[USMA:34601] Re: Metric US draft horses

[James J. Wentworth]

To be fair, it is well-known among horse people that 17.3 hands means 17 
hands 3 inches.  A better format would be 17h 3", which I have occasionally 
seen.

Your account of the vet's scale could be an emotional "wedge" issue that we 
could use to our advantage.  I wonder how many pet birds, cats, dogs, 
ferrets, guinea pigs, horses, and pot-bellied pigs may have died needlessly 
due to dosage errors caused by incorrect pounds-to-kilograms and/or 
inches-to-centimeters conversions?  I think pet companions would be less 
likely to balk at the idea of having their animals measured in metric units. 
After that, it should be easier to argue such a change for human health care 
("If it's better for your pet, it's better for you, too.").  --  Jason