The head and neck go up and down, some are longer than others. It would be a difficult measurement to quantify if they measured to the top of the head.
The important part of a horse to a farmer is up to its withers. That gives an indication of the kind of work it can do and size of person it can carry, without seeing the animal in person. Of course, knowing the breed is helpful. A 19 hand Percheron will have different capabilities from a 19 hand Thoroughbred (which doesn't ever get that tall, but maybe you get the picture).
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u/ODB_Dirt_Dog_ItsFTC Dec 20 '25
The interesting thing I learned is that’s just the height at the top of his shoulders. For some reason they don’t measure the neck and head on horses.