How to Measure Your Horse. The Horse Height & Weight

Why measure your horse or pony’s height and weight … Because all caring horse owners should know how to measure their horse and certainly at least, how to estimate your horses weight or specify its height.

Your horses weight measurement should be used to calculate how much feed it needs as well as dosage for worming and other medications.

And knowing your horses’ height is very important if you are considering selling your horse or entering certain classes of equestrian competition, particularly showing classes.

Horse heights conversion table :

Horses and ponies are measured in either hands high (hh) or centimetres (cms).

The decimal centimetre measurement being the more modern way to measure a horse but quite a few horse owners struggle to compare the two measurements.

So, we thought a horse measurement conversion chart would come in handy :

Hands	cms	Hands	cms	Hands	cms	Hands	cms	Hands	cms
8.0	81	9.0	91	10.0	102	11.0	112	12.0	122
8.1	84	9.1	94	10.1	104	11.1	114	12.1	124
8.2	86	9.2	97	10.2	107	11.2	117	12.2	127
8.3	89	9.3	99	10.3	109	11.3	119	12.3	130

---

Hands	cms	Hands	cms	Hands	cms	Hands	cms	Hands	cms
13.0	132	14.0	142	15.0	152	16.0	163	17.0	173
13.1	135	14.1	145	15.1	155	16.1	165	17.1	175
13.2	137	14.2	147	15.2	157	16.2	168	17.2	178
13.3	140	14.3	150	15.3	160	16.3	170	17.3	180

Table 13-17.3 – Horse Height Conversion Hands and cms

• A hand is equal to 4 inches or 10.2cms. You should measure your horse from the point of the withers to the ground.
• A horse that is 61 inches tall is 15.1 hands or 15 hands and 1 inch or 15.1hh.
  This is calculated using (61/4 = 15.25); the .25 is the decimal equivalent of one quarter and a quarter of 4 = 1; so 15.1hh.
• Alternatively, to calculate the centimetre height
  either mulitply 61 inches by 2.54 which equals apprx 155cms
  or divide 61 by 4 and then multiply by 10.2 which again equals approximately 155cms.
• A pony is 14.2 hands or less at the withers.

---

Calculating your horses weight is a little more complicated :

Knowing your horses weight, at least approximately, can be very helpful for such simple things as calculating feed amounts and knowing how much wormer to administer.

As it’s not easy to find a weighing machine or scale big enough to accommodate your horse, there are several ways of calculating a horse’s approximate weight.

Of course, if you have a farmer friend or have access to livestock scales, then use those for a truly accurate measurement.

The following two methods are among the most common approximation methods and provide a good idea of your horses weight.

1. Height and Weight Tapes :

Probably the most common method people use to estimate their horses weight is to buy and use a height/weight tape.

You simply wrap the tape around your horses girth (aka "heart girth") and read the estimated weight on the tape.

The height and weight tape has been available for many years and horse owners generally feel they are very reliable. They usually come complete with instructions on how to use them.

You can find low cost examples on ebay and other online stores.

2. Measuring your horses’ weight using a standard inch tape …

Another way to estimate your horses weight is to use a standard inch tape to measure its girth and length. Then, simply perform the following calculation:

(((heart-girth x heart-girth) x body-length) divided by 300) + 50 = weight.

How to take the horse weight measurements :

---

Step 3. The calculation

• Multiply the heart-girth by the heart-girth
• Multiply the above result by the body-length
• Divide this result by 300 then add 50
• The result is your horses aprroximate body weight.

---