The speed of racehorses like the Thoroughbreds bred at the Haras des Étincelles (Étincelles stud farm) is determined by various parameters such as the stride length, rate, and angle. The stride length is the distance a horse travels in a single bound; the stride rate is the number of strides the horse takes in a given time, and the stride angle is the difference in inclination between its front foot and its back foot. In practice, the fastest horses are not the ones with the longest legs but those that know how to move their legs quickly. Their stride rate can reach one hundred and sixty strides per minute, and they must be able to maintain it for a long distance.