Measuring of Horses and Ponies
The Joint Measurement Board (JMB) was established in 1934 to run a national scheme for the description and classification of horses and ponies for certain classes in affiliated competitions.
- Animals cannot be measured until they are four years old.
- Every animal irrespective of age has to have at least one Annual certificate before it can have a Full certificate (also known as a ‘life’ certificate).
- Annual certificates are issued for horses and ponies aged 4, 5, 6yrs or any animal aged 7yrs or over which is presented for the first time.
- All Annual certificates expire on 31st December in the year of measurement.
- The official measurer for the second or third Annual certificate must be different than the first measurer but can be from the same practice.
- The official measurer for a Full certificate must be from a different practice than the measurer who performed the last Annual measurement.
- It is the owner’s responsibility to arrange the measurement with an official measurer. These can be found on the JMB website.
- Under the JMB rules horses and ponies are measured without shoes on.
- The measurement is taken at the highest point of the withers.
- The animal must be fully relaxed, with its front legs perpendicular, front feet level and hind feet no more than 6 inches apart. Its eyes should be level with the withers.
- It is worth training your horse or pony to stand in a relaxed manner with minimal fidgeting and get used to a measuring stick.
FEI measurement
- The FEI have a different list of official measurers and allow horses and ponies to be measured with their shoes on.
Some competitions now are requiring that the horse or pony is measured at the competition. These have different height classifications to allow for shoes and the lack of full relaxation due to the “excitement” of the event.
Bushy Equine Vets have pads at both Breadstone and Failand. Ian Camm and Scott Milnes are both JMB official measurers.
Please contact either of these clinics if you require an official measurement certificate.