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The withers. This is the highest point on a horse's back, and is formed by the dorsal vertebrae.

A horse or pony's height is determined by the distance between the ground and the highest point on his withers, using a unique unit of measure called a "hand." One hand is equal to four inches.

Height is expressed by the number of hand units tall, followed by a decimal point, then the number of inches (if any) remaining above the last full "hand." More simply, a horse that stands 5 feet tall (or 60 inches) at the highest point of his withers, would measure 15.0 hands high (60 inches divided by 4 (a hand) = 15). If the horse was just two inches taller, his height would be recorded as 15.2 hands.

One way horses are distinguished from ponies is on the basis of size, with horses measuring over 14.2 hands (58 inches, or 4'8.3" at the back), and ponies measuring at or below that size.

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