Convert hand to hectometer Online | Free Length Converter

Hand

A hand is a traditional unit of length primarily used to measure the height of horses. It is equal to 4 inches or 10.16 centimeters.

The origin of the hand as a measurement comes from using the width of a human hand, and it has been standardized at 4 inches for consistency in horse measurement. Horse height is expressed in "hands," measured from the ground to the highest point of the withers (the ridge between the shoulder blades).

Key points:

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  1 hand = 4 inches

  
  
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  1 hand = 10.16 centimeters

  
  
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  Used mainly for measuring horse height

  
  
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  Horse height is often given in hands and inches, e.g., 15.2 hands means 15 hands plus 2 inches

  
  

The hand remains the standard unit for horse height in many English-speaking countries.

Hectometer

A hectometer (hm) is a unit of length in the metric system, equal to 100 meters. It is larger than a meter but smaller than a kilometer. While it is part of the official metric system, the hectometer is rarely used in daily life or science. For example, a running track is 400 meters long, which is 4 hectometers. The symbol for hectometer is "hm". Although not commonly seen, it can be useful for measuring medium-range distances, especially when kilometers feel too large and meters too small.