Horses have been raced competitively for centuries, and horse racing events remain a popular part of human culture. There are five main gaits, or ways in which a horse can move; these are called walking, trotting, cantering, galloping and backing. The average speed at which a horse gallops is approximately 48.2 kilometers (30 miles) per hour, but the top speed reported is considerably higher.
The Guinness Book of Records reports that the fastest speed of a racehorse ever reported was approximately 70.76 kilometers ( 43.97 miles) per hour and was achieved by the horse "Winning Brew" at the 2008 Penn National Race Course at Grantville, over a distance of 402 meters.
