Hand (unit) divided by four, then the remainder is added after the radix point. Thus, a horse that measures 60 inches is 15 hands high (15 x 4 = 60) and a horse halfway between 15 and 16 hands is 15.2 hands, or 62 inches tall (15 x 4 + 2 = 62) Because the subdivision of a hand is a base 4 system, a horse 64 inches high is 16.0 hands high, not 15.4. A designation of "15.5 hands" is not halfway between 15 and 16 hands, but rather reads 15 hands and five inches, an impossibility in a base 4
Height gauge Height gauge A height gauge is a measuring device used for determining the height of objects, and for marking of items to be worked on. These measuring tools are used in metalworking or metrology to either set or measure vertical distances; the pointer is sharpened to allow it to act as a scriber and assist in marking out work pieces. Devices similar in concept, with lower resolutions, are used in health care settings (health clinics, surgeries) to find the height of people, in which context they are called stadiometers. Height gauges may also be used to measure the height of