When referring to horse heights?

[Remmy]

Where does the term 'full up' come from? as in 'full up 14.2hh'.

I've always been mystified about this - surely something is either 14.2hh or it isn't????

[Joyscarer]

You think that if something was 14.2hh then it would be but apparently not.

The term full up isn't used by me. If I say something I mean it but I suppose so many people don't say what they mean hense the term being needed.

[flashbacksj]

Feel free to correct me if ive got this wrong...:p

When i hear the term "full up" i always assume its a horse that has been registered somewhere with a life height certificate(common in competition ponies especially) that will state they are 13.2 or 14.2 etc... in reality they are probably a bit bigger... hence the FULL UP bit...

... the term to me means that as a full up 14.2hh showjumping pony for example... they are still allowed to jump in pony BSJA classes even if in reality they are closer to 15hh or something.

I own a 14.3 and 3/4hh cob... who is smaller than a FULL UP 14.2hh JA showjumping pony that used to be on our yard...

hope that makes sence

ETA: a pony that is Full up... might make showjumping distances easier... hence it could be desirable when buying a pony.x

[HJ]

I thought it meant looks big for 14.2 but does measure this on the stick

[neen]

Less cynically, it could also be that a horse or pony is at the top end of its height range. Although we only measure in 1-inch blocks, there's variation within that. So a full up 14.2 might be 14.2 and 9 tenths, rather than bang on 14.2 -- just under 14.3, in other words.

Actually, where do they draw the line when measuring? If a horse is 14.2 and a half, is it a 14.2 or a 14.3?

[Esther.D]

Full-up dates from well before life height certificates, although that might be how it is being used today. I would be going along the lines of neen's answer that it is either bang on 14.2 or slightly over but not actually 14.3hh, or of course actually bigger but being squeezed into the class below...

Not sure of the origin of the term though, thats just my experience of it being used.

[keep the faith]

i always assumed it was down to how high the withers are eg, you could have a pony that measures 14.2 but has high withers and one that has practically no withers and measures 14.2 the one with next to no withers is going to look bigger because its back is nearly level with the withers. does that make sense.

[flashbacksj]

your probably right about the squeezing into the class above... i always thought if its 14.2 + it would be out of 14.2classes therefore have to compete in classes as such...

... like i say im no expert so i could be wrong! x :p (i oftern am!):o

[Joyscarer]

There's some really good points on here.

It just goes to show how everyday expressions can be widely interpreted.

[Lacetti]

'Full Up' means that although the withers may measure 14.2, the horse/pony may have rather large withers - for example, a lot of TB's have rather high withers so they may measure 16.2hh, but the back maybe considerably lower

If something measures a 'full up' 16.2hh, this means the withers are only marginally higher than the back. Does this help?? :confused:

[newforest]

i thought full up meant low withered and your sitting on what the height is.


failing that full up means they are not hungry:D

[Joyscarer]

failing that full up means they are not hungry:D

Does that ever happen :confused: :D

[sheltiegroomer]

i thought full up meant low withered and your sitting on what the height is.


failing that full up means they are not hungry:D

Lol!
I thought that too about low withered and that their back was actually that height.

LOL and as for not hungry OMG my lot are never not hungry!! I think the term full up in horses can never ever refer to their stomachs!!! :D

[KateWooten]

Yes - I thought it was a horse that measured 14.2 and rides big - i.s it's back is flat not dipped and it's kind of 'big' ? I might (if I were so inclined) describe Summer as a full-up 14.2 because she's a big stout 14.2 horse, who 'rides big'. Whereas Rosie, my skinny little saddlebred, would not be 'full-up' 15hh

TinyPony got Full Up that day she got wedged in the haybarn, remember ?

[lauraandharvey]

When i hear the term "full up" i always assume its a horse that has been registered somewhere with a life height certificate(common in competition ponies especially) that will state they are 13.2 or 14.2 etc... in reality they are probably a bit bigger... hence the FULL UP bit...

.

ditto

[shanzee]

It makes me cross sometimes - the whole measuring thing. The height for cobs in affiliated classes is 148cm (14.2hh) to 155cm (15.1hh), and there are those that are within the correct heights and those which most definitely aren't (full up). Tia has a life height certificate at 153.5cm, so is only 1.5cm under the maximum height for the class, but usually she is dwarfed by most of the other cobs. When we took her to be measured, they put the stick on her as soon as she stepped on the pad, and that height is what they put on the certificate - both times (annual and life height).

Some horses go having been worked into the ground, left without food or water all night, or have their feet cut back so far they are left sore, and still they fanny around with them at the measuring pad until the horse finally measures in.

I would love it if they brought in on the day measuring for showing - half of the horses would get straight back on the lorry!

[No_Angel]

I thought full up meant a horse that rode bigger than 14.2, so more like a horse than a pony?

[Remmy]

ooooooo...... really interesting. So I suppose that I'm not going to be any the wiser about a horses height in the advert unless I actually go and see it :rolleyes:

What really makes me a little cross is when you go to see something advertised at 15.2hh and it's more like 14.2hh. Have done this a few times now. Not funny when you've driven some distance as well.

[newforest]

so if the riding bigger is full up

jack is 14hh unshod height but when tacked up due to thickness of his pad plus the hm seat saver AND he rides big he's more of a full up 15hh

[JustJas]

Our 15'3hh cobby mare has no withers and she is as tall in the back as a 16'2 warmblood. That to me is full up.

[Soot]

We use it for horses that you would guess to be bigger than they measure on the stick!

.. got one here everyone guesses at 14.1hh ... on the stick she's 13.3hh, confirmed by many different people including recently JMB for registration, etc. So we say she's a full up 13.3hh :p

[BlueWicked]

ive come across this term quite a bit and have always taken to mean a horse that measures exactly to say, the 14.2hh mark on the stick or very marginally over - as opposed to one which could still be classed as 14.2hh but measures a fraction under, but is still closer to 14.2hh than 14.1hh.

my horse is passported at 14.3hh, but measures 15hh. I wouldnt however say he is a 'full up' 15hh as if he is slouching he measures a fraction under..

that's just how i take it...