Has anyone here had their pony officially measured? I am curious as to how it worked out. I have a pony that has been unofficially measured by a few vets, a few trainers, and at least a few owners now, and every single measure has been 14.2. I’ve been measuring him so he’s totally comfortable with the process, and always 14.2. Since he has shoes, that should be an easy pony card, right? Rules allow 149 cm (or basically just over 14.2 1/2), so I figured I had room to spare.
Well, I just had him "officially"measured, and he measures at almost 15 hands. Could we ALL be that far off of the official measure? If they had said “oh, he’s a centimeter over”, I would have said yeah, maybe we were all off a bit. But this is WAY over!
So trying to figure out if this is normal - or if it is possible that the official measure is wrong. Or could Pony puff himself up that much at a show?
Might want to ask this on the H/J forum.But yes, they can easily measure over depending on who measures and if the pony was worked prior and so many other factors. Where was ponies head and how was the pony standing? I always hire a pro to stand my ponies for measurements.
Make very sure that whomever measured, actually has the card to do so. It is separate training, certification, and there there is a specific measuring stick they have to use.
It was a senior TD at a big show - they are required to be pony measurement certified at the *** shows. And yes, she had the USEF measuring stick. THAT is a whole 'nother story - USEF made the TDs buy those overpriced sticks that fall apart…
Pony had just finished a dressage test - we ran back to the trailer, pulled off his saddle and bridle, changed out of my boots, and ran back for measurement. I held him - I am a one-woman show. I’ll check in hunter forum, but they are under different rules…
All dressage TD’s are required to be certified to measure ponies and level 3 shows and higher must have an official measuring stick. Not all TD’s have their own stick. I think your horse was never measured previously using an official stick. Those old wooden sticks or tapes are not very accurate.
I got my measurement card back in April at a show. TD and I filled out the form and vet came for the measurement. We jogged for soundness and got measured. Pony was up and measured at 14.1 3/4.
We were measured this week at the barn for our Vet certification form to go to the ACPS (American Connemara Pony Society) Inspection and measured at the 14.1 I expected originally. Both times barefoot though on the closer side of due. Main difference was tense vs relaxed.
From years around hunter ponies there is a reason they prep the bigger ones to be measured and I can see where we measured more from being tense and excited vs calm and hanging out.
For sure a tense or excited pony can measure taller. Did the vet use an official stick that has the two level bubbles to make sure stick is level. Also the pony needs to be standing on level area. Below is a link that shows the measuring process: https://www.usef.org/video/embed/1_l6y5ndd5
I grew up in the hunter world and am very familiar with the ins and outs to the measuring game when it comes to ponies. I’ve had a couple of ponies measured (FEI card) for purposes of CDE driving which is suppose to be similar to the dressage requirements.Though I’ve had and have true ponies competing in dressage I have yet to ‘need’ a measurement card on them because quite frankly I’ve always competed against the big guys and really haven’t needed to go through the process - no junior riders, my kids are taller than I, and not close enough to any shows with pony classes or awards. OP are your referring to your new guy? Regardless that’s a huge discrepancy which I’ve come across before but usually with animals that have never really been measured except with a weight tape like those that Purina is always giving out for free or eyeball. If you are talking about your new guy, I’m pretty sure full siblings and those with very similar breeding are close to 15 hands in height. And if you are talking about your new guy I suggest you contact the sire’s owner (I can give you her contact information if you don’t have it, or ask for you) to find out any relevant information. If he’s who I think he is, I’m not at all surprised with the determination of 15 hands. If not, something stinks in the land of Denmark if you know what I mean and it’s along the lines of what AZ TD is trying to point out - level ground and a TRUE regulation stick used correctly. Two inches is a lot and know of ‘ponies’ in the hunter (decades ago) world that were foundered to get them to that proverbial 14.2 hands. I sincerely hope you get it all worked out.
Excuse my interruption, but I’m really curious about this - I’m in New Zealand and it seems that the measuring process is very different here. We have designated measuring stands, and measuring days, usually in the couple of months leading into the new season. The horses/ponies are led into the measuring stand which uses a laser light to point across the wither onto a board opposite, on which is marked all measurements, in both hands and centimetres (which is how they measure here now. So there is no room for error - ground is 100 % level, and there is no “stick”. I’ve never seen measuring done anywhere else so I found this thread really interesting. =) We have the option of Life Certificates (which can only be obtained after the horse/pony is 7 years old) but the animal must be either microchipped or branded for this, and once it has been issued the animal need never be measured again - it’s height certificate stands for life.
It is my new guy - and I would LOVE to have contact info on his breeder. I wasn’t aware that there were full siblings - I know of several half siblings, but didn’t realize that his dam had been bred more then once - as far as I can determine, she was a grade pony mare?
Pony was measured by several people in the past 2 years with measuring sticks with levels - including myself, and all of them came up with 14.2 (in shoes), at different times with different sticks. None of these were weight tapes, they were real sticks with levels, but of course, none of them were USEF certified sticks. I know at MY place, the ground is more level then at the show - I did it in a concrete grooming area, which is super level.
I am not interested in showing at Pony Nationals (or whatever it is called) on the other side of the country, but here in California, our GMO sponsors Pony Awards, so it would have been fun to qualify for those. We have a few very active pony owners that really advocate for “pony recognition”.
I don’t think anyone purposely mis-measured him, but I am wondering if he can puff up that much - or a slightly unlevel ground can make that big a difference (many show grounds just don’t have a level cement pad - they weren’t designed to measure horses, they were designed for horse shows!). No one that has seen Pony can believe he is that tall - and it seriously makes all my other horses a lot taller too!
Exvet - I am going to pm you - I haven’t been able to find out anything about his breeder or dam!
WOW! You guys do it pretty fancy! Do the owners have to haul to a designated measuring area, or do they measure at shows? We measure at a show - and the TD and vet both verify the measure using a measuring stick. There is room for error, of course - especially since our shows don’t all have level areas. But even in your situation - I’m hearing that a nervous pony can “puff up” - and grow an inch or so.
We also have temporary measures for younger ponies, then permanent measure. My Pony is 10 years old, so he qualifies for permanent.
Yes, it sounds amazing! But - I suspect in a big country like ours, it would be pretty hard. Is the Measuring Stand portable? I’d also love to see a picture or video! Is there ONE, or how many places do you set up? A few places South Island, and North Island? Or is it just one location and people have to come to it?
I’ll see if I can find a video of the measuring process here. The link AZ TD posted above is the official one - there are measuring stands throughout the country, and owners must take their horses to them on one of the designated measuring days. Most stands will have 4 - 6 measuring days before the beginning of each show season - and these are the only times you can get your animal officially measured. When putting in entries for any classes that have height limits, a copy of your annual (or life) height certificate must be included.
As mentioned, some animals do get uptight and stand taller than usual, but measuring stewards are very patient and helpful, and if it takes half an hour for it to relax, they’ll wait for it. =)
I didn’t read the other posts, but I had a friend get her pony officially measured and he was measured at a height that was over the pony size, even though he is VERY obvious a pony.
The issue? The official person was reading the stick incorrectly!
How?
When the height was being read, she took the height measurement that was locating at the top of the horizontal bar instead of at the bottom of the bar that was level with the pony’s height. We had to fight with her and show her a youtube video, proving she was reading the measuring stick incorrectly. I had her measure myself to prove how to read the bar since I know my height.
While it may not be uncommon for an official person to measure incorrectly, it most certainly does happen.
It does make me wonder if it was taken wrong. I know they can really puff up but 2 inches seems pretty extreme to me. Maybe a combination of pony being puffed up and the TD reading the stick wrong?
Well, I talked to USEF (they have a specialist on Pony Measures), and I have three choices:
1 - roll over and accept the measurement.
2 - appeal it within 45 days - which costs $250.
3 - get the TD to state IN WRITING that the measure might be inaccurate, in which case, USEF will review it and decide if I can do a re-measure. No guarantees.
I just had a trainer remeasure pony, and she came up with 14.2 (in shoes), and she said there is NO way he is that far over. She has seen many Hunter ponies, and has a pretty good idea of what a 14.2 hander looks like.
NONE of them have an official measuring stick from USEF, the point is - the pony has been measured by about 8 different people (including trainers and vets), with several different sticks, and EVERY single one is coming up with the same measurement. So either every stick out there is wrong except the official USEF sticks, or maybe, just maybe, there was an error in the “official” measurement.
