Here's why:
* Hands are a unit of measurement for horse height: One hand equals 4 inches.
* Horses are typically measured in hands: This is a standard way to describe their height at the withers (the highest point of their back, between the shoulder blades).
So, if you're asking about the height of a horse, you'll need to know how many hands tall it is, not "8 hand".
Let me know if you have the height in hands, and I can help you figure out how tall that is in feet and inches!