| War Admiral is one of the best known thoroughbreds | | | | actually 15.2 hands (not 15 and a half or 15 hands and |
| in the history of American horse racing because of the | | | | two inches). |
| dominance the animal demonstrated during its heyday | | | | An accurate measurement for the height of a horse |
| in the 1930s. Among the numerous accomplishments | | | | involves measuring a straight line up (vertically) from |
| War Admiral achieved winning the coveted Triple | | | | where a hoof touches flat ground to the highest point |
| Crown in 1937 is chief amongst his successes. To this | | | | on the back of the animal. The highest point on the |
| day winning the Triple Crown is a feat that has only | | | | back of a horse is known as the withers, a term that |
| happened eleven times in the history of the sport. | | | | means the space between the shoulder blades on a |
| The beloved horse known as War Admiral was born | | | | four legged animal. To clarify, when measuring the |
| in 1934 and came from very good stock. The colt was | | | | height of a horse the head and neck are not |
| the product of successful breeding between an | | | | considered at all for the standard comparison basically |
| accomplished race horse named Man o'War (a former | | | | involves comparing the heights of horses based solely |
| Preakness Stakes winner) and a mare by the name | | | | on how high off the ground their shoulders are with no |
| of Brushup. Although War Admiral had a very large | | | | regard whatsoever for the size of the neck and head. |
| father (Man o'War was 16.2 hands) War Admiral was | | | | The 2003 movie Seabiscuit incorrectly describes War |
| considered short by race horse standards at 15.2 | | | | Admiral (the dominant horse of Seasbiscuit's era) as |
| hands tall, one full hand shorter than his father. By | | | | being 18 hands tall. This embellishment for theatrical |
| contrast the average horse competing in elite | | | | purposes overstates the height of the horse by 2.2 |
| competitions like the Kentucky Derby and Belmont | | | | hands, the equivalent of 10 inches. Anyone familiar with |
| Stakes is 16 hands tall. | | | | horses understands that exaggerating the height of a |
| The terminology of measuring height in terms of hands | | | | race horse by two and a half hands (properly written |
| is still used in the sport of horse racing although it is | | | | 2.2 hands) or 10 inches makes a significant difference |
| seldom understood by outsiders. The actual | | | | as the adjustment goes from describing an undersized |
| conversion is that one hand is equal to four inches. | | | | race horse to describing an oversized one. For |
| Therefore a horse that is 16 hands tall is five feet and | | | | comparison purposes consider the difference between |
| four inches tall. This is the height when the animal is on | | | | describing a basketball player as being 6'10" tall when |
| all four legs and not when it is standing upright on its | | | | his actual height is 6'0" tall. By NBA standards you are |
| hind legs. The proper notation for a horse that is five | | | | effectively describing a player who is in the bottom ten |
| feet and one inch tall (61 inches) is to write 15.1 hands. | | | | percent in height as one who is in the top ten percent |
| The correct way to write 15 and one half hands tall is | | | | of height. |