Hand (unit)
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- See also: hand
A hand (or handbreadth) is a unit of length measurement, usually based on the breadth of a male human hand and thus around 4 inches long (about 10 cm). It is abbreviated "hh" (standing for "hands high").
Today it is only used for the height of horses in the United States and the United Kingdom. In this context, one hand equals four inches (10.16 cm), and the horse is measured from the ground to the top of the withers. So a horse that is 15 hands high (abbreviated 15 hh) is 60 inches (152 cm) from the ground to the top of the withers. Instead of decimal or vulgar fractions, a hand comprises four inch-long steps, so a horse 62 inches (157 cm) tall would be 15.2 hh (said “fifteen two hands high”).
A pony is equal or less than 14.2 hh (147 cm). In the United States, ponies are futher divided into:
- Small Pony: 12.2 hh or smaller
- Medium Pony: larger than 12.2 hh, up to 13.2 hh
- Large Pony: larger than 13.2 hh, up to 14.2 hh
For Fédération Equestre Internationale purposes a horse can be measured with shoes on or off. In the United Kingdom much official measurement of horses is overseen by the Joint Measurement Board (JMB). For JMB purposes, the shoes must be removed before measurement.
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