10-11-2011, 11:31 PM
Quote:I did read that the Pony Express riders averaged around 75 miles a day, and a record was 380 miles in 36 hours
That makes just over 250 miles in 24 hours - rather faster than the speeding Tiberius at 200 miles in the same time.
The well-named Ultimate Horse Site gives speeds of 3-4mph for a walk, 8-10 for a trot, 10-17 for a canter and around 30mph for a gallop, with racehorse galloping up to 50mph at full stretch. So a courier could cover his 50 miles a day easily walking and trotting with the occasional canter on the straight roads. However, galloping or even cantering a horse for more than a few miles at a stretch is rapidly going to exhaust the animal, and the time needed to rest it would probably waste any advantage gained. Our usual image of Roman couriers racing along at a full gallop, cloaks billowing, for mile after mile is probably rather exaggerated!
- Nathan
Nathan Ross
