How is their Math in the Horse Industry?

Math is all around us. If you take a moment to stop and think about how mathematically you spend your day, you will start to notice the numbers. 

Their are several ways math is used in the horse industry. When students come for weekly riding lessons, they're not just learning about the horse or the time in the saddle, they are actually practicing their math skills, public speaking skills, fine motor skills and gross motor skills. Here is how:

Coming to take a lesson at the barn requires an exchange of money for a service that has been provided.

Horses are measured in hands

A braider counts the number of Braids they complete on a horse's mane for competition (Do they prefer an even or odd number?)

Grain and hay are all measured by weight which could be in ounces, pounds, or quarts.  Do you know what kind of hay and grain your horse eats? 

Water buckets and troughs are filled and measured by the gallon or Liters. Do you know how many gallons a standard water bucket contains? Do you know the approximate weight of a single water bucket? How many gallons per day should the average horse drink?

Those adorable horse show bows are crafted with several types of ribbon, all of which is measured in yards.

Traveling to and from shows, sales appointments, etc. Miles are calculated and recorded for tax deductions.
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Jumps are measured in inches, feet, and meters. 

Flowers are counted for filler at all of the hunter jumps based on the number of holes drilled into the flower boxes.

Do you know how many bones are in the horses body?

How many ribbons are needed to host a horse show? It is determined by the number of classes held at the horse show. Typically each class awards up to six ribbons. 

The electric is turned on in the barn so you can see to groom your horse or ride under the arena lights. Do you know how the electric is measured or on average what the cost of the electric is?

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