Here's why:
* Horse anatomy: Horses have powerful legs with long strides and a flexible spine that allows them to cover a lot of ground quickly.
* Muscle composition: Horses have a higher percentage of fast-twitch muscle fibers, which are designed for explosive bursts of speed.
* Evolutionary adaptation: Horses have evolved over millions of years to be fast runners, as it was crucial for their survival in the wild.
While humans can run relatively fast for short distances, they simply don't have the same physical capabilities as a horse built for speed.
Here's a rough comparison:
* Fastest human sprinter: Usain Bolt's world record 100-meter sprint time is around 9.58 seconds.
* Fastest racehorse: A thoroughbred racehorse can reach speeds up to 44 mph (71 kph) over short distances.
Even a relatively slow horse can easily outrun a human over a short distance.