<x-tad-smaller>The problem we face switching people from measuring horses in cm vs "hands" is not only tradition, but the fact that there is some convenience in the "hands" method.
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I don't see where Harry finds this "convenience" he refers to. I'm afraid that everything I read in the rest of his note has very little to do with "hands" being more convenient than centimetres. The only convenience is familiarity (sometimes called "tradition"). Of course something that is familiar (and therefore well known) seems more convenient than something new (which must be learned).
Harry's comments boil down to the old one of familiarity, an argument which is used against metric and any other change that is ever made. It is a spurious argument in that the new thing (whatever it is) will become familiar as soon as it is used. But those who rely on the familiarity argument (or tradition or convenience) cling to the old familiar things and therefore don't even try the new and therefore never become familiar with the new and therefore they continue to find the old familiar things more convenient, so they don't try the new and ...
... and the merry-go-round continues to go round and no progress is ever made.
If heights of interest for horses are usually in the limited range that includes (in hands*) only the numbers 14.2, 14.3, 15.0. 15.1 and 15.2, then horse people surely could get used to the equally simple series of numbers (in centimetres) 148, 150, 152, 154 and 156. (These correspond closely to 14.2, 14.3, 15.0, 15.1 and 15.2 hands.) If they would use this centimetre series it would quickly become familiar and thus would be convenient.
The increments of 0.1 hand (an inch) that are used in the old series are used because they fit the "hand" measuring system, not because they are intrinsically the best increments. The increments of 2 cm in the suggestions above are just as good.
Regards,
Bill Hooper
Fernandina Beach, Florida, USA
*Reminder: in the hands system, the digit after the decimal point is the number of inches, not tenths of a hand. That is, 14.3 hands means 14 hands plus 1 inch, not 14 and 3/10 of a hand. Since there are only four inches in one hand, the next step up from 14.3 hands is not 14.4 hands but is instead 15.0 hands.
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SIMPLIFICATION begins with SI
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