A "hand" is a unit of measurement commonly used in the context of measuring the height of horses. In the United States and some other English-speaking countries, a hand is defined as exactly 4 inches or 10.16 centimeters.
Horses are typically measured in hands from the ground to the highest point of their withers (the ridge between the shoulder blades). This measurement is a convenient way to describe a horse's height without relying on feet and inches or meters.
For example, a horse that measures 15.2 hands is 15 hands and 2 inches tall. Horses can vary in height, and the hand system provides a standardized way to communicate a horse's size, which is particularly important in horse racing, equestrian sports, and the horse industry in general.
Foot (ft): The foot is equal to 12 inches or 0.3048 meters. It is commonly used in everyday measurements, particularly in countries that do not use the metric system.