Convert hand to pole 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.

Pole

A pole is another traditional unit of length equivalent to a rod or perch. It measures exactly 16.5 feet, 5.5 yards, or about 5.0292 meters.

The pole has been used historically in land measurement and surveying, especially in England and the United States. Like the rod and perch, it helped standardize measurements of fields, plots, and boundaries before the adoption of metric units.

Key conversions:

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  1 pole = 16.5 feet

  
  
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  1 pole = 5.5 yards

  
  
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  1 pole ≈ 5.0292 meters

  
  
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  4 poles = 1 chain

  
  
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  40 poles = 1 furlong

  
  

Though largely replaced by modern units, the pole remains a notable term in historical surveying and land records.