How To Measure A Horse's Height? Tape Measure Facts Revealed!

When you visit a doctor for your routine check-up, you might have noticed they first measure the height and weight in a standard measuring unit, ever wondered why?

It is often to measure your growth. Likewise, measuring a pony or horse's height and weight is necessary to ensure it is growing too.

The horse is a domesticated hoofed animal that only has one toe. The size of the horse varies according to its age. A foal or pony is a young horse, younger than one year of age.

Pony or ponies is also used for a yearling, that is a horse between the age of one and two years. Colt is used for male horses younger than four years.

Likewise, a female horse under the age of four is called a filly. While a female horse older than four years is called a mare, a stallion or gelding is an old male horse over four years.

Since a foal is the youngest of all, it is also the smallest in size too. Similarly, older horses are healthy, taller, and measure longer in length.

Wondering how to measure your pony or horse's weight, height, and body length? While your pony or horse's height and body length can be measured in hands, get a standard measuring tape or measuring stick.

For an accurate measurement, either measured in hands or in the metric system, ensure your pony or horse is standing on level ground and measure its height from the ground to the highest point of the horse's withers, whereas your horse's body length is measured from its nose to tail.

A hand is the standard unit of measurement for measuring horse height, length, and height measurements. Hands can be converted into the unit of measurement based on the common metric system.

One hand equals 4 in (10.1 cm).

When you measure your horse which one is a taller horse, one that is 14 hands high or the one 17 hands high? Scroll to the article to get your questions answered!

If you enjoy this article, why not also learn more horse facts and how to measure a saddle here on Kidadl?

What is the correct way to measure a horse?

Before you start measuring a horse's height, ensure your horse is positioned over level ground, that is, all its hooves are on a uniform or equal footing. Also, check if it is tall and balanced.

Tie your horse to avoid inaccuracy in measurement. Place your horse's hoofed feet in a square by placing their feet in a line at equal width. Take a measuring tape or stick, place it near the front hoofed foot and stretch it up to the highest point, other than its head, that is, the top of the withers.

Note your measurement accurately. You can repeat the same process to cross-check a horse's height.

Horse height is measured using hands or a measuring tape, or stick. While the standard unit of measurement of a horse is hands, the measurement can be converted into units based on the metric system. For instance, if the height of the horse measures 14 hands high, it also equals 56 in (4.6 ft).

Among species of horses or ponies, the average height is measured as tall as 15.2 hands or 60.8 in (5 ft), whereas a tall horse can be as tall as 17 hands or 68 in (5.6 ft)

Where do you measure the height of a horse?

The most appropriate place to measure the height of horses or ponies is level ground with a spot to tie them to keep them in one place. Unleveled ground might lead to inaccurate measurements or misleading conclusions since height and weight measurements are determinants to ensure the growth of species, here, horses or ponies.

Imagine the last you measured your horse, it was 12 hands tall, and now, it again measures 12 hands. It can raise concerns regarding its health and might trouble you with questions like why is my horse not growing?

But you might now realize that you incurred errors while measuring horses. It now measures 12.5 hands while you formerly noted it down as 12 hands. It means your horse is growing and is completely healthy while your errors arose unnecessary chaos.

If you have a wash rack near or in your barn, it might be an appropriate spot to measure your horses. Likewise, you can also measure your horses on flat concrete land. If your horse is positioned in a square on flat ground, measure its height from the bottom up to the top of the withers.

How to measure a horse in hands?

The hand, handbreadth, is the non-SI unit used while measuring the height of horses. It is basically the breadth of a human hand.

Often the height and length of horses are measured in handsbreadth using the hand of a person. Although hand sizes are speculated to be quite similar between people, the breadth or length of hands may vary, leading to misinterpreting conclusions. To measure a horse accurately, use a standard tool such as a measuring tape or measuring stick.

Note down their height and length in inches (cm) using a measuring tape or stick, and divide the unit by four to convert the measurements into hands. If you are too lazy to do the calculations, use measuring tools with hands marked as well as inches or feet to ensure accurate measurements.

How can you measure a horse's height and weight?

You measure how tall your horse is by using measuring tools that stretch from the ground to the top of its withers. Unlike when you calculate the height, you do not have a weight measuring tool for horses.

To know what you weigh, you stand over a weighing machine and let the machine do the rest, but you cannot weigh your horse over a similar weighing machine.

You can use a livestock scale to measure what your horse weighs. If this sounds too expensive, you can use weight tape.

Also, you can calculate weight without livestock scale or weight tape, but using the formula (Heart girth * Heart girth * Length) / 330. To use the weight formula, calculate its length or heart girth beforehand. Heart girth is the circumference of the area behind the withers and in front of the mammary glands.

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