Hand (hh)
The hand is a unit of length equal to 4 inches or 10.16 centimeters, used almost exclusively for measuring the height of horses. A horse described as "15.2 hands" stands 15 hands and 2 inches (62 inches or 157.5 cm) at the withers, the ridge between the shoulder blades.
Definition
One hand equals exactly 4 inches, one-third of a foot, or 10.16 centimeters. Horse heights use a unique notation: 15.2 hh (hands high) means 15 hands plus 2 inches (not 15.2 × 4 inches). Since a hand is 4 inches, the digit after the decimal point ranges only from 0 to 3. FEI (Fédération Équestre Internationale) competitions use centimeters, but national registries in English-speaking countries still use hands.
History
The hand is one of the oldest known units of measurement, originating from the width of a human palm. Ancient Egyptians used the hand (about 4 fingers' breadth) as a standard unit, and it appeared in measurement systems across the ancient world. In England, the hand was standardized at 4 inches by statute of King Henry VIII in 1541. While most hand-based measurements were abandoned in favor of metric or imperial units, the equestrian world retained the hand, and it remains the standard for horse height in the United Kingdom, United States, Canada, Ireland, and Australia.
Common Uses
Horse registries, breed standards, sales catalogs, and equestrian competitions in the UK, US, Canada, Ireland, and Australia specify horse height in hands. A pony is typically under 14.2 hands (148 cm), while a horse is 14.2 hands or taller. Draft breeds like Clydesdales can stand over 18 hands (183 cm). The FEI uses metric measurements for international competitions, but hands remain the everyday unit in English-speaking equestrian culture.
Did You Know? Facts About Hand
- The tallest horse ever recorded was Big Jake, a Belgian gelding who stood 20.275 hands (210.2 cm / 6 ft 10.75 in).
- In hand notation, 15.2 means 15 hands and 2 inches, not 15.2 hands - there is no 15.4 or 15.5 because a hand only has 4 inches.
- The hand was standardized at exactly 4 inches by King Henry VIII in 1541.
- Miniature horses can be as small as 6 hands (24 inches / 61 cm) at the withers.
- The hand is the only unit of measurement still in common use that is based on a body part and has never been metricated in its primary application.