Ah, the stupid misuse of decimals in wombat. 17.3 = 17 hands 3 in is just plain idiotic.
My vet has a scale. It can weigh in metric and wombat. I insist on metric; they want wombat (wonder how they dose the meds). It shows 9 8 as meaning 9 lb 8 oz. Still a ways to go. Carleton -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Daniel Sent: Wednesday, September 21, 2005 23:27 To: U.S. Metric Association Subject: [USMA:34597] Re: Metric US draft horses I can see where measuring a horse in hands in one place and in decimetres elsewhere can create error. If a horse is measured as 17.3 dm high but is called hand, an American might assume it means 17 American hands and 3 inches. This would equal 71 inches or 18 dm. Thus the American might think the horse taller then it is. A Dutchman interpreting an English description of 17 hands 3 inches (written as 17.3 hands) as 17.3 dm would think the horse shorter then it is. Not knowing who uses what definition can only make it worse. Or is this one of the situations that what the other guy doesn't know won't hurt him? Dan ----- Original Message ----- From: "James J. Wentworth" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "U.S. Metric Association" <[email protected]> Sent: Wednesday, 2005-09-21 20:55 Subject: [USMA:34596] Re: Metric US draft horses > That is exactly what many equine businesses and stables have done. They > use a metric hand of 100 mm (1 decimeter). > > Some countries (the Netherlands, in particular) measure horses' heights in > meters to two decimal places. The metric hand is easily related to meters > since 10 metric hands equals 1 meter (for example, a 17.3 metric hand > draft horse is 1.73 meters tall--just move the decimal point one space to > the left). Also, there's not much chance of confusing metric hands and > meters--a "1.73 hand" horse would be tinier than the smallest miniature > horse foal! :-) -- Jason > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Tom Wade VMS Systems" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: "U.S. Metric Association" <[email protected]> > Sent: Wednesday, September 21, 2005 6:49 AM > Subject: [USMA:34586] Re: Metric US draft horses > > >> >The drive to preserve the 'hand' is a drive to protect the word 'hand' >> >as a >>>symbol that the user is part of the 'in' crowd of horse person's who >>>understands the jargon of horses; >> >> Surely there is a very simple solution to the hand. Simply replace it >> by the decimeter, that way the numbers don't have to change. >> >> ----------------------------------------------------------------- >> Tom Wade | EMail: tee dot wade at eurokom dot ie >> EuroKom | Tel: +353 (1) 296-9696 >> A2, Nutgrove Office Park | Fax: +353 (1) 296-9697 >> Rathfarnham | Disclaimer: This is not a disclaimer >> Dublin 14 | Tip: "Friends don't let friends do Unix !" >> Ireland >> >> > > > > -- > No virus found in this incoming message. > Checked by AVG Anti-Virus. > Version: 7.0.344 / Virus Database: 267.11.4/109 - Release Date: 2005-09-21 >
