Hand (unit)

Measurements called the hand (line 2) and the palm is (line 3), among others, on a human hand

The hand is a unit of measurement of length. It is now used only to measure the height of horses in some English-speaking countries, including Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States.^[1] This unit started in ancient Egypt and was originally based on the distance across a human hand. Today it is equal to four inches or 10.16 centimeters. It may be abbreviated to "h" or the plural "hh".^[2]

Hand (unit) Media

Detail of the cubit rod in the Museo Egizio of Turin, showing digit, palm, hand and fist lengths
Chart illustrating the increase in height of racehorses, from 14 hh (142 cm) in 1700 to 15.2+¹⁄₂ hh (159 cm) in 1900.

References

↑ "The "Hand" Measurement for Horses". Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, Ontario, Canada. Archived from the original on 2013-05-01. Retrieved 1 June 2011.
↑ Brander, Michael (1971). The Complete Guide to Horsemanship. London: A & C Black. pp. 444. ISBN 0-7136-1701-2. p.409

[omafra-1] "The "Hand" Measurement for Horses". Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, Ontario, Canada. Archived from the original on 2013-05-01. Retrieved 1 June 2011.

[brander-2] Brander, Michael (1971). The Complete Guide to Horsemanship. London: A & C Black. pp. 444. ISBN 0-7136-1701-2. p.409

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