laden?

In the first Crusade, the Frankish (Western European) knights fought on horseback against Sunni light cavalry. This was 1095, and the Franks weren't riding very good horses--the warhorses of the high mediaeval period seem to have been bred from the northern european horses with admixtures of Arab horse stock--while the Sunnis were riding excellent quality Arab horses. And the Franks' arms and armour probably weighed around sixty or seventy pounds, while the Sunni gear checked in at around twenty-five or thirty.

You can imagine that the Sunni were moving twice as fast as the Franks, or more.

It also depends on how the horses are being fed. If you're just expecting them to eat grass, then you'll lose a substantial amount of each day grazing your horses. If they're eating oats or something, you'll get a faster journey, but you'll need extra pack-horses to carry all the fodder.

Are these horses supposed to be carrying tents as well, by the way? Mediaeval tents were stupidly heavy compared to ours.

Ilasir Maroa · 09-15-2007, 12:54 PM

Actually, I wouldn't be surprised to find that much all-day riding is done at a walk. Besides food, you also have to consider finding water, how much experience your riders have(including how long they can stay in the saddle without getting overly sore), amount of gear as NS said, terrain, weather, how good of shape the horse is in, the horses physical attributes...etc. The list can get quite long. But on an average, you could definitely go at least 30 miles. That's not very specific, but you didn't give much context information. Sorry, I couldn't be of more help.

Further info: Us Cavalry forced-march pace: 175 miles a week

wmd · 09-15-2007, 01:59 PM

Saying that something is "a days ride away" is like saying that it takes me "an hour to drive to the beach"

There are so many variables that it could be more and it could be less. You have to remember all the factors above. Also keep in mind that if your horses keep at a trot as you say they will be tired faster than if you just walk them.

I just typed in "how fast can a horse walk" in google and got this link...
http://www.ultimatehorsesite.com/info/horsespeedmph.htm

it says that an average horse can walk 3-4 mph, while a trot is 8-10 mph. This is obviously in prime conditions and would be less when carrying extra gear or going over different types of terrain.

so I would say a days ride is about 30 or so miles... keeping in mind that you will be stopping for breaks and changing speeds over the course of the trip.

The Backward OX · 09-15-2007, 06:36 PM

There is no set answer. The Pony Express crossed the US from the Atlantic to the Pacific in under ten days. Those horses could travel for ten miles at a full gallop, although more realistically they covered on average 250 miles in 24 hours.

fjf1329 · 09-15-2007, 08:37 PM

My trail riding friends tell me twenty miles a day is about average. Anytime you start to add conditions this changes, but at the end of the day, average horse, average rider, average pace, I think it will hold up.

Ilasir Maroa · 09-15-2007, 09:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Backward OX

There is no set answer. The Pony Express crossed the US from the Atlantic to the Pacific in under ten days. Those horses could travel for ten miles at a full gallop, although more realistically they covered on average 250 miles in 24 hours.

Ox, they were probably riding in relays, ten to fifteen miles a horse, 75 to a hundred miles a rider. So I don't think this applies to the kind of riding you'd do in the average fantasy novel.

I think we can all agree on about 20 miles a day walking, averaging about five or six hours. It's very hard to stay in the saddle a long time and be able to get up the next morning, especially at a trot. But depending on conditions, it might very a little.

comma127 · 09-16-2007, 02:29 AM

from most fantas novels i read, they use horses as baggage carrers and only ride them when they need to canter or gallop from an enemy. So if its a day long journey, a full half of that would be walked. if its running from an enemy, its much faster but much more brief. make sure you dont write about a horse galloping with its ride for a full day.

This is something i found on website wweestra

Horses can travel upwards of thirty (and some, even forty) miles per hour. They cannot sustain this pace for long, though. A horse can gallop a couple of miles at full steam, but the same horse can canter (or lope) much farther. Trotting (either a fast trot or a jog trot) isn't a bad way to travel, but you don't get very far very fast. Faster trotting is tiring to the rider as well because you are posting (rising up and down out of the saddle on alternate beats). Horses can walk all day, with brief rest periods. The condition of the horse can make a difference in endurance. A conditioned horse can do much more than one who isn't. The same is true for diet. A horse who has had all he needs to eat and drink is more likely to be a reliable mount. A horse that isn't in shape is more susceptible to injury as well. That being said, distances a horse can travel vary depending on the size of the party, mounts, weather, terrain, and condition of the roads. Medieval people traveled with everything they needed following in carts behind them. A train of this sort wouldn't move fast. Mounted knights-- all on well-conditioned destriers or palfreys -- would move fairly fast and cover upwards of 50 or 60 miles per day. However, traveling 20 to 30 miles a day would be considered a good day's journey.

Hope it helps you

Coldfire · 09-16-2007, 05:20 PM

Thanks all for the responses... it was mentioned that I didn't give very specific criteria as far as weather, gear, food etc. and that is because I really just wanted a good average estimate and then I can add or remove time/distance in the story when those factors come into play...thus my question was essentially answered...THANKS!!!

P.S. I will still check this thread a few times so if anyone else has more info to add feel free--it won't go unnoticed

MarkG · 09-23-2007, 08:08 PM

On level ground a man walks two miles an hour. On level ground a mounted horse used to carrying man, saddle and small amounts of gear (forty pounds of gear is the limit for a saddle horse or like breed when theres a rider too and its a full day of riding) will walk four miles an hour. All long range riding is done at a walk. A gallop is an emergency thing. Imagine a two hundred pound man carrying a fifty pound child at a run until he couldnt anymore. The result is how tired a horse would be. To figure how far a horse can go over mountains is common sense, once relized. If youve got a mountain that climbes to ten thousand feet, add two miles (one mile equals 5280 feet), not that a person would ride to the top and then back down (going around or halfway up and then around is almost always faster and easier on the horse). Details as far as details go, a person rides in the shade of trees at a walk to cool horses, you stand up in the sturrips when shooting a gun or bow, and bits (the part in the horses mouth) cut horses gums if pulled too hard or otherwise struck, horses role their eyes when they are afraid, foam at the mouth when overworked, and never breath through their mouths except when overworked, follow a person with their ears when paying attention, their hide twitches when cold or afraid, and toss their heads when nervous.

archer88iv · 09-26-2007, 05:55 PM

For the absolute limit on how hard you can push a horse, it's kinda fuzzy--and it depends heavily on how well conditioned your horse is. I cannot find a source for this, but I read about Russian horsemen (cossacks) riding escort for tanks in WW2 traveling on the order of 100 miles per day.

But here's something that isn't just hearsay:
http://www.ultimatehorsesite.com/info/farandfast.html

Fact is that the average horse will last longer than the average rider at a sensible pace. Horses have been bred to do this for the past few thousand years; most riders haven't.

Taxiday · 09-27-2007, 07:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Backward OX

There is no set answer. The Pony Express crossed the US from the Atlantic to the Pacific in under ten days. Those horses could travel for ten miles at a full gallop, although more realistically they covered on average 250 miles in 24 hours.

CORRECTION!!!!!!!

The Pony Express departed from Missouri!

Here's info from Wikipedia -

Founded By William H. Russell, William B. Waddell, and Alexander Majors, it officially opened on April 3, 1860. The first trip, westbound, was made in 10 days, 7 hours, and 45 minutes. The eastbound trip was made in 11 days and 12 hrs. Every 24hrs they covered 250 mi. The Pony Express, established a year before the beginning of the American Civil War, reflected the need to provide fast and reliable communication with the West.

Ilasir Maroa · 09-27-2007, 07:19 PM

hate to break this to you guys, but that link is about records and races and often specially trained horses, and the pony express rode in relays.

In medieval times(as now), a good horse could be rather expensive, so riding your horse to death in one day is not a good way to make distance. Since it probably isn't possible for most people here to go out on a horse and try it for themselves, I'll give some more info:

Most average horses will average about twenty miles a day for long trips, and up to a max of fifty for shorter ones. Depending on riding style, a rider can outlast his horse, especially at a fast pace(canter or gallop, and sometimes even trot.) "Posting" is an idiot move for a long ride. Western style (no posting) is probably the least tiring way to ride. Realys are how the pony express and the Mongols, rode so far. Having spare horses is the way many other nomads do it. It's called a string. You bring more than one on a campaign (to battle) so there will always be a fresh horse. For riding in a fantasy novel (or a western), you would probably have one horse, walking anhd trotting, and resting frequently. At about ten hours a day, you might cover twenty to thirty miles.