There seem to be a couple of attempts to provide information about measuring the height of a horse at 16 hands, both of which lack clarity and specificity. Here's a clarification of what 16 hands actually means and how it relates to the measurement of a horse's height.
In horse measurement, 16 hands is equivalent to 64 inches (162 cm). This unit of measurement, known as the "hand," has its origins in ancient times and was traditionally used to gauge the height of horses. It is still widely used in many English-speaking countries, particularly in equestrianism.
To determine a horse's height, you measure from the ground to the withers, the highest point on the horse's body where the front legs meet the back. The height of a horse is often listed in inches or cm, making it easy to compare with the traditional hand measurement.
For example, a horse that stands 64 inches tall would be said to have 16 hands. The conversion from inches to hands is straightforward: divide the number of inches by 4. Thus, a horse measuring 60 inches tall would have 15 hands (60 inches divided by 4 equals 15 hands).
It's important to note that while the traditional unit of inches used to be commonly used, many modern horse measurement systems now use meters and centimeters. In those systems, 16 hands would equate to 5 feet 2 inches (5'2") or 162 cm. Whether you're using the traditional inches-based system or one of the new metric systems, the key takeaway for a horse of 16 hands is that it stands at 5'2" or 162 cm tall.
