Measuring the height at the withers of ponies at a competition and at home using a laser device

Measuring the height of ponies at the withers is currently a prerequisite at Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI) competitions. A pony measured at a competition site must not measure more than 151 cm with, or 150 cm without horse shoes. When a pony exceeds the regulated height, it is excluded from participation in the competition. Moreover, the sale value of a pony can decrease dramatically if by height measurement it is designated as a 'horse'. The aim of this study was firstly to determine whether measuring ponies at the withers with a laser device is repeatable; secondly, to evaluate whether laser measurements are more accurate than use of a conventional measuring stick, and, thirdly, to evaluate the difference in height at the withers between ponies at home and the height of the same ponies at a competition. Fifteen clinically healthy horses and 38 healthy ponies were used in the study. A statistical evaluation was performed to determine whether there was a correlation or a significant difference between measurements (P<0.01). The repeatability of the laser measurements, the comparison of the use of the laser versus the measuring stick, and of the measurements done at home compared to the competition site were all very high (0.999, 0.0997 and 0.992, respectively; P<0.01). The mean height measured at a competition was 141.9+/-9.0 cm and of the same ponies at home was 142.4+/-9.1 cm. This difference was not significantly different, although there was a tendency for ponies measured at home to have a higher height at the withers compared to the same ponies at a competition.