When did we stop using hands as a measure

[flirtygerty]

As title really, I am old enough to still work in feet & inches, or hands, more and more show classes and adverts are giving heights in cms, is this another tradition being lost

 

[FfionWinnie]

I can only do 148cms the rest I've no clue as to what the height is unless its in hands!

I was educated in the late 80s and 90s so all metric, but in this situation, has to be hands.

 

[Tobiano]

I can only do 148cms the rest I've no clue as to what the height is unless its in hands!

I was educated in the late 80s and 90s so all metric, but in this situation, has to be hands.

What is 148cms in real money FW?

 

[Cowpony]

I think it's about 14.3 hands. I'm 5ft tall, which is 15hands and about 152cm.

 

[rara007]

Dunno but I find the conversions pretty straight forwards - the same as jumping classes now being in cm!

 

[rara007]

123cm = old school 12hh
128cm= 12.2
133= 13hh
138= 13.2
143= 14hh
148= 14.2
153= 15hh
155= 15.1
158= 15.2
160= 16hh

give or take a few cm these are the rough conversions to what the classes now mean!

 

[Tobiano]

thanks rara007 thats really helpful! Never knew my boy was 158

 

[shetland pony]

I know! I'm only 16 but prefer feet/inches and hands, was reading a breed book the other day and some were in hands and some cm (I know some are officially measured in cm and not hh but some of these shouldn't be!) I'm ok with a few cm, but once above a metre I want in feet! I just can't visualise stuff in meters and cm! 148cm Is just over 4'10" (google!) So would be 14.2hh (I think-not the time for maths!)

 

[Cinnamontoast]

I only ever used cms for the shows, the horse was meant to be no more than 153cm for cob shows, I think. Otherwise, it's hands all the way. I'd want to see an advert in hh, not that I'd trust it, I'd want to measure the horse myself.

 

[conniegirl]

I only ever used cms for the shows, the horse was meant to be no more than 153cm for cob shows, I think. Otherwise, it's hands all the way. I'd want to see an advert in hh, not that I'd trust it, I'd want to measure the horse myself.

155cms for show cobs. 15.1hh

 

[conniegirl]

Should also say I have a pony with a life height cert from 1987 which is in cms

 

[Equi]

I work in inches lol but only up to like 38" after that...nah

 

[Elf On A Shelf]

Yes then you get Shetlands who work in inches rather than hands lol!

The Max height for a registered Shetland pony is 42" or 10.2hh lol

 

[webble]

What has prompted the change? I don't like it, it made my horse shopping much harder

 

[MiJodsR2BlinkinTite]

I'm a dinosaur and brain still thinks in metric!

Can't help it.

Totally confused by not being able to look at adverts for horses in measurements that I can understand and sick of having to get out the conversion chart

 

[conniegirl]

Can I just point out for those who seem a bit confused, the metric system is cm's.
Hands and inches and feet is the imperial system

 

[Brummyrat]

Another confused oldie here! Im not shopping for a horse so hands vs cms doesn't worry me but I stare blankly at kids on the yard who tell me how then went clear in the 90. What does that even mean??

 

[Hoof_Prints]

147 is 14.2hh spot on and 148cms is 14.2 and 1/2 inch get a measuring tape with hands and cms both on, really cheap from a tack shop and solves much confusion! having said that, i still only know 147 and 148..

 

[Nessa4]

As a rule of thumb - 10 cms = 4ins (which as we all know is a hand! Therefore 2.5 cm = one inch.

 

[neddy man]

Another confused oldie here! Im not shopping for a horse so hands vs cms doesn't worry me but I stare blankly at kids on the yard who tell me how then went clear in the 90. What does that even mean??

10cm is 4" so for jump height it works like this
(70 is worked out 7 x 4 =28" = 2'4" ) 80 =32" =2'8" 90=36" =3'0" 100=40" =3'4" 110=44" =3'8" 120=48" =4'0" etc if you get 85 as a height add 2" to the 80 height ( =34" 2'10" ) ditto 95 105 etc.

 

[OldNag]

I had a 20 year gap away from horses.

In my youth they were in hands and now it's ruddy centimetres. I look at show schedules and my mind goes blank, I just can't do horses in centimetres!

 

[WelshD]

What has prompted the change?

i would imagine the rest of Europe

 

[Barnacle]

I use metres/cms for everything - except horses. Then it has to be in hands. "15.2" carries more subconscious associated information (horse, not pony; likely weight; likely rider size etc) than just how tall the horse is so someone giving me the height in cm is just not enough and takes a little extra thought. I could get used to it and start converting that information into cm but I don't have the inclination to try. I know I'm 16hh and I give my height just as readily in cm or inches... So it's not a conversion issue. It's just that subconscious extra info.

 

[Illusion100]

Wait, what?! We've stopped using hands as a measure??? *wanders back into cave in a huff*

 

[Toby_Zaphod]

I still work in hands for horse size, I can't really relate to cms when it comes to horse sizes. I'm ok with metric when it comes to show jumping though. The classes are always metric so there is nothing to gain by converting cms to feet & inches.

I think that sometimes tradition should be kept so horses should be measured in hands & horses should be bid for in auction in guineas.