How Much Horsepower Does a Horse Have?

How much horsepower does a horse have? It depends on the horse.
Written by R.E. Fulton
Reviewed by Jessica Barrett
The maximum horsepower of an average horse is about 14.9 hp—not, as many people think, 1 hp! This unit of measurement refers to the average amount of power exerted by a workhorse in a full day: 550 foot pounds per second, or 745.7 watts
The term horsepower dates back to the 1700s and the early days of the Industrial Revolution, when inventors needed a way to convince business owners to replace their literal horses with the superior horsepower of steam engines. The new terminology was so successful that we now use it to measure the maximum power output of car engines, from traditional gas-powered flat-fours and V8s to electric motors! 
Here to break down the definition of horsepower is
Jerry
, the
trusted car insurance broker app
. We’ll explain how horses relate to this traditional measure of engine power and go over average horsepower estimates for modern cars, along with some tips to help you save on
car insurance
Are you getting ripped off on your car insurance? Find out in less than two minutes.
No long forms · No spam · No fees
Find insurance savings
4.7/5 Rating on App Store

Does a horse have one horsepower?

No—most horses are capable of generating up to 14.9 horsepower, not just one! 
Despite what you might think, one horsepower isn’t a universal measurement of the power of a single horse. Instead, it’s a unit of power used to estimate the average power output of a workhorse over the course of a day
The term was invented by Scottish engineer James Watt, whose name is more familiar as a different measurement of power—the watt. Just how did Watt get so interested in the amount of work horses can do? Turns out, the entire concept of mechanical horsepower started as an advertising scheme. 
In the 1760s, Watt was working at the University of Glasgow to improve the first modern steam engines. Although he was able to drastically improve their efficiency, business owners were reluctant to invest in the new technology. Why buy a mysterious and expensive engine to pump water out of a mine or turn a mill wheel when they had perfectly good draft horses doing the job? Watt came up with a way to measure the power of a horse to convince buyers that his engines could do a better job. 

What is a horsepower?

Let’s get technical for a minute. To estimate the output of a horse, Watt estimated the amount of force an average horse would need to turn a mill wheel in an average day. Under the definition he came up with in the late 18th century, a single horsepower is equal to 33,000 foot-pounds of work per minute or 550 foot-pounds of work per second (745.7 watts)
If those words in that order mean nothing to you, don’t worry. Instead, picture a horse hooked up to a 550-pound weight. One unit of horsepower is the amount of work the horse needs to put out in order to raise that weight by one foot for one second. 
A similar measurement can be given in terms of kilograms and meters. Developed in Germany, metric horsepower or Pferdestarke equals the amount of power needed to raise a 75-kg weight one meter in one second. 

Does the horsepower of a horse change depending on the size of the horse?

A horse’s horsepower isn’t a fixed measurement—while horses are generally capable of generating up to 14.9 horsepower in concentrated bursts, they won’t be working that hard for extended periods of time. Horsepower also varies between horse breeds. While traditional workhorses, like a Suffolk Punch or Clydesdale, might be able to generate the largest amounts of horsepower, you likely won’t see 14.9 hp from a daintier Arabian or quarter horse. 
In 1993, biologists R.D. Stevenson and Richard J. Wassersug wrote
a letter to the science journal Nature
suggesting that a theoretical superhorse could generate as much as 24 horsepower! But when the same scientists looked at the performance of actual horses—the stars of the horse-pulling contest at the 1925 Iowa State Fair, to be exact—they discovered that their maximum output ranged from about 12 hp to 14.9 hp, which they concluded was “probably a realistic estimate of peak performance.” 

How much horsepower does a human have?

Ironically, it turns out that the average horsepower of a human is a lot closer to 1 hp. 
Again, there’s a lot of variation in human horsepower. The average human can get up to about 1.2 hp in short bursts, but peak athletes can get closer to 2.5 hp. Of course, they can only maintain that level of power for a short period of time—Tour de France cyclists, for instance, might be able to generate as much as 1,000 watts for a few seconds, but they’ll need to ease off again. 
And when you’re not pushing for the burn, your horsepower is likely even lower—about 0.3 hp on average, scientists say. 
RECOMMENDED
Compare auto insurance policies
No spam or unwanted phone calls · No long forms
Find insurance savings
icon
Make safe driving pay
Get rewarded for safe driving. Earn points and unlock benefits. Totally free.
Start earning now

What is a good amount of horsepower for a car? 

Today, horsepower is used to measure the power of everything from ride-on lawnmowers to generators, but it’s most commonly used to talk about cars. The average horsepower of most mass-market cars in the U.S. is about 180 to 200 hp
For most drivers, that’s an ideal amount of power. See, more horsepower isn’t always a good thing: the more power your engine is generating, the faster you can go—and you’ll burn more fuel, too, tanking your vehicle’s fuel economy. 
Going below 200 hp will maximize your fuel economy. That’s why compact cars and sedans, like the Hyundai Accent, get such great gas mileage. Its base model gets 120 hp for a combined fuel economy rating of 36 mpg. For larger SUVs and trucks with thirsty V6 and V8 engines, horsepower increases—and so does fuel consumption. The Chevy Silverado 1500 full-size pickup can be outfitted with a beefy 420-hp V8 engine, but it gets about 16 miles to the gallon in that configuration. 
So how much horsepower do you need? That depends on your priorities. The typical car only needs about 10 to 20 hp to maintain normal highway speeds, so don’t worry about getting enough hp to meet your basic needs. Instead, you’ll have to decide whether fast acceleration or fuel economy matters most to you. 
rating reverse-full
"I’m earning
awesome rewards
every week, just for driving safe!”

How your car’s horsepower could affect insurance costs

Did you know that cars with more horsepower—such as sports cars and performance vehicles—typically come with higher car insurance costs? Take a super-fast car like the Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat Redeye, a deliciously powerful muscle car that can get up to a brain-melting 807 hp. That’s about as much hp as you’ll find in a mass-market car—and
Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat Redeye insurance costs
are shockingly high to match them. 
It’s not just the Hellcat’s $69,000+ price tag that’s responsible for those high rates. Insurance companies look at cars with a ton of HP and see a risk for speeding, accidents, and other violations and claims. 
So what can you do—short of steering clear of high-hp cars—to lower your insurance rates? Easy: shop with
Jerry
. As a licensed insurance broker, Jerry has the power to identify quotes that fit your profile and switch you over in record time so you can start saving. On average, Jerry users save over $800 a year on car insurance—as much money as the Hellcat has horsepower! 
“I wanted to buy my first car soon, so I needed cheap and fast insurance.
Jerry
was a lifesaver! Their fast and friendly service got me affordable insurance quickly! Thank you!” —Parker A.
RECOMMENDED
Haven’t shopped for insurance in the last six months? There might be hundreds $$$ in savings waiting for you.
avatar
Judith switched to Progressive
icon savingsSaved $725 annually
avatar
Alexander switched to Travelers
icon savingsSaved $834 annually
avatar
Annie switched to Nationwide
icon savingsSaved $668 annually
Are you overpaying for car insurance?
Compare quotes and find out in 45 seconds.
Try Jerry

Easiest way to compare and buy car insurance

√
No long forms
√
No spam or unwanted phone calls
√
Quotes from top insurance companies
Find insurance savings