USA HISTORY

Detailed explanation-1: -When the steam engine began to do the work of horses in the mines during the early 1800s, the mine owners began to ask how many horses an engine would replace. James Watt, who invented steam engines, figured out a mathematical way to equate horses to engine power . Thus the term horsepower was invented.

Detailed explanation-2: -Breeds like Thoroughbreds and Quarter horses can often produce more horsepower because they are bred and trained to work. Large draft horses that have lots of muscle can also produce a significant amount of power. Smaller horses, like Arabians and ponies, produce less power.

Detailed explanation-3: -The term horsepower came about in the 1700’s, when inventor James Watt was trying to explain the power of steam engines. He took the time to watch ponies, averaging how much power they produced in a minute.

Detailed explanation-4: -In fact, the maximum output of a horse can be up to 15 horsepower, and the maximum output of a human is a bit more than a single horsepower. For extreme athletes, this output can be even higher with Tour de France riders outputting around 1.2 horsepower for around 15 seconds, and just under 0.9 horsepower for a minute.

Detailed explanation-5: -James Watt derived his calculation for horsepower from how much work a mill horse could do. That’s why Watt took an interest in the working horses that pulled, pushed, and lifted heavy loads in factories, mills, and mines.