How to Measure a Horse's Height
Chances are if you read ads selling horses or someone is telling you about the height of their horse they will use the word hands to express the measurement. For example a very tall horse might be 17 HH. A pony is an equine under 14 2 HH. HH or H stands for hands high or hands.
A hand is a measuring unit for an equines height that has been used for several centuries. The measurement may in fact trace back to the ancient Egyptians. A hand represents four inches or approximately the width of a male adults hand. However horses are not exclusively measured in hands. In some countries and for FEI competition horses are measured in centimeters. Ponies miniature horses and other diminutive equines may also be measured in centimeters or in inches rather than hands.
Because one hand is equal to four inches partial hands are expressed as decimals. A horse that is 14 2 hands is 14 hands plus 2 inches. The total inches would be 58 inches 14 x 4 2. A horse could never be said to be 14 5 inches as the number after the decimal is not a fraction but represents an entire inch. If a horse is 14 2 12 HH that means hes two and onehalf inches over 14 hands.
Horses are measured from the ground just beside and behind a foreleg to the top of the withers shoulders. This is the one part of the horses top line that does not change whether he lowers or raises his head or drops or arches his back. This is the standard location to measure the height of a horse regardless of what increments either hands or centimeters you use what country you are in what discipline your ride or what breed of horse or pony.
There are a few instruments that you can use to measure a horses height. The most accurate and easiest method is to use an equine height measuring stick. This is a tall stick marked with inch measurements with a horizontal bar that slides up and down the stick. The stick is held alongside the horse and the horizontal bar is slid down until it touches the horses withers. Some sticks have a leveling bubble so you can be sure you are holding the stick level.
Height tapes can be purchased inexpensively at feed or tack stores. The problem with tapes is that they are light and floppy
