Ever wondered how to measure a horse? It’s not as straightforward as standing them with their back to a door and marking at the top of their head as you might do with a child. While historically horse height was always recorded in hands, now centimetres is also used, particularly for competition ponies.

But does it really matter exactly how tall a horse or pony is? Well, in some cases, it’s essential. Exceeding a prescribed height can even be grounds for elimination from competition.

Confused? I’m not surprised. Read on for the low-down on how to measure a horse, and why recording height accurately can make or break a horse or pony’s value.

How are horses measured?

There are two important things to remember for how to measure a horse.

The first, horses are measured to their wither, the highest point of the horse’s back above the shoulder and usually around where the mane stops growing. To find the exact point, ask the horse to lower their head and the first point that doesn’t change is the wither.

The second is that horses are typically measured in hands. Hands are an archaic unit of measure that, if you’re unfamiliar, might take a moment to wrap your head around.

As a rough explainer, there are four inches in a hand. So, a horse that is 15 hands high (or hh to give it its abbreviation) is 60 inches tall to the wither.

What happens if a horse is between complete hands? Surely if he were 15 hands and two inches, he would be 15.5hh?

Not quite – here’s where measuring in hands gets quirky. The number after the point shows the additional number of inches, rather than part of a hand.

Therefore, a horse that is 15 hands and two inches is 15.2hh.

Finally, we don’t say 15.4hh, that would be 16hh.

Pony height

Just to make things confusing, ponies are often measured in centimetres to the wither. This is especially true of competition ponies, whose height determines the class they can compete in.

How to measure a horse: step-by-step

To measure a horse, you will need a height stick (like this one on Amazon). These are essentially large rulers showing measurements in hands. They have a sliding arm attached at a right angle with a spirit level that, when resting on the wither, will indicate the height measurement.

Or, you can use a height tape (like this one). I personally find the height tapes cumbersome because they aren’t rigid. However, they are cheaper to buy and easier to store, so there are pros and cons to each.

• Ask a helper to stand your horse square on a level surface, such as a concrete yard.
• Stand the height stick upright, parallel with the horse’s wither.
• Slide the arm down so it’s resting on top of the wither and the spirit level reading is central.
• Making sure your horse is still standing square, take the height reading from the ruler.

You may need to desensitise your horse to the height stick over a few sessions before you can take an accurate reading. Using positive reinforcement training, gradual practice sessions and allowing your horse to investigate the stick with his nose will help him feel more comfortable.

What is a horse’s “life height”?

Some horses and ponies have their height officially recorded for competitive, passport and/or breed registration purposes.

This is because some competitive classes, particularly pony showjumping and showing classes, have height restrictions and some breed societies will only accept equines within a certain height range.

In order for these horses and ponies be accepted, owners may need to provide concrete proof of their animal’s height. This usually takes the form of an official height certificate.

Because competition horses and ponies can be tremendously valuable for specific classes, a height certificate can be vital to secure a sale.

Similarly, some breeds are highly sought after. A height certificate confirms an individual fits the breed standard – or doesn’t.

In the UK, these are issued by the Joint Measurement Board (JMB), British Showjumping (BS) and the FEI. They were formerly known as life height certificates.

JMB certificates

The basis for JMB measurements is the accurate and repeatable recording of an equine’s lowest relaxed height at the highest point of the wither.

These might be annual height (when the horse is four, five, six or seven, or eight-year-olds who are having their first measurement) or a full height certificate (from eight years old providing there has been one annual measurement the previous year).

An official measurer performs the measurement with a calibrated stick and care is taken to ensure the horse is thoroughly relaxed when the measurement is taken.

JMB’s member societies include the British Connemara Pony Society and British Show Horse Association.

British Showjumping National Pony Measuring and FEI Pony Measuring System

BS used to be a JMB member body, but stopped accepting JMB certificates in early 2024.

Instead, BS introduced a new system of pony measuring from 1 April 2024. This system closely replicates the FEI’s Pony Measuring System. BS pony measuring is undertaken in sessions in various locations around the UK.

Under the BS system, a pony that measures in and is eight years old or older will receive a Lifetime Measuring Certificate. If a pony measures in and is under eight years old, it will receive an Interim Measuring Certificate, which is valid for 15 months.

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H&H showing columnist Rebecca Penny on how mini, junior and open M&M ponies should be presented and why they should differ from each other

WITH Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) looming and preparations underway, I think we will all be thankful to be able to get back into those arenas at the NEC and enjoy the buzz after missing out in 2020.

While the majority of preparation can be undertaken at home, it’s extremely difficult to recreate the electric atmosphere of either arena.

Of course, it’s productive to attend organised practice events and clinics, but it’s equally as important to let the smaller children acclimatise to the environment when they actually get to the show so they are not too overwhelmed by the whole experience.

I often find it beneficial for them to be seated for an hour or two in the arena grandstand to let it all sink in before they compete, especially if they are first-timers.

While on the subject of children and smaller ponies, we now have an array of classes for mountain and moorland (M&M) small breeds to compete in, from lead-rein to open ridden, with a number of combinations contesting multiple classes successfully.

However, I feel it’s important that we have a clear differentiation between a first ridden, junior and open pony, not only in way of going but also in type and suitability for the class they are competing in.

I believe a first ridden and an open pony should go in an entirely different way.

I would expect the former to dink along sweetly looking after its jockey and not be too exaggerated in its movement. I would also potentially forgive them for being slightly lighter of limb in favour of being suitable for a child.

When looking at an open pony I would want to see a little more pizazz, expressive movement and a more polished individual performance, not waiting for corners to pick up canter and demonstrating all four paces well, all while the pony remains true to type.

This isn’t supposed to be a class judged on cute factor, nor should we be dismissing small adults on stallions which has been the case on some occasions. It would appear that the lines are becoming increasingly blurred.

The mini M&M classes are undeniably some of the most hotly contested; I did joke at the British Show Pony Society summer championships that I’d spent more evenings in the mini ring than I had in the bar.

Qualifiers for these classes throughout the season are averaging at well over 30 entries in most instances, so is it now time to look at a possible split for these sections into Welsh breeds and non-Welsh breeds? It could be the case that the top two from each section come head to head in a championship for the qualification so the same amount of tickets were awarded, but it would potentially be in the children’s best interest so they’re not sitting in two-hour-long classes.

On the subject of measuring, I’d like to echo Robert Walker’s comments (opinion, 2 September) with regards to mid-season remeasurements. Once a horse or pony has been measured, that measurement should stand for the entire year, and any objections should not be anonymous.

Before signing off I’d like to wish everyone heading to Birmingham the best of luck. Remember to enjoy yourselves; you’ve already done the hardest part – getting there.

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Robert Walker discusses show animals being called for remeasuring mid-season

It’s been a very tiring year and I’m sure, after last season, a shock to the system for many. But it’s been wonderful to be back out, performing in front of crowds. After the Royal International, we’ve had one of the most full-on periods and this is when we must rely on our experience as horse people not to overdo the shows.

I oversee each of the horses on a regular basis and check in to see how they’re looking and feeling. A show animal is on the lorry for a long time and while they all have different constitutions and different goals for the season, some need longer breaks than others.

All my horses have a “summer holiday” and part of the art of producing is working it all out and ensuring you get it right during busy periods.

With this in mind, is it just me or do there seem to be more shows on offer than ever before? There is something for everyone; from local shows to bigger county fixtures, from unaffiliated championships to lots of qualifying opportunities.

My favorite fixtures without a doubt are the traditional agricultural shows. I’m probably behind the times, but I love the old-fashioned, old-world feel. There’s always something to do, aside from showing; if you’ve had a bad day in the ring, you can make up for it with a nice day out. Shows without the other elements or held at equestrian centres can be a breeding ground for discontent.

We recently attended the Ashbourne show (21 August), one we always look forward to, and this year was no different with plenty of stands, crafts and other exhibits to watch.

An issue of height

NEGATIVE feelings are always present at this time in the season; it’s the “sulky” time of the year. One increasing concern for me is the amount of animals being recalled for remeasuring mid-season.

While of course we want everything to be fair, the fact that an individual or society can recall an animal at any time in the year, even if it’s been measured at the beginning of the season, seems wrong. Moreover, the objection can be put in anonymously, with the objector remaining anonymous even if the animal measures within height again.

For those days between being recalled and remeasured, a producer, owner or rider will be going through hell, while the individual who put the complaint in sits back and is protected. Anyone in the class could have recalled the horse for any reason, and we can’t rule out the possibility that someone could be doing it out of jealousy, bitterness or, even worse, to prevent an animal from competing at a certain show. It seems funny how most recalls take place just before the Horse of the Year Show (HOYS).

The vets are appointed to measure as they’re respected, working professionals and shouldn’t have their reputation questioned in this way. Are we saying the vets are crooked? Gone are the days where a vet would be slap happy with the stick. They take it seriously, and have the resources in place to dope test a horse if needed.

It’s a fractious situation; we’ve all paid our money to have our horse measured, and put lots of effort into making sure the animal is ready for the procedure. To have this potentially taken away due to bad blood is something that needs looking at.

Maybe, once a horse has its certificate at the start of the year, it can’t be recalled until the end of the season, to avoid competitors strategically complaining to avoid an animal being presented at a big final. It would prevent people constantly looking over their shoulder, worried their animal might be called three-quarters of the way through the term and unable to show.

On the up

Ending on a more positive note, the sport is still looking promising and entries have been buoyant. I remember at one time we were all worried about the number of hunters around, but now all the weight classes are well filled, and with quality, too. Let’s keep this up.

Enjoy HOYS and then take some time to relax.

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Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

The buyer of a 128cm show jumping pony who later measured out has had his case against the seller overturned on appeal following a two-year dispute.

Richard Mawson paid seller Anne Morris £9,000 in March 2016 for 15-year-old JA Shy Strike Again, who he bought as a schoolmaster for his nine-year-old daughter.

The Connemara gelding had an annual Joint Measurement Board (JMB) certificate at 128cm before the sale, and went on to compete successfully, but when British Showjumping requested a new height certificate, the pony was found to measure 130.7cm.

Mr Mawson sued for breach of contract and an initial decision in February 2018 at Selkirk Sheriff Court found in his favour, believing the second measurement — which was under the JMB’s “uncontestable” gold standard — to be the more authoritative.

But at an appeal in Edinburgh, Sheriff Principal M Stephen QC concluded that the original judge had “addressed himself to the wrong question” as the evidence before the court could not prove the pony had not measured 128cm at point of sale.

Decree of absolvitor was granted together with a finding of expenses in favour of Ms Morris.

Mr Mawson told H&H the case had been a “total nightmare” and that he had been “naïve” about the horse world.

“We bought our first pony off Anne Morris and my daughter won at county and local shows, so we wanted to go national and to bigger events and asked her for a pony that could jump bigger heights,” he explained. “She knew exactly what we needed and said she had the perfect one.”

Shy Strike Again had many wins on his record in Ireland and proved to be a “fantastic” pony, but Mr Mawson said he was shocked when he was asked to re-measure.

“His previous height certificate was in June and I had thought it would last 12 months and didn’t realise it expired in December,” he said. “We went to get a gold certificate done and he was [nearly] 3cm too big, only six months after the previous measurement. Anne Morris refused to give me my money back or take him back.

“I just don’t believe a 15-year-old pony could grow 3cm in that amount of time.”

“We could take it to a higher court but I don’t have the £20,000 to £30,000 it would cost,” he said. “I couldn’t walk away before because I was convinced we would win and fortunately we were able to pursue the case as it was covered by my house insurance policy.”

Shy Strikes Again later died after developing a serious skin condition.

Anne Morris said she was “delighted” at the appeal verdict for “sellers in general”.

“If it had gone against me it would have opened a can of worms for the JMB and would have made a mockery of any JMB certificate,” she said.

She added that she would never have deliberately “sold something that was wrong”, and that she had bought the pony with the height certificate in June 2015, after he had arrived in the UK from Ireland, and had been re-measured to ensure his official height applied here.

“We’d jumped on Scottish teams with it and no one had ever questioned it or suggested it looked big. As far as I was aware it was a 128cm and I was selling it with a current height certificate.”

Continues below…

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Anne added that following the case, she would “never advertise something as 128cm again”.

“In future I would always say that it has a height certificate at 128cms,” she said.

For all the latest news analysis, competition reports, interviews, features and much more, don’t miss Horse & Hound magazine, on sale every Thursday.

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A Welsh section C has measured out of its height allowance a week before the 2018 Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) and has consequently been disqualified from the open ridden final he was set to compete in on Wednesday 3 October.

Lisa Haye’s nine-year-old gelding Efran Cai was purchased six weeks ago with a HOYS ride from show producer Debbie Barr. The pony qualified with Debbie’s daughter at NPS Area 25 show and competed at the final last year, as well as taking sixth place at the Royal International in July.

Despite measuring in at 137cm last season, the pony was measured at 142.2cm when he was inspected last week. The maximum height limit for a Welsh section C is 137.2cm (13.2h) meaning the pony will require re-registering in the larger Welsh section (Welsh section D) if he is to compete in the future.

HOYS organisers Grandstand Media said: “Grandstand Media Ltd can confirm that the Welsh section C, Erfan Cai, has measured out of the class it qualified for and has therefore been disqualified resulting in the qualification being passed down the line in accordance with the Horse of the Year Show rules.”

Taking the place in the final will be Iysha Pitman and the stallion Hywi The Enforcer. The six-year-old will be making his first appearance at the show after standing second in two qualifiers during his debut ridden season.

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The Mountain and Moorland (M&M) classes will take place in the TopSpec Arena on Wednesday (large breeds) and Thursday (small breeds), before the top two from each class will come forward for the overall championship held in the Andrews Bowen International Arena on Thursday night.

M&Ms also have their own junior ridden, working hunter and mini sections and a total of four native champions will contend the overall pony supreme held on Sunday.

For all the latest equestrian news and reports, don’t miss Horse & Hound magazine, out every Thursday

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One of the curious aspects of the horse world is that horses are measured in hands, an archaic unit that isn’t used for anything else.

What is a ‘hand’?

A hand is four inches, and a horse who is sixteen hands and two inches will be described as “16.2hh.”

Sometimes that number even gets to be a noun, calling a horse of the eponymous height, “a sixteen-two”. They are measured to the wither, the highest point above the horse’s shoulder that doesn’t move. Find out more about how to measure a horse.

The hand is a four-base system of measurement. If you measured a horse in inches, 64.8in would not be described as 16.5 or sixteen-and-a-half hands, but 16.2, while 68in would be 17hh, not 16.4. To keep it simple, fractions are rounded up, so you would not get a number like 16.2-and-a-half.

Why are horses measured in ‘hands’?

But why are horses measured in hands? A four-inch hand, unsurprisingly, is roughly the breadth of a man’s hands, with or without the thumb, a unit of length which can be traced to the ancient Egyptians. They have the earliest recorded standardised system of measurement with a system based on the royal cubit, the length of a man’s arm from the elbow to the tip of the middle finger.

Cubits are sub-divided into seven palms, each one about 75cm.

The palm or hand shows up in texts from Ancient Israel, Greece, and Rome, and continued to be used throughout Europe during the Middle Ages, but varied from city to city.

The English palm or hands-breath was roughly three inches, or 7.61cm, but was confused with hand and has been described as both the fist and the palm. Henry VIII standardised the hand to four inches in 1541.

The hand remains the primary unit of measuring horses in Britain, the United States, Canada, Australia, Ireland, South Africa, and India, while most European countries and the FEI use metres and centimetres. But metric is making some inroads in the UK, with British Showjumping saying it uses it for continuity with the FEI.

No one really knows why some places stuck with the antiquated measurement system (though it’s notable that the other countries still using hands were colonised by Britain).

Equestrian historian Katrin Boniface says: “It is a very practical way of measuring livestock in the field, and of course a whole infrastructure of everything from horse dealing to showing classes has developed around certain measurements.”

However, no historical sources offer much insight on why some countries continued using hands, aside from ‘tradition,’ and humans are creatures of habit and pass on what they learnt.

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A light has been shone on the “murky world of showing” during a disciplinary case against an Essex vet accused of giving animals inaccurate height certificates.

The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) ruled it had insufficient evidence against Dr Marc Auerbach, of Oak Equine Veterinary Surgery, Ongar, Essex, in a hearing that finished last Friday (24 February).

All charges against him were dismissed.

But the panel concluded that some other person or people had been dishonest in the activities that surrounded the measurement of 19 horses and ponies in early 2009.

Dr Auerbach claimed he was duped by “skilled and practised manipulators” who presented horses that had been made to measure short by methods including sedation and dehydration.

The Joint Measurement Board (JMB) -the body responsible for issuing height certificates to equines taking part in height-restricted classes in the – will discuss the issue at its meeting, in April.

The British Show Horse Association, some of whom’s members were involved in the case, will discuss it this week.

Simon Summers, the BSHA representative on the JMB said: “It is an ongoing problem that it’s hard to see a way around.”

To read the full news story on height certficates see the current issue of H&H (1 March)

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

As long as there are benefits to manipulating height, measuring will attract controversy. So how do we move forward? Here are five ideas to help the integrity of height measurements:

• Remove potential for conflict of interest and ensure that measurements are only undertaken by independent measurers who are not familiar with the animal or its connections
• Rigorous and regular inspection of measurers’ equipment and technique
• For better accuracy, all sticks should be fitted with a second spirit level until such a time as self-levelling laser devices are the most viable option
• Routine sampling for prohibited substances — as done at prepurchase examinations — would act as a deterrent to the use of tranquillisers or sedatives
• Step up in-competition measuring. While there might be debate about tolerances, the FEI’s system has been successful

For the full veterinary article on measuring, see the current issue of Horse & Hound (14 April, 2011)

Laser measurement of horses and ponies is to be investigated further by the Joint Measurement Board (JMB) after research showed the method might be more consistent than the current manual procedure (news, 14 October).

Owners of equines put forward for measurement with selected JMB measurers across the country will be invited to volunteer their animals to be measured with a laser as well as a stick.

The stick measurement will be officially recorded on the certificate and the laser reading used as part of further research.

The 11 societies that use the JMB for official measurements met on 11 October to discuss research by the Liverpool Vet School into the measurement procedure.

Simon Somers, JMB steward for the British Show Horse Association, said: “We all applauded the JMB for commissioning this research.

“It showed that while the measuring stick is accurate, due to user error there could be minor discrepancies.

“We wanted further research into the possibility of using a horizontal laser.”

The trial is limited to a small number of vets across the country and horse owners are under no pressure to take part.

The JMB said it did not wish make any further comment at this time.

This article was first published in Horse & Hound (21 October ’10)

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Could new research change the way horses are measured?

A study by Liverpool Vet School casts doubt on the accuracy of current official measurement practices, but suggests ways to make results more reliable.

The study also puts to bed a few old wives’ tales — like the suggestion that animals in show condition measure taller.

The research recommends 20 minutes’ relaxation time on the pad before measurement, that horses are measured from the left and that lasers may be more accurate than sticks.

However, the researchers concluded: “True height to the exact millimetre may remain an unobtainable concept.”

The project was funded by the Joint Measurement Board (JMB), which oversees measuring certificates for showing and pony racing and jumping in the UK.

JMB boss Howard Robinson said: “The research validates the current system, but there are aspects that may need to be tightened up, including the time horses spend on the measuring pad and the sticks themselves.”

Sixty horses and ponies, from 115-155cm and in moderate to obese condition, were measured with a standard stick, a laser device and a modified measuring stick — with a second arm to ensure it stayed straight.

The measuring stick and modified stick consistently measured about 1cm lower than the laser device.

Measuring a horse from the left side produced the most consistent result — because horses and handlers are more accustomed to this.

By measuring the depth of soft tissue at the withers, researchers also found that a horse’s condition makes no difference to his height.

One of the vets involved in the research, Dr Caroline Argo, told H&H: “It’s not often we see such proactivity, the JMB deserves a pat on the back.”

The 11 societies that comprise the JMB were deciding what to do with the findings at a meeting on Monday (11 October) as H&H went to press.

Showing producer Louise Bell said: “Until we have annual measurement for all, or measurement at each competition, we are not going to stop overheight horses in showing classes.”

This article was first published in Horse & Hound (14 October, ’10)

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

Spot height checks were sprung on 20 animals at the Coloured Horse and Pony Society (CHAPS) UK Championship Show (3-5 September). And, of those, just one appeared to measure more than 3cm above height.

Only entrants who had qualified for the Saturday evening performance, and whose Joint Measurement Board (JMB) certificates showed them to be close to the maximum in a height restricted class, were chosen.

Chairman Caroline Hamilton told H&H: “There are height issues in all showing societies.

“There was some bad feeling [among competitors] — no one knew it was coming so it was a shock to some. We were not trying to catch anyone out, but rather trying to instil confidence in the measurement system.”

CHAPS was following procedures set up by British Showjumping (BS) in 2008.

For the past two years, a BS vet and steward have been attending shows at random and measuring ponies.

Pam Rose of BS said: “Because we are measuring at a show and without the benefit of a measuring pad [a level, undercover area inspected by a JMB official], we use the FEI measurement protocol, which allows 3cm.”

She said the system has been successful with few ponies turning out to be overheight.

Ms Hamilton said CHAPS also allowed a 3cm margin of error as animals at the show might be “keyed up”.

The entry measured as being more than 3cm too tall was allowed to compete in the evening final.

And CHAPS still has to decide whether to suggest that animal and others who measured within the 3cm leeway are remeasured by the JMB.

Surrey rider Emma Rhodes was competing 17.1hh Miss Molly IV at the show for the first time.

She said: “I was not involved, but it was discussed a lot. Some of the ponies you see at shows like this are enormous, so I think it’s a great idea.”

This article was first published in Horse & Hound (16 September, ’10)

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

Five animals who were to compete at the Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) have been disqualified for exceeding their size category, some by as much as 6cm.

But the British Show Pony Society’s measurement steward Jim McTiffin has said this shows the problem is being tackled by the body responsible for ensuring horses are of the correct height — the Joint Measurement Board (JMB).

“There is something very wrong if horses and ponies are so much taller than they should be. There is a margin of error, but not five or six centimetres,” he said.

“The JMB is making positive moves to ensure it does not happen in future.”

Those remeasured in August include Paul Mortimer’s large hack Becconsall Pick Pocket, who was found to be 5.5cm taller than the 160cm limit for the class.

Two 128cm showjumping ponies — Rainsbrook Hummingbird, ridden by Charlie Dawson, and Red Ranger, ridden by George Babes — qualified for HOYS at the Southview Pony Premier at Wettenhall, Cheshire (15-16 May).

But Rainsbrook Hummingbird has since been measured at 129cm and Red Ranger at 132.2cm — 4.2cm too tall.

A spokesman for British Showjumping said: “We will always strive to ensure fair competition and take a breach of the measuring rule as seriously as we would any other.”

Cases of jumping ponies measuring out are fairly rare.

Additionally, the HOYS-qualified 143cm show hunter pony Ellenbrook Masterplan — owned by Jane Findlow and ridden by her daughter Beccy — was measured at 147.5cm.

And 143cm working hunter pony Sannan Valley Bobby Sox, ridden by Annelli Bletsoe-Brown, who has also qualified, measured out by 6cm.

Remeasurements are pending for Blaircourt Mini Mouse, owned by M Lloyd-Bainbridge, and Christine Wheeler’s working hunter pony Tetcott Paper Boy, who is also qualified for HOYS.

A spokesman for the show said: “British Showjumping has formally notified us that the two jumping ponies have been disqualified.

“But the showing ponies have not been reported to us yet. I can confirm that they have qualified but have had no further correspondence from the societies.”

Becconsall Pick Pocket and Tetcott Paper Boy are both entered for HOYS.

Thirty-three animals have been called to be remeasured by the JMB in 2010.

Last year, allegations of corruption within the world of measuring spurred the JMB into action and 107 equines were remeasured. In comparison just 20 horses were called for remeasuring in 2008.

The JMB was not available to comment.

This article was first published in Horse & Hound (2 September, ’10)

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A petition calling for the British Show Pony Society (BSPS) to ban mid-season remeasurements for its ponies has been launched by showing producer Gill Thompson.

Three ponies connected to the Staffordshire producer — Roseberry Highland Fling, Roseberry Serendipity and Poppyfields Pirouette — have been called for remeasurement in the past year (news, 18 June and 30 July).

Mrs Thompson told H&H she thinks mid-season remeasurement is unfair.

“When a horse is ‘up’ and fit it easily gains 2cm from the start of the season, so may measure out,” she said. “And trying to fit in a day when you can take the pony for remeasurement is difficult when you have shows to go to.”

Mrs Thompson also believes the present system is open to abuse, as objections to a height certificate can be made by competitors in the same class who may harbour a grudge.

The Joint Measurement Board (JMB) has called 92 horses for remeasurement this year compared with 20 in 2008.

Owners have 21 days to present the horse to an official measurer or the height certificate becomes invalid and it cannot compete in height-restricted classes.

Mrs Thompson wants BSPS council members to be offered a vote on making JMB certificates valid for the entire showing season.

“I think there should be a period out of season where your pony can be remeasured, but after that the certificate should stay in place,” she said.

But BSPS chairman Alan Hall said the society and members are supportive of the JMB’s purge on overheight horses.

“We have rules and some people are not abiding by them by entering overheight ponies into competitions,” he said.

“If the JMB feels there is a problem we should support it. Our members are concerned about overheight ponies.”

JMB secretary Howard Robinson said because the JMB is owned by the member societies, if the majority of them wanted remeasurements only to take place out of season the rules would be changed to incorporate that.

But he said a lone society could not change the rules.

And he added: “Under this rule, measurement would only take place out of season so members must be sure they are happy to allow a horse or pony they feel is overheight to continue to compete all season [before they vote for the amendment].”

To sign the petition, go to www.bspspetition.com

This article was first published in Horse & Hound (20 August, ’09)

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An unprecedented investigation into overheight ponies and horses is hitting the showing world with four Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) qualifiers unable to compete.

So far this year, the Joint Measurement Board (JMB) has recalled 62 horses and ponies for remeasurement and word is that more are pending. Last year they called just 20.

The owners of 23 of these horses have chosen not to re-present their animals, leading to their height certificates becoming invalid.

Robin Bartolomy’s cob Clantara Shadow Play qualified at the East of England Show; Lynn Russell’s cob Deimos at Three Counties (news, 2 July); Gill Thompson’s show hunter pony Roseberry Serendipity won her ticket at the BSPS Winter Championships and Mike and Simone Cuddy’s show hunter pony Galtee Park won at Midland Counties.

But the two cobs and Roseberry Serendipity have not been re-presented for measurement. And the Cuddys’ pony has been remeasured at 156.70cm, when the height limit for the class is 153cm.

HOYS managing director Helena Pettit told H&H: “It is causing us problems and if there are a lot more competitors without valid JMB certificates before HOYS we will have to speak to the JMB and see what we can do.”

But she dismissed rumours that HOYS wanted the JMB to halt its investigation, saying the aim of rooting out overheight animals was more important than HOYS scheduling.

She said: “If horses are not able to remeasure for their class there was a problem with the certificate in the first place.”

The HOYS qualifications do not automatically pass to the next horse in line at the show as on the day of the qualification the horses had a valid certificate.

As a result of this process Mike Cuddy’s The Duke, who was second to Deimos at Three Counties, will like Galtee Park miss HOYS.

Mr Cuddy said he was considering taking legal action against the JMB.

He said: “The JMB are a professional governing body and should look closer to home. They are the ones who have employed these professional measurers and should be taken to task.”

He did not wish to say which JMB vet had measured his pony.

“It is very distressing not to be able to compete. It costs a lot of money to show horses,” he added.

But National Pony Society (NPS) chief executive Caroline Nokes says the problem of overheight ponies is “intolerable”.

Ponies called for remeasurement by the JMB have been found to be as much as 5.80cm taller than their certificates stated.

Two Connemaras that qualified for the NPS M&M working hunter pony championship at the Royal International on Friday were unable to compete as they measured out on the Wednesday.

Amy Bryan’s Ballinacrey Scarry remeasured at 148.80cm and C Cook and K Pitcher’s Coosh 149.90cm. The maximum height for this class is 148cm.

The JMB did not wish to comment on the remeasurements.

This article was first published in Horse & Hound (30 July, ’09)

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SHOWING producer and British Show Horse Association (BSHA) board member Lynn Russell is making a stand against what she considers to be the injustice of having an annual height certificate questioned mid-season.

Lynn obtained a certificate in January for her five-year-old lightweight cob, Deimos, who measured 154.8cm — the height limit is 155cm.

But on 8 June, the Joint Measurement Board (JMB) said an objection to his height had been made by Ponies (UK).

She was given 21 days to get him remeasured before he would become ineligible to compete in lightweight cob classes.

She said: “I refuse to go along with this. A young horse which ‘measures in’ in January could well be taller by mid-season, because it’s in peak show condition and it is reasonable to expect it to have grown.

“I am happy to have him remeasured once he has been let down and, if he has grown, I will show him in maxi cob classes next year.”

Deimos qualified for the Horse of the Year Show at Three Counties (report, 9 July issue), but may be ineligible for the final as a result of the objection.

Howard Robinson, secretary of the JMB, said: “JMB rules allow stewards and member societies to request the remeasurement of animals holding annual certificates, but objections to annual certificates by competitors and show executives are not allowed.

“The owners of young horses want the annual certificate to last till the end of the year, but when they realise their horse has grown, do they withdraw from the class? They should if they embrace fair competition.”

Davina Whiteman, chairman of Ponies (UK), told H&H: “An animal should not exceed the conditions of a class on that day. Those are the rules.”

Lynn Russell’s case is not connected to the ongoing JMB investigation into alleged measuring anomalies centred on an Essex vet (news, 18 June).

Thirty-one horses and ponies have been recalled for measurement by the JMB during June. An average month would involve three or four.

To join the debate online, go to www.horseandhound.co.uk/measurement

This news story was first published in Horse & Hound (2 July, ’09)

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Hickstead is to introduce a “maxi-cob” class for animals that have outgrown the accepted height for cobs at next year’s Longines Royal International Horse Show (July 22-26).

“Many people buy or breed cobs which although of show quality then grow above the maximum height for cobs of 15.lhh,” said Hickstead’s show director Roger Stack.

“This will get them on to the show circuit and offer the chance to compete at the Royal International, which is the ambition of most people interested in showing.”

The British Show Horse Association has said it supports the move as part of its drive to increase membership and make showing more popular.

Qualifying classes for maxi-cobs will be held at shows around the country, with winners going forward to the final at Hickstead in July 2009.

“All the accepted rules and standards will apply to the series,” said Mr Stack.

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Two Horse of the Year Show (HOYS)-qualified horses connected to Southampton-based showing producer Adam Wimbourne have had life height certificates withdrawn by the Joint Measurement Board (JMB).

Mr Wimbourne has confirmed that 133cm Out Of The Blue V was measured at 137cm by the JMB when competing under the name Finkley Chitter Chatter.

He said the gelding was bought by owner Regina Daly of Co Cork without any papers and was given a passport and measured at 133cm under the Out Of The Blue V moniker.

In May, an unnamed informant reported the horse to the JMB and its height certificate was invalidated, resulting in disqualification from the 133cm and under show hunter pony section at HOYS this week.

“It’s a child’s pony and the little boy [Gavin Daly, who rides him] has had a lot of upset over this,” said Mr Wimbourne. “It was a genuine mistake, but this is what happens when you buy a pony without documentation.”

A second horse, Jewel Of The Night, was bought by Jane Gill of Harrogate from Mr Wimbourne last October.

But in August 2008, after rumours circulated that it was actually 159.5cm Weltseiger, she returned the gelding.

“Mr Wimbourne took it straight back and refunded my money,” she said.

Howard Robinson, who runs the JMB, told H&H that Jewel Of The Night’s measurement certificate was declared invalid on 4 September after it was found the horse had the same freeze-mark as Weltseiger.

Jewel Of The Night had qualified for the not-exceeding 158cm intermediate show riding type class at HOYS.

For more on this, see the current issue of Horse & Hound (9 October 2008).

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The International Equestrian Federation (FEI) has invited discussion on some of its rules regarding pony measuring, following the 2007 European Pony Championships in Germany in July.

The FEI said some national federations (NF) presented their ponies at the show in particularly thin shoes, which in some instances were then replaced for the competition itself. This practice does not contravene current rules but the FEI is asking NFs if they think the rule should be changed.

The FEI is also soliciting the NFs’ views about whether to phase out, remove or modify the 2cm “tolerance margin”, which was introduced to accommodate the change in a pony’s height when excited at a competition.

An FEI spokesman told H&H: “Modifications to the rules will probably be submitted for approval by the FEI bureau at the meeting on 16-17 November.”

FEI rules requiring all ponies to be measured at international competitions came into effect on 1 January this year.

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The first mass measurement of ponies at international level has been hailed as a success.

A total of 148 ponies were measured at the European Pony Championships in Freudenberg, Germany, last week (17-22 July), with only one pony — from an Italian team — measuring out.

One of the two vets carrying out the measuring was H&H’s Karen Coumbe.

“It was all so straightforward,” she said. “It worked really well and the time factor wasn’t a problem. We started at 8am and finished at 6pm, with time to spare.”

The pony who measured out was disqualified.

Compulsory measuring was introduced by the International Equestrian Federation (FEI) after a random selection of ponies was measured at last year’s pony Europeans. More than half the 17 ponies measured proved too tall, some by as much as 10cm (news, 12 October 2006).

An FEI spokesman said the results from Germany prove that on-site measuring works:“We’re very pleased with how it went. There had been so much opposition to measuring beforehand, but it was incredibly uneventful.”

All ponies were measured by two vets — Karen and Tim Watson. When the two gave a different measurement, the lower figure was taken as the definitive height.

Karen explained: “Tim and I measured each one separately and did not look at what the other was doing.”

The FEI spokesman admitted that some competitors complained that not all ponies were wearing shoes of the same thickness.

She said: “We have asked all the national federations to give us feedback. As this is the first time measuring has been done at this level on site, the rules are bound to need a little tweaking — and shoeing may come into this — so we will listen carefully to what the federations say and issue a redraft of the rules, hopefully by November.”

Read this news story in full in the current issue of Horse & Hound (26 July, ’07)

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Three ponies “measured out” before the final of eventing’s national pony championships at Sansaw Horse Trials in Shropshire last weekend.

But although the trio — whose names had not been released as H&H went to press on Monday — were found to be too tall for pony eventing, as it was an unofficial measuring they were allowed to take part in the trials.

Competitors at the event were measured as a practice run ahead of next month’s European Pony Championships in Freudenberg, Germany.

Under new rules approved at the International Equestrian Federation (FEI) general assembly in April, the measuring of ponies is now compulsory at all FEI events and measurement certificates will no longer be recognised at any international competition.

The new ruling says that any pony measuring over 151cm — usually ponies must measure no taller than 149cm but there is a small allowance for shoes and the “excitement factor” (of measuring at a show or event) — will not be able to compete. Measurement will be made by two independent vets, with the lower reading the one that will be accepted.

The measuring at Sansaw, which took place during a trot-up shortly after midday last Thursday, was carried out by Bob Baskerville and Mark Lucey. Mr Baskerville admitted that ascertaining a pony’s actual height was tricky.

He told H&H: “The true height of an animal is its relaxed height. We’re not getting those conditions at Sansaw and we certainly won’t be getting them in Germany.”

British Equestrian Federation performance director Will Connell admitted that the issue of compulsory measuring was a thorny one.

He said: “Ultimately, if a pony is too big it shouldn’t compete, but I think it’s going to be a huge challenge for the FEI to come up with a workable solution.

“There is a danger that a pony could measure out one year and get in the next, but I think we’re in a period of change and we must accept it.”

Ponies have been measured at dressage training days without any controversy, although selector Jenny Ward said there was a difference between measuring in a relaxed environment and at a championships.

But the show jumping fraternity has been measuring ponies in a competitive environment at its European trials since May and selector Clare Whitaker — also a member of the FEI’s pony committee — said she had not encountered any problems.

“There’s no point in not measuring,” she reasoned. “The rules are the rules, so that’s how we’ve done it. At big shows, there are obviously more ponies to measure, but we haven’t struggled so far and under the leeway we’ve been given, a true 14.2hh should measure in.”

Eventing pony selector Ginny Keen said she welcomed the rule change.

“There has been flouting of the rules in the past and something needed to be done,” she told H&H.

But she admitted that the situation could cause more headaches for pony team selectors.

She explained: “The new rule means we cannot risk selecting ponies that might measure out because they get too excited at events.”

Find out who is in the pony eventing team >>

Find out who won the national pony championship >>

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Captain Hastings, the HOYS small riding horse champion who measured out in December, has failed his remeasurement.

Producer Allister Hood told H&H last month that he had objected to the result of the original measurement and would be appealing. But last week he confirmed that the gelding had, once again, been found to be taller than his stated height of 15.2hh. Mr Hood did not wish to make any further comment.

It now remains to be seen if Captain Hastings will be stripped of his riding horse of the year title. HOYS director Mark Wein told H&H last month he would resist moves to withdraw the championship on the basis of an invalid height certificate.

This week, Mr Wein sain he stood by his pevious comments: “At the time of the competition that animal had a life height certificate – how can we now prove he was overheight then?”

The certificate the gelding competed with at HOYS will now be withdrawn and replaced with one issued by the Joint Measurement Board stating his new height.

This news story can be read in full in today’s Horse & Hound (1 March, ’07)

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Two show horses at October’s Horse of the Year Show (HOYS), including riding horse of the year Captain Hastings, have “measured out” (been found to be too tall for the class in which they compete) but there is no clear view on what should be done about it.

As HOYS finalists, the horses were automatically measured in December by stewards from the Joint Measuring Board (JMB). In addition to Captain Hastings, Sadie Pickup’s Hamptonne Prince Of Tides, who finished reserve in the intermediate show riding type class, also measured out. But Prince Of Tides has since been retired, a decision made before the measurement failure.

Captain Hastings, who took the HOYS championship after winning the small riding horse class, was found to be 2.5cm over the 15.2hh class limit. If the gelding had entered the large riding horse class, he would still have won the championship.

Captain Hastings’s producer, Allister Hood, told H&H he has objected to the result of the measurement. He said: “We’ve appealed and I hope we will get him remeasured very shortly.”

Mr Hood added that he had never had the gelding measured because he had a full measurement certificate, which used to be known as a life height certificate. Measurement certificates are issued by the JMB.

The JMB’s Howard Robinson would neither confirm nor deny that Captain Hastings will be remeasured. He said possession of a full certificate does not guarantee that a horse or pony would be the same height all their life.

“A useful analogy is a life prison sentence,” he said. “Life doesn’t mean life and the full certificate is the same — the animal’s height isn’t set in stone.”

But this view does not sit well with HOYS director Mark Wein. Until contacted by H&H, Mr Wein was unaware that Captain Hastings has measured out. He said HOYS would resist moves to withdraw the championship from the horse on the basis of an invalid height certificate.

He said: “If a competitor comes to HOYS with a valid height certificate, how can we then turn around and say that the certificate is invalid?”

For a championship to be withdrawn, HOYS must liaise with the governing body for that particular class. In the case of Captain Hastings, this would be the British Show Horse Association. The chairman of the association was unavailable for comment.

• This news report was first published in Horse & Hound (18 January, ’07)

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New FEI pony height measurement rules came into effect on 1 January. Measurement certificates have been abolished and ponies will now be measured by vets at championship level competitions to check they do not exceed the height allowance. They will also be subject to on-the-spot height checks at all other FEI competitions. Organisations such as British Dressage are concerned about the implementation of the new rules, fearing that measuring at events could prove inaccurate.

“The FEI system of official measurement certification ceased to exist as of January 1st 2007 and ponies competing at the CH-EU-P (European Pony Championships) from 2007 onwards will be measured at the competition site and there may also be random measurements carried out during the year at other CIP,” said a spokesperson for the FEI.

But although the new scheme will put an end to the corrupt measurement certificates that led to horses competing at pony level, British Dressage is concerned about the accuracy of measuring a pony at a competition. “We fear that measuring at an event might not be particularly accurate,” said a spokesperson. “And we are concerned that a child could be turned away at the European Championships which would be extremely upsetting.”

Although the FEI’s definition of a pony remains unchanged – 148cm without shoes or 149cm shod, a pony is permitted to stand a full two cm higher at competitions. “We have, however, taken into consideration the fact that measuring ponies at competition creates a different set of circumstances which may lead to fluctuation in height and following much consultation with the relevant technical committees we have allowed for a margin of 2cm,” said the FEI spokesperson.

But the margin does not quell British Dressage’s anxieties. “It is quite a small margin – from my experience a horse can grow more than two centimetres at a competition,” the British Dressage spokesperson explained.

British Dressage advises all riders competiting at FEI pony competitions to get their ponies measured professionally. “You have to be realisitic about it if your pony is over height,” said the spokesperson.

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A radical rule change has been proposed by the International Equestrian Federation (FEI) following its discovery that many ponies competing at elite level are, in fact, horses.

The FEI Pony Riders’ committee last month notified all national federations of its recommendation to abolish the FEI official measurement certificate for ponies. If accepted, a likely rule change (from 1 January 2007) will require all ponies to be measured on site at FEI competitions.

“This is quite a radical step,” said FEI secretary general Michael Stone. He added that any over-height pony would be “sent home”. He continued: “I’m not sure it will be something all federations will be in favour of, but we have to have integrity.”

While the British Equestrian Federation (BEF) told H&H it is urging a debate, the general feeling among disciplines is that a move towards measuring at competitions is “unworkable”.

Mr Stone said a random and confidential survey of 17 show jumping and dressage ponies was conducted by independent vets at this year’s European Pony Championships in Saumur, France. He said the move followed about 25 complaints from competitors about ponies’ heights.

Their concerns seemed justified when more than half the surveyed ponies, all with the requisite FEI height certificates, measured up to 10cm above the maximum 148cm height allowed (149cm with shoes). Eventing ponies were not measured due to a timetable change.

Mr Stone said the proposed rule change would be put to the FEI bureau in November, following consultation with all national federations closing on 30 October.

“We’re not saying anyone has been corrupt,” he said. “We investigated this following complaints and found a significant number of ponies are too big, so we’re going to stop it.”

Read this news report in full, including the views of the BEF, BSJA, BE, BD and the JMB on the plans, in today’s Horse & Hound

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