How many people actually measure their horse?

Paddy measures 15.1 - on his passport is says 14.2! I guess thats because he's a 'registered' connemara...

However, I find in most cases that ppl overestimate the size of their horses like its some kind of p*****g contest. My friend has a 16hh thats clearly 15.2 and refuses to measure it.. madness!

laugh.gif
 
I went to go and see a horse with a Life Height Certificate of 15.2hh. It took us 3 and a bit hours to get there and he was definitely bigger. Got a measuring stick on him and he was a 16.5hh. We got him anyway and my friends were shocked as I am really short so I looked like a pea on a drum!
 
Measuring sticks are very, very scary things. That is why the pony is normally a 'guesstimate' - I think she was about 13.3 when I got her though.

(will not use the phrase 'full up'...will not use the phrase 'full up'...)
 
I think that people have this snobbiness about height: my horse is bigger than yours, therefore better. What rot!
As has been said, if the horse feels big enough for the job and the rider is happy, the height doesn't matter.
That said, I find most people lie (or are deluded) about their horses' height. Generally they will add on two inches, so a 15 hander becomes 15.2, and a 14.3 becomes 15.1.
I appreciate it is a real problem with ponies that have to fit in a particular height category, but my belief is that most folk are misinformed of their horses' height.
This problem is perpetuated because nearly everyone does it, as has already been found by others on here.
I had a mare that was 15.2 in bare feet. She was sold to me as being 16 hands, and nearly everyone that saw her said "oh, she's more than 15.2" No.

When I was horse-hunting I took a measuring stick with me. Nearly everything was 2-4 inches smaller than stated in the ad.
It's a real pain when you've driven over a hundred miles to see a 15.1 that turns out to be 14 hands if it's lucky.
Pah!
 
My best friend bought a supposidly 16.2hh warmblood, squeezed him on the lorry and brought him home where we measured him and he's actually 17.2hh.
 
I measure my yearlings every month. One I bred and I started measuring her when she was weaned; the other I bought as a weanling and I started measuring him straight away. It's interesting to plot their progress.

I think over-sizing horses is very common but I do get fed up with people saying their horse is 16.2hh when it's actually 15.2hh! and we all know they have "big"days and "small" days
 
The anglo’s passport says 15.1hh and I never really thought about it. when I moved to the current yard, he was the same size as the 16.1hh next door. Apparently her vet measured her horse and he really is 16.1hh! So I say he is about 16hh ish.

The CB was 15hh when I bought him (measured at vetting) but he had a very suspiciously high bum and is now more like 15.2hh (but still smaller than my “15.1hh” anglo!)

Its all relative anyway - some horses ride a lot bigger than they are and some can be quite pony like but agree, people do have hang ups about how big their horses are. I suppose it really matters for juniors when height does mean everything but otherwise it is just what is comfortable for the rider.
 
[ QUOTE ]
My boy is about 15h but our measuring stick seems to put him at 14.2/3 which he definately is not.

[/ QUOTE ]

Is your measuring stick inaccurate? If it isn't then he's 14.2/3hh, no matter how big he looks.

When I was looking for a show cob (which generally should be 15hh-15.1hh) I'd search for adverts for horses anywhere between 14.2hh and 15.3hh, because people can be so innacurate in their estimates of height.
 
I measured my broodmare when she came back from a 2.5 year stay at stud as I was convinced she'd grown, but no still only 15.1hh. Would NEVER have believed it if I hadn't had the measuring stick. Her first foal, a 14 month old filly, is already 15.1hh on her bum - I measure her regularly in amazement at just how fast she's grown since birth. And yet, I have to say, the filly looks nothing like as big as her dam. Do not think "by eye alone" works very well!
 
"full up" and when to use this, I would say I had a "full up 138/148" when pony was unshod and standing still at home and was a proper 14.2 or 13.2, possibly an inch over. Bigger ponies that still measure in are worth more money in jumping circles and most serious buyers will look for a pony that is dead on height when unshod and stood at home.
 
I agree with the guessing point.

I like my horses big (I am tall). I go to see a 16.2 that is acctually 15.2 and people were amazed by my old horse, he was 17.2 (and actually was 17.2). People would ask how big he was and then say "oh no, he cant be. mine is 17 hands" then stands next to mine and there is a good foot difference!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top