Who is stronger, the rat or the horse? - briefly
A horse has significantly greater muscle mass and body size, allowing it to generate far higher force than a rat. Therefore, the horse is the stronger animal.
Who is stronger, the rat or the horse? - in detail
The horse surpasses the rat in virtually every measure of muscular power. An adult horse weighs 400–800 kg and can generate a peak force of several thousand newtons with its hind limbs, enabling it to pull heavy loads and sprint at speeds up to 70 km/h. In contrast, a typical brown rat weighs 0.2–0.5 kg; its maximal bite force is about 15 N, and its hind‑limb thrust does not exceed a few dozen newtons.
Strength can be broken into categories:
- Absolute force – Horses produce forces measured in kilonewtons during draft work; rats produce forces measured in newtons.
- Relative strength – Rats can lift objects up to three times their body weight, a higher ratio than horses, whose lifting capacity is roughly one to two times body weight.
- Endurance – Equine muscular stamina supports prolonged activity such as long‑distance travel, while rat endurance is limited to short bursts.
Biomechanical structure also favors the larger animal. Equine skeletal geometry provides leverage for large muscle groups, whereas rat anatomy is optimized for agility, not raw power.
Summarizing the data, the horse exhibits far greater absolute strength and endurance, while the rat demonstrates superior strength relative to its size. Consequently, in a direct comparison of overall power, the larger mammal is the dominant contender.