Why Are Horses Measured in Hands?

In this short Video we look back in time to discover Why are horses measured in Hands?
Basically when people were buying horses from marts and fairs in the past, they didn't have a uniform measuring tool worldwide. However, what they did bring everywhere with them was their hands. A average human hand measures 4 inches from the base of the little finger across the knuckles to the index finger, check out the video as I show you. This was taken as a way of measuring and the buyer would move his hand from just behind the front heel on the forelimb to the highest point on the wither on the horse counting the hands as they went. To give you an example a 16 hands horse would measure 64 inches.
If when they got to the top, there was an inch or two left over, then the horse would measure 16 hands and 1 inch i.e. 16,1hh or 16 hands and 2 inches, i.e. 16.2hh.
We still measure horses in hands, it is now done out of tradition, however it has become an ingrained Equestrian Language to know exactly the height of the horse.
Remember for more Training Tips for you and your horse you can check out our Monthly Magazine Irish Sport Horse Magazine.
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[@peaches8040]

Great explaining! I understand it now!

[@ilovecanes]

this is crazy bruh fr

[@DVillanueva-y8j]

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