# Decimeters to Hands (dm to hh)

Source: https://www.unitconvertercalculator.com/length/decimeters-to-hands/

**1 dm = 0.98425196850394 hh**

One decimeter equals approximately 0.9843 hands, or almost exactly one hand. The hand (4 inches / 10.16 cm) and the decimeter (10 cm) are remarkably close in size, differing by only 1.6 mm. This near-equivalence is coincidental, as the two units come from entirely different traditions.

## Formula

Convert Decimeters to Hands

## Conversion Table

| Decimeters (dm) | Hands (hh) |
|---|---|
| 0.5 dm | 0.49212598425197 hh |
| 1 dm | 0.98425196850394 hh |
| 1.016 dm | 1 hh |
| 2 dm | 1.9685039370079 hh |
| 3 dm | 2.9527559055118 hh |
| 5 dm | 4.9212598425197 hh |
| 10 dm | 9.8425196850394 hh |
| 15 dm | 14.763779527559 hh |
| 20 dm | 19.685039370079 hh |
| 50 dm | 49.212598425197 hh |
| 100 dm | 98.425196850394 hh |
| 200 dm | 196.85039370079 hh |
| 500 dm | 492.12598425197 hh |
| 1000 dm | 984.25196850394 hh |

## Units

### Decimeter (dm)

One tenth of a meter, or 10 centimeters. Used in some European countries for everyday measurements and in education.

### Hand (hh)

Exactly 4 inches (10.16 cm). The standard unit for measuring the height of horses, measured from the ground to the withers.

## Background

A hand is 10.16 cm; a decimeter is 10.00 cm. The difference is only 0.16 cm (1.6 mm). A 16-hand horse (162.56 cm at the withers) is about 16.256 decimeters tall. This is one of the closest near-matches between an imperial and metric unit anywhere in the measurement systems.

## Good to Know

The hand was based on the width of a human palm, which turns out to be almost exactly 10 cm. If the metric system's inventors had known about the hand unit, they might have noticed this elegant near-match with their new decimeter.

## FAQ

### How many hands is 1 decimeter?

One decimeter equals approximately 0.9843 hands. A decimeter (10 cm) is only 1.6 mm shorter than a hand (10.16 cm), making them nearly interchangeable in size.

### How many decimeters are in 1 hand?

One hand equals approximately 1.016 decimeters. The two units are remarkably close: 1 hand = 10.16 cm vs 1 dm = 10.00 cm.

### Is this near-equivalence useful?

Not really, because hands are used exclusively for horse height and decimeters are used for very little in practice. But the coincidence is notable: the width of a human hand happens to be almost exactly one decimeter.

## Non-Frequently Asked Questions

### Is a hand almost exactly a decimeter?

Remarkably yes. A hand is 10.16 cm (1.016 dm) and a decimeter is 10.00 cm (1.000 dm). They differ by only 1.6 mm. This is one of the closest accidental matches between imperial and metric units. Your palm width happens to be almost exactly one-tenth of a meter.

### If I stack 16 decimeters, do I get a horse?

Sixteen decimeters (160 cm) is about 15.75 hands. A 16-hand horse stands at 162.56 cm (16.256 dm). So 16 dm gives you a slightly short horse. You need 16.256 dm for a proper 16-hand horse. The 0.256 dm difference is about one inch.

### Did anyone ever propose replacing hands with decimeters?

Metrication advocates have tried. Continental Europe measures horses in centimeters, which is essentially using decimeters with a decimal. But British and American horse people will pry hands from their cold, dead measuring sticks.

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## See Also

- [Hands to Decimeters](https://www.unitconvertercalculator.com/length/hands-to-decimeters/)