Fastest Horse Breeds and Top Racing Breeds

Check out the latest US racing odds, where some of these breeds could be in action.

10. Morgan

You don’t often relate the Morgan to speed, but they’re quicker than many other non-racing breeds. They can get up to 20 mph, and although they’re mainly used for show jumping, having been used for harness racing earlier, they’re still quick.

A Morgan is an impressive animal. They are muscular, and although not the fastest horse in the world, they proved essential to the early horse racing scene and are now valuable as show jumping and farm horses.

9. Friesian

Most people relate Friesians to looking beautiful rather than owning speed. The Fresian can reach 30 mph and is also one of the more intelligent horse breeds.

Used primarily for dressage, fox hunting, and shows, the Friesian now doesn’t need to use its speed as a primary characteristic. However, they will chase down many other horse breeds if they need to run.

The Spanish Friesians are a wonder to look at, so even if they’re not fast horses compared to others on this list, they are the most striking.

8. American Paint Horse

We considered putting American Paint Horse higher on the list because they can run at around 50 mph. However, we’re putting them at No. 8.

Not often seen, the American Paint Horse possesses blistering speed for rounding up cattle. Cowboys often use them on farms, especially in the West, and they can quickly reach top speeds.

They can’t sustain the speed, so we’re putting them behind other breeds on the fastest horse breed list.

7. Andalusia

The Spanish purebred is one of the oldest horse breeds in the world, and it can reach high speeds. Weighing slightly more than standard thoroughbreds, the Andalusian is one of the fastest horse breeds in the world.

That speed has been tapered as they’re more commonly used for dressage and show jumping, primarily because of their good looks, but they were used for speed, dating back to the 1500s.

6. Arabian

One of the more popular horse breeds, the Arabian, is a smaller and more compact version of a thoroughbred. They can reach speeds of 40-45 mph, and because they are slightly shorter and weigh less, they can run quickly when needed.

In terms of fast horses, the Arabian is right up there, and we wouldn’t have thoroughbred race horses unless we had Arabians.

5. Standardbred

We weren’t sure where to put Standardbreds on our list. They are used for horse racing; therefore, we’re confident they are one of the fastest horse breeds in the world.

They don’t go as quickly on the track because they’re used for harness racing, and dragging a sulky behind you isn’t easy. Standardbreds can still gallop, but they’re most commonly used for harness racing.

If you like to bet on horse racing, you’ll likely see standardbreds in action.

4. Appaloosa

The Appaloosa is bred for speed, and it is related to quarter horses and thoroughbreds. It is used most commonly in hunting, farming, and, in some parts of the US, horse racing. The Appaloosa features a striking pattern.

It’s one of the more famous horse breeds, and because of its breeding, it knows how to run quickly. They can run up to 40-45 mph, so it’s one of the fastest horse breeds.

3. Mustang

The car is named after the horse, which should give you an idea of how fast Mustangs are. Originally Spanish, the Mustang was brought to America to be used on ranches.

Mustangs are bred to sprint, and there are reports of them reaching 54 mph, making them one of the fastest horse breeds in the world.

2. Thoroughbred

This is where things get tricky. The thoroughbred is considered the fastest horse in the world because they reach good speed and can sustain that speed longer than any other breed. However, we think they’re second on the list.

When we think about speed in other forms of life, we think about Usain Bolt and sprinters. We don’t think about marathon runners, so whilst thoroughbred sprinters are quick, there is one breed quicker over shorter distances.

If you want to know how to bet on horse racing, click the link.

1. Quarter Horse

Used for quarter horse racing, the Quarter Horse is exceptionally quick. They get up to 55 mph, and although they only run short distances for horse racing purposes, they are lightning when they hit the track.

The race might only take a few seconds, but quarter horse racing is a sight to see, and they belong at the top of our fastest horse breed list.

Use this promo code for BetUS before you place your bet on quarter horse action.