- 1). Put the halter and lead rope on the yearling and lead him to the place where you plan to do the measuring. Ask a friend to hold the horse while you measure its height, or tie the animal securely using a slip knot or tie ring.
- 2). Place the yearling on a solid, level surface. If you have a concrete slab somewhere on your property that will work best, provided the concrete is level. Otherwise, find the flattest and most level spot you can to position the horse.
- 3). Stand the yearling with all four feet firmly on the ground. If the horse cocks a foot or rests it on the ground, move that foot until it is solidly on the ground. Look at your horse from the front and side to ensure that the legs are even. Reposition the yearling if necessary.
- 4). Unfold your measuring stick and position the shaft portion approximately 6 to 8 inches away from the horse. Stand at the left shoulder of the horse and extend the top part of the measuring stick to the top point of the withers.
- 5). Record the result from the measuring stick. If your measuring stick is calculated in hands, all you need to do is record the number of hands shown on the measurement. If the measuring stick shows inches instead, divide the number of inches by four to get the number of hands. If your mature yearling stands 60 inches high at the wither, he is 15 hands high.
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