How Fast Are Reindeer? Are They Faster Than a Horse?

As the holidays approach, many people get curious about reindeer. Have you ever wondered how fast they can run? Well, they may not be able to pull a sleigh around the world in a single night, but they’re still quite fast. Here are some interesting facts about reindeer’s speed that you can wow your coworkers with at the annual holiday party!

How Fast Are Reindeer?

These deer can reach a running speed of almost 50 miles per hour, though most recorded speeds are between 25 and 35 miles per hour, which is still quite impressive. They are way faster than many other animals of their size, which is very helpful for them to escape predators. 

They can’t keep their top speed for long, though. After a sprint not much longer than a minute, they inevitably slow down, but even then, they can still keep a galop of around 20 miles per hour for a while. A sled pulled by three to six reindeer will move at about 40 miles per hour, though it will take some time for the animals to reach their full speed.

Though unable to run at full speed for long, they can keep a steady pace of about 10 miles per hour for extremely long distances. In fact, they’re accustomed to traveling great distances in search of food. The North American Reindeer, or Caribou, annually migrates, and it even holds the record for the longest migration of a land animal. Some herds travel for over 3,000 miles every spring!

They may look like they have short legs, but they can jump quite high, clearing obstacles over 7 feet tall with ease during their long runs. They can also swim and even cross lakes and rivers during their migrations. Their swimming speed is between four and six miles per hour.

Reindeer vs. Horses: Which Are Faster?

In terms of average speed, horses are definitively faster than reindeer, as they reach over 55 miles per hour at full gallop. Quarter horses, which are explicitly bred to run short distances, can be even faster. However, the reindeer will have a massive advantage if we compare their speed on irregular terrains or snow-covered ground. They have flexible hooves that adapt better to mud and snow, while horses’ hooves only work well on solid ground.

In conclusion, racing horses are much faster than wild reindeer. But this is only true if they compete on regular, leveled ground. Also, reindeer have much more endurance and can travel far longer distances, especially on uneven ground.

Can You Ride a Reindeer?

Humans can ride these animals, but they are smaller than horses and can’t carry as much weight. For this reason, it is very rare for an adult human to ride a reindeer, even in places like Norway, Mongolia, and the north of Russia, where domesticated species roam.

They are mostly load animals, commonly hitched to sleds. Natives from the arctic region even hold incredibly popular annual competitions for reindeer sledding. Every year, over 70 different teams from the Yamal tundra compete in a series of races that take place in Salekhard, the only city in the Arctic circle.

Up Next:

• 12 Incredible Reindeer Facts for Christmas
• Where Do Reindeer Live?
• Christmas Reindeer: What’s the Story Behind Santa and Reindeer?
• What Do Reindeer Eat? 7 Important Foods for Their Diet

The photo featured at the top of this post is © iStock.com/RichardSeeley