How to Measure Your Horse's Height

General Horse Content - Selecting The Right Horse

Things You’ll Need: Soft measuring tape

Step1

Find the top of the withers. This is a small hump on the top of the horse, located below the mane just in front of where a saddle would sit. When looking at the horse from the side, the withers are directly in line with the front legs. Follow the legs straight up and you'll find the telltale hump.

Step2

Use a measuring tape to find the number of inches from the top of the withers to the ground.

Step3

Convert the measurement from inches to hands. One hand is equal to 4 inches, so you must divide the height in inches by 4. For example, if the horse measures 56 inches, divide by 4 and you get the correct measurement of 14 hands. If you divide by 4 and have inches remaining, proceed to Step 4.

Step4

Calculate the hand measurement accurately. If the horse measures 61 inches, for example, divide by 4 and you'll get 15.25 as an answer. In horseman's terms, this equates to 15 hands, 2 inches. Always round the 1/2 inch measurements down. The correct way to write this number is 15.2 hh.

Step5

Learn the language of the measurement. When spoken, it's acceptable to say either, "15 hands, 2 inches hand height," or simply "fifteen-two."