Re: measuring a horse

[rides2far@juno.com (Angela C. McGhee)]

O.K. You can measure with a level, and get it perfect, but if you want
the average "non-endurance" rider to know what you're talking
about...you'd better add 2" to the true height.  Honestly, by being
honest I have confused the heck out of everyone that comes to see a horse
I advertise.  Endurance riders must be the only people in the world who
admit that a horse is "14 anything".  I have started advertising in the
paper the 2" higher size, then, as soon as they call, I say, by the
way...this horse isn't 15.2, he's 15, but he's what everyone in the world
calls 15.2.  I sold a 16 hand Arab cross for a friend, by advertising him
in an endurance publication as "16 hands (really)".  Everyone who called
wanted to know..."Is he REALLY? or is he just what everybody "calls" 16
hands...which is 15.2 of course.  After spending some time being an
official "checker outer of horses for beginners", I can tell you that all
big horses are advertised as 16 hands...somewhat average horses are all
"15 hands", and all ponies "come about to my waist".

Angie & Kaboot (14.1 or 14.2?)   
On Tue, 10 Mar 1998 10:34:47 -0800 "Kathy Myers" <kathy@nvolve.com>
writes:
>I measure with a carpenter's level across the high point
>of the withers against a post or barn side and make a
>pen mark.  Then I measure the height of the mark from
>the ground using a measuring tape.  Level is important.
>Shoes vs no shoes will make a difference too.  I guess
>this is a throw back to my dog-show days.
>
>Magnum measured this way is 62.75 inches high at the
>withers or just shy of 15.3.  Of course he is never
>barefoot anymore.
>
>:) - kat myers
>in San Mateo, Ca. with Magnum the TB ex-racer
>
>
>

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