When measuring a horse’s height, the standard unit used is the “hand,” where one hand equals four inches. The measurement is taken from the ground up to the highest point of the horse’s withers.
While the “hands” unit is widely used, there are times when it’s helpful to convert this measurement into more familiar units like inches, feet, or centimeters.
The chart below simplifies these conversions by displaying horse heights in both imperial (feet and inches) and metric (centimeters) units.
If you ever need to do a quick conversion without the chart, remember the formula: 4 x WH + FH = total inches, where WH is the whole number of hands and FH represents the fraction. For example, a horse standing at 14.2 hands would be 58 inches tall (4 x 14 = 56, plus 2 inches for the fraction).
| Hands | Inches | Feet/Inches | Metres |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7.0 | 28 | 2’4″ | 0.7112 |
| 7.1 | 29 | 2’5″ | 0.7366 |
| 7.2 | 30 | 2’6″ | 0.762 |
| 7.3 | 31 | 2’7″ | 0.7874 |
| 8.0 | 32 | 2’8″ | 0.8128 |
| 8.1 | 33 | 2’9″ | 0.8382 |
| 8.2 | 34 | 2’10″ | 0.8636 |
| 8.3 | 35 | 2’11″ | 0.889 |
| 9.0 | 36 | 3′ | 0.9144 |
| 9.1 | 37 | 3’1″ | 0.9398 |
| 9.2 | 38 | 3’2″ | 0.9652 |
| 9.3 | 39 | 3’3″ | 0.9906 |
| 10.0 | 40 | 3’4″ | 1.016 |
| 10.1 | 41 | 3’5″ | 1.0414 |
| 10.2 | 42 | 3’6″ | 1.0668 |
| 10.3 | 43 | 3’7″ | 1.0922 |
| 11.0 | 44 | 3’8″ | 1.1176 |
| 11.1 | 45 | 3’9″ | 1.143 |
| 11.2 | 46 | 3’10″ | 1.1684 |
| 11.3 | 47 | 3’11″ | 1.1938 |
| 12.0 | 48 | 4′ | 1.2192 |
| 12.1 | 49 | 4’1″ | 1.2446 |
| 12.2 | 50 | 4’2″ | 1.27 |
| 12.3 | 51 | 4’3″ | 1.2954 |
| 13.0 | 52 | 4’4″ | 1.3208 |
| 13.1 | 53 | 4’5″ | 1.3462 |
| 13.2 | 54 | 4’6″ | 1.372 |
| 13.3 | 55 | 4’7″ | 1.397 |
| 14.0 | 56 | 4’8″ | 1.4224 |
| 14.1 | 57 | 4’9″ | 1.4478 |
| 14.2 | 58 | 4’10″ | 1.4732 |
| 14.3 | 59 | 4’11″ | 1.4986 |
| 15.0 | 60 | 5′ | 1.524 |
| 15.1 | 61 | 5’1″ | 1.5494 |
| 15.2 | 62 | 5’2″ | 1.5748 |
| 15.3 | 63 | 5’3″ | 1.6002 |
| 16.0 | 64 | 5’4″ | 1.6256 |
| 16.1 | 65 | 5’5″ | 1.651 |
| 16.2 | 66 | 5’6″ | 1.6764 |
| 16.3 | 67 | 5’7″ | 1.7018 |
| 17.0 | 68 | 5’8″ | 1.7272 |
| 17.1 | 69 | 5’9″ | 1.7526 |
| 17.2 | 70 | 5’10″ | 1.778 |
| 17.3 | 71 | 5’11″ | 1.803 |
| 18.0 | 72 | 6′ | 1.8288 |
Why Are Horses Measured in Hands?
A common question I often hear from people new to horses is, “Why do we measure horses in hands?” After all, we don’t use this unit for other animals or objects, so it seems a bit unusual. The answer lies in a fascinating piece of history.
Measuring horses in “hands” originated in ancient times, when people didn’t have rulers or standardized measuring tools. They used what they had – often their own bodies. The hand was a convenient and universally available tool for estimating height, especially when working with animals like horses. Originally, this meant literally using the width of a man’s hand, which varied from person to person but was close enough for everyday purposes.
In the 16th century, King Henry VIII enacted the Horses Act of 1540, which officially standardized “one hand” as four inches. This provided consistency for people across England when buying, selling, and breeding horses. With this standardized unit, the system became reliable and easy to use, and it soon became the traditional measurement for horses in the UK and beyond.
Today, “hands” remains the preferred unit of measurement for horses in many parts of the world, including the UK and North America. It’s still used for its simplicity and its long-standing tradition.
In other areas, like continental Europe and in international competitions regulated by the Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI), horses are often measured in metric units, such as centimeters. However, within the equestrian community, using “hands” carries with it a sense of history and continuity that resonates with horse owners, breeders, and riders alike.
Horse Height Conversion Chart Printable PDF
Download and print the PDF here or click the image below.
