Last Updated on March 24, 2023
To many people, horses are big and intimidating animals, whilst others regard them as cute and fluffy ponies. So, what is horse height compared to human height?
The height of horses and humans is very difficult to compare, for a variety of reasons. Let’s take a look at all the factors behind the size of a horse compared to a human, and find out how they measure up.
How is Human and Horse Size Measured? Horse Height Compared to Human Height
When we think about size, we tend to think about the height of something – that is the measurement of how tall it is. We can also look at the weight of something – that is the measurement of how heavy it is.
So, if we are going to compare the size of a horse to a human, we need to figure out how these measurements compare.
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Height
The height of a human is measured from the ground to the top of the head. This is the most consistent measurement, as long as the person is standing upright with his feet flat on the floor. If we took another measurement, for example to the tips of the fingers, this would change according to whether the arms were raised or lowered.
Human height is normally recorded using either meters and centimeters or feet and inches.
The height of a horse is measured in a very different way from humans. The measurement is taken as the distance from the floor to the top of the withers. This is the bony section of the spine at the base of the neck, just in front of where the saddle sits.
The withers are the most reliable point to measure, as the height is consistently the same. If the measurement was taken at the head or the hindquarters the distance would change as the horse moved.
What is a hand in horse height?
The height of a horse is recorded in a measurement known as hands. This is an ancient and traditional way of measuring horses, which is still in common use today. One hand is equal to four inches, so the height is described in hands and inches.
The only exception to this is small ponies and miniature horses. These are often measured in inches, rather than hands.
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Weight
It is much easier to compare the weights of two different things. We just need to make sure that the same units are used.
Humans are normally weighed either in kilograms or in stones and pounds. Horses are also weighed in kilograms, or they can be weighed in pounds. The most standard way to compare the weight of a horse to a human would be to use either kilograms or pounds.
The difficulty arises when it comes to weighing a horse! Weighing a human is easy – we can do this at home, at the medical center, or the gym. Horses will need to be taken to a weighbridge to get an accurate measurement.
How Do Horse Sizes Differ?
It won’t be a surprise to many of you that horses come in many different sizes! They vary widely in height, ranging from tiny miniature horses to giant draft horses.
This is because horses of different heights are used for different roles. Breeding programs over the centuries have focused on increasing or decreasing the height of certain breeds. Most domesticated horse breeds are intended to fit within a specific height range, to suit a certain purpose or role.
Horses also differ widely in weight. However, this is not only due to the height of the horse but also the build. The build of a horse relates to how muscular and strong a horse is.
For example, many children’s ponies are described as ‘well built’. This means that they are short in height, but have a wide and muscular stature. This means that they will weigh more than a pony of similar height that is more refined and elegant in stature.
At the other extreme, we have hot-blooded breeds such as Arabians and Thoroughbreds. These are much taller but have a lithe and slender physique, which keeps their overall body weight lower.
Therefore, a 13.2 hands-high pony can have the same body weight as a 15.3 hands-high Thoroughbred, despite the considerable height difference!
Horse Height Compared to Human Height: 6 Fun Facts
So, let’s take a look at how horses compare to humans! Firstly we’ll look at the extreme ends of the scale, with the tallest, heaviest, and smallest of both species.
To compare horses to humans, we need to use the same measurements for both. So for height, we have converted both into meters and centimeters. For weight, we have used kilograms for both humans and horses.
- Tallest Horse – 2 meters and 19 centimeters
This record was held by a Shire gelding named Sampson born in the UK in 1850.
- Tallest Human – 2 meters and 72 centimeters
Beating the horse by over half a meter, Robert Wadlow has held this record since 1940.
- Heaviest Horse – 1524 kilograms.
This record was also held by Sampson, the giant Shire horse.
- Heaviest Human – 635 kilograms
At less than half the weight of Sampson, this record was held by Jon Brower Minnoch.
- Smallest Horse – 44.5 centimeters
This record has been held since 2002 by a tiny mare named Thumbelina.
- Smallest Human – 54.6 centimeters
The shortest adult human was a Nepalese craftsman called Chandra Bahadur Dangi. He was however still 10 centimeters taller than the smallest horse!
So, who is the overall winner? Well, these are the extreme ends of the height and weight scale, and there is no real way to compare them!
Horse Hands Chart: Horse Height Compared to Human Height
To better understand how the height of a horse compares to a human, a horse hands chart can be useful to use. This allows you to better understand how the hand measurement system is used.
It is important to remember that the height of a horse is measured at the whithers and not at the top of a horse’s head. When measuring a horse’s height, a horse stands square on level ground and a special measuring stick is used to determine their height.
Typically, most people know how tall their horse is. In some cases, horses will be shown in different divisions based on their height.
The average horse stands around 16 hands tall. Horses can range in height anywhere from 14.2 hands tall to 20.2 hands tall, which is the current record for the tallest horse. Any horse below 14.2 hands tall is considered a pony.
This handy chart will allow you to understand horse height compared to human height.
Hands |
Inches |
Feet |
Centimeters |
12 |
48 |
4ft |
121.92 |
12.1 |
49 |
4ft 1in |
124.46 |
12.2 |
50 |
4ft 2in |
127 |
12.3 |
51 |
4ft 3in |
129.54 |
13 |
52 |
4ft 4in |
132.08 |
13.1 |
53 |
4ft 5in |
134.62 |
13.2 |
54 |
4ft 6in |
137.16 |
13.3 |
55 |
4ft 7in |
1.397 |
14 |
56 |
4ft 8in |
142.24 |
14.1 |
57 |
4ft 9in |
144.78 |
14.2 |
58 |
4ft 10in |
147.32 |
14.3 |
59 |
4ft 11in |
149.86 |
15 |
60 |
5ft |
152.4 |
15.1 |
61 |
5ft 1in |
154.94 |
15.2 |
62 |
5ft 2in |
157.48 |
15.3 |
63 |
5ft 3in |
160.02 |
16 |
64 |
5ft 4in |
162.56 |
16.1 |
65 |
5ft 5in |
165.1 |
16.2 |
66 |
5ft 6in |
167.64 |
16.3 |
67 |
5ft 7in |
170.18 |
17 |
68 |
5ft 8in |
172.72 |
17.1 |
69 |
5ft 9in |
175.26 |
17.2 |
70 |
5ft 10in |
177.8 |
17.3 |
71 |
5ft 11in |
180.3 |
18 |
72 |
6ft |
182.88 |
How Many Hands is a Big Horse?
Typically, a horse that is 17 hands or taller is considered a big horse. However, some people consider horses 16 hands or taller big.
Another factor you need to consider in how big a horse is is weight. For example, some draft horses may stand around 16 hands tall but weigh over 1,500 pounds, making them big horses.
Typically, draft horses are considered the largest type of horse. Draft horses were originally bred for agricultural work and pulling carriages. Common draft horse breeds include the Clydesdale, Percheron, Belgian, and Shire.
On average, draft horses stand between 16 to 19 hands tall and weigh around 1,500 to 2,200 pounds. However, some draft horses can be taller than 20 hands and weigh over 2,400 pounds. They have strong, powerful builds as they are bred to do heavy work.
While other breeds can be tall, such as Thoroughbreds and Hanoverians, draft horse breeds are typically the tallest type of horse. While draft horses can seem intimidating from their tall height, they are notorious for being gentle giants.
How Many Hands is the Tallest Horse?
The most recent record for the tallest horse in the world belongs to Big Jake, who stood at 20.2 3/4 hands tall and weighed 2,600 pounds. At 20.2 3/4 hands tall, Big Jake stood 6 feet and 10.75 inches at his withers, much taller than the average person.
Big Jake was born in 2001 and weighed around 240 pounds at birth, which is more than 100 pounds than the average draft horse at birth. Big Jake was a Belgian horse who lived at Stone Pine Farm in Poynette, Wisconsin. He passed away in June 2021.
The world record for the tallest horse to ever live belongs to a Shire gelding named Sampson. Sampson stood at a record 21.25 hands, which is equal to a whopping 7 feet 2 inches.
Also known as Mammoth, Sampson was born in Bedfordshire, UK, in 1846. He also held the record for the heaviest horse ever, weighing in at an incredible 3,359 pounds (estimated).
Summary: Horse Height Compared to Human Height
So, as we have learned, horses and humans both differ so widely in weight and height that it is very difficult to make a comparison! However, you are much more likely to find a horse that is heavier than a human than the other way around. You would need an exceptionally small horse and a large person for the human to be bigger.
We’d love to hear your thoughts about our horse size compared to humans – do you think bigger or smaller horses are better? Maybe you’re struggling to find a horse that is the right size for you. Leave a comment below and we’ll get back to you!
Kate Chalmers is a qualified veterinary nurse who has specialized in horse care for the vast majority of her career. She has been around horses since she was a child, starting out riding ponies and helping out at the local stables before going on to college to study Horse Care & Management. She has backed and trained many horses during her lifetime and competed in various equestrian sports at different levels.
After Kate qualified as a veterinary nurse, she provided nursing care to the patients of a large equine veterinary hospital for many years. She then went on to teach horse care and veterinary nursing at one of the top colleges in the country. This has led to an in-depth knowledge of the care needs of horses and their various medical ailments, as well as a life-long passion for educating horse owners on how to provide the best possible care for their four-legged friends.
Kate Chalmers BSc (Hons) CVN, Dip AVN (Equine) Dip HE CVN EVN VN A1 PGCE