I know a Hand=4inches but how do you measure them?
2007-06-24 06:54:43 · 11 answers · asked by Chelsey N 1 in Pets ➔ Other - Pets
Where do you measure from for you idiots out there! I mean what part of the horse do measure?
2007-06-24 07:02:44 · update #1
Your question is a good one and the answer is not commonly known.
El was right in his answer to you. My husband is a retired jockey and the height is measured at the withers. After you measure the horse in inches, you divide that number by four and it will tell you how tall a horse is in "hands".
There are a number of places along the horse's back that are lower than others so it was standardized a long time ago that a horse's height be measured at the withers only. The rule of thumb many years ago was a man's handbreadth because they didn't carry measuring tools everywhere with them when looking at horses--it was later further standardized that a handbreadth be four inches--which is the distance from the top of the palm between the base of the forefinger and thumb, to the bottom edge of the palm between the base of the small finger and the area directly under the thumb. Most experienced horse people can look at a horse and be able to give a very accurate guess as to how many hands tall a horse is.
The horse should be standing with the front legs straight up and down and fairly close together. Remember, when measuring in inches that a half hand is two inches so if your horse is 14 hands and two inches tall, it is stated as fourteen hands two, not 14.5 or fourteen and a half hands.
A fun thing to do with friends who have horses, is to guess how tall your horses are and then measure them to see who is the closest guesser. It's good training and when you read an article about a horse and it gives it's height in "hands" you'll be able to quickly multiply by four and know how tall it is in inches or feet.
Have fun!!
2007-06-24 07:27:27 · answer #1 · answered by Bromeliad 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
With a measuring stick. You measure the height at the withers, which is at the base of the neck. The measuring stick is stood on the ground and then a slider is moved down to rest on the withers- the height can then be read off the ruler part of the stick.
If you measure in inches you can then divide the measurement by four to get it in hands- e.g. if a horse is 60" to the withers then you divide that by four, the horse is therefore 15hh (hands high). 61" high would be 15.1hh, etc.
This website has a photo of a horse being measured: http://horsecare.stablemade.com/_articles/measure.htm
2007-06-24 06:58:57 · answer #2 · answered by El 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
From the hoof on the front leg to the top of the withers. They make measuring tapes for this. The weight of a horse is measured by using special tape designed to measure horse weight and put it around their heart girth. The measuring tape I have is called Horse and Pony Height-Weight Tape by Coburn. The Length of the horse is measured from the center of the chest to the point of the butt, this measurement is for fitting winter blankets and spring sheet or fly sheets. The number of inches the length of the horse, is the size of blanket you need. If you are on an odd number the website I attached says you should move to the next number up because they dont make blanets in odd sizes.
http://blanketbarn.com/merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=BB&Category_Code=measure
2007-06-24 07:53:14 · answer #3 · answered by wenchgirl04 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
ok you are correct in that a hand is 4 inches. you start at the front hoof and measure up to the highest point of the front shoulder. then every 4 inches is 1 hand. 16 to 18 hands being a tall horse and 13 to 15 hands being a short horse.
2007-06-24 07:12:10 · answer #4 · answered by SSGP 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I seen on line where they have stick with a cross bar and level for measure horse it called a horse measure stick it very accurate.
2007-06-24 07:02:42 · answer #5 · answered by BILL S 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
There are measureing sticks especialy for horses marked with hands. You move the horse on to flat ground. The stick has a sliding peice witch you place on the witherswhile it is touching the ground. It is very hard to explain, but I hope I helped. Here is picture. http://www.tackshop.co.nz/images/875031_HorseMeasuringStick((1).jpg
2007-06-24 07:02:01 · answer #6 · answered by Clover 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
They are measured in hands but, try looking it up on the internet on how that works. Try this website
http://www.cowboyway.com/HowTo/HorseHeight.htm
2007-06-24 07:01:07 · answer #7 · answered by Sarah 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Ok Ms Poster Child for angermanagement issues. You have been given tons of advice that you can google. I'm sure your google gifted right?
2007-06-24 07:39:20 · answer #8 · answered by Mulereiner 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Measure to top of front shoulder [ withers ].
2007-06-24 07:16:48 · answer #9 · answered by Nurse Susan 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
use a tape measure or yardstick, i don't understand the probelem
2007-06-24 06:59:26 · answer #10 · answered by Bobbo 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋