Reindeer are undoubtedly a symbol and fixture of Christmas. As one of the most iconic drafting teams, Santa’s reindeer are certainly due the label of celebrity, if not royalty. As we have all at some point or other tried to stay up and see them as they fly by, I often wondered why not use horses? So here I am writing the case for why Santa should upgrade his team of reindeer to a team of horses this year.
Now, before we get started – we all know that these specific reindeer have a few magical abilities up their sleeves – including being able to fly in the night sky, travel at tremendous speeds, and land neatly on rooftops. I will admit that our regular equines are unlikely to be able to perform these tasks, but with the help of Santa himself, and a bit of magic, I entrust he could help them achieve these magical abilities too. Without further adieu let’s break down why horses are a better option than reindeer.
Speed – Reindeer are probably faster than you would expect being able to sprint at speeds as high as 50 miles per hour, but horses like thoroughbreds have them beat! Achieving sprints of up to 55 miles per hour they have beaten the reindeer’s top speed by 10%. This increase may not seem like a lot, but when the earth has a circumference of almost 25,000 miles it will save Santa hours of drive time!
Stamina – Reindeer in their natural habitat can cover 23 miles on average a day, but yet again the horses have them beat! Not only do feral horses complete treks of 35 miles a day, but horses trained for endurance riding, such as Arabians, can complete a trek as long as 100 miles in just one day.
Strength – Reindeer are known to be strong pullers and have been heavily relied upon by many tribes and native peoples as a form of transportation across the Arctic. However they have a pulling capacity of just 300lbs! Even in the toughest terrains strong draft horses such as Belgians can pull up to 8,000lbs individually, with a team capable of pulling up to 22,000lbs!
Style – Reindeers are a nostalgic creature, and are pretty hard to beat with their unique look, antlers, and especially bright red noses. But we have some pretty spectacular looking horse breeds out there too! It is hard to pick the most stylish of breeds, but with Fresian regularly being recognized as the prettiest horses of all the breeds, I put them forward as a good candidate to dethrone the reindeer’s style. With their fairytale appearance, strong presence, and huge trots they would make quite the impact if seen flying above the rooftops.
It is clear that our beloved horses are pretty special, and although reindeers have carried the torch of Christmas for generations whenever they are ready to retire there is a team of horses who are more than capable of picking up where they left off!