Hand (length)
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2008-05-26T19:53:20Z
Sanawon
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Reverted edits by [[Special:Contributions/75.2.135.187|75.2.135.187]] ([[User talk:75.2.135.187|talk]]) to last version by ClueBot
{{seealso|hand}}
{{Hand_Measurements}}
A '''hand''' (or '''handbreadth''') is a unit of length [[measurement]], originally based on the breadth of a [[male]] [[human]] hand and now standardized at 4 inches (about 10 [[centimetre|cm]]). When used to measure height, it is abbreviated "h" (for "hands") or "hh" ("hands high").<ref>[http://www.helium.com/tm/184988/measure-horses-hands Measuring horses]</ref>
Today the Hand is primarily used to describe the height of [[horse]]s, [[pony|ponies]], and other [[equid|equines]] in a number of different countries, including the [[United States|USA]], [[Australia]], and the [[United Kingdom|UK]]. In this context, one hand equals four [[inch]]es (10.16 cm), and the horse is measured from the ground to the top of the [[withers]]. <ref>[http://www.lovelongears.com/hands.html Shlei, "Just how tall is a hand?"] ''Measuring Equines'', The American Donkey and Mule Society, accessdate = 2007-05-19</ref> 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 (spoken as “fifteen two hands high”). An animal between inch increments may be measured by fractions, for example, a very tall pony might be 14.1-3/4 hh (57-3/4 inches)
A [[pony]] is up to 14.2hh (147 cm or 58 inches). An animal 14.2 hh or taller is classified as a horse. However, [[list of horse breeds|breed characteristics]] also play a role in defining animals as horses or ponies, particularly in breeds that may have some [[purebred]] representatives on both sides of the 14.2 divide.
In the United States, ponies in [[horse show]] competition, particularly for [[show hunter|hunter]]/[[show jumping|jumper]] classes, are sometimes further subdivided into sections, depending on height:
* 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, but shorter than 14.2 hh
{{seealso|pony}}
A [[miniature horse]] is either shorter than 9.2 or 8.2 hh, depending on the registry. The world's smallest horse, [[Thumbelina (horse)|Thumbelina]], is just 4.1 hh.<ref>[http://www.worldssmallesthorse.com/ Web Site for Thumbelina]</ref>
For [[Fédération Equestre Internationale]] (FEI) competition and for [[USEF]] competition in the USA, 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).<ref>[http://www.thejmbonline.co.uk/ (Joint Measuring Board)]</ref> For JMB purposes, the shoes must be removed before measurement.
==See also==
*[[Horse]]
*[[Pony]], includes discussion of when height alone may not define an animal as a horse or a pony.
*[[List of horse breeds]], includes a discussion of the differences between horses and ponies
==References==
{{reflist}}
[[Category:Horses]]
[[Category:Units of length]]
[[Category:Imperial units]]
[[Category:Customary units in the United States]]
[[Category:Human-based units of measure]]
{{standard-stub}}
[[ast:Palmu]]
[[de:Handbreit]]
[[es:Palmo]]
[[fr:Main (unité)]]
[[he:טפח]]
[[uz:Hend]]
[[pt:Palmo]]
[[ru:Хэнд]]