The Joint Measurement Board (JMB) was established in 1934 to run a national scheme for the measurement of the height of horses and ponies for the purpose of description and classification of horses and ponies for competition.
Bell Equine has the facilities (including an official measuring pad) and certified Official Measurer, enabling us to offer a height measurement service on site at the hospital.
Key features of the scheme
- All horses and ponies must have at least one annual certificate before they can have a Full Certificate
- Annual certificates are issued to animals aged 4, 5 and 6 years old, or to any animal over 7 which is being measured for the first time.
- Measurements can be done at any time of the year, but annual certificates will expire on the 31st December following the last measurement.
- Measurements are carried out by Official Measurers only.
- Measurements are carried out on registered measuring pads with shoes removed.
- Consecutive measurements must be carried out by different Official Measurers.
- The Measurer each year must be from a different veterinary practice from the Measurer of the last Annual Certificate.
The JMB is now paperless. This means that no old-style blue JMB certificates booklets will be issued or updated. Instead all measurements will be available for inspection on our on-line searchable database.
Owners will be required to apply and pay for measurements in advance using an on-line form. The fee is £95. Further information on application and payment is available on the JMB website.
Payment by credit or debit card will mean that once the animal is measured and the Official Measurer has uploaded the details, the measurement will be added to the database within a day or two.
Once owners have applied and paid for a measurement, they can book an appointment with an Official Measurer in the normal way, taking a hard or digital copy of the payment receipt, that will be emailed to them, to the measurement.
The animal’s passport must be available at the time of measurement, so please ensure it accompanies the animal on the day. This must have the horse or pony’s proper name recorded within it. Handwritten name changes will not be accepted. Also, all animals being measured must have a microchip. A microchip can be inserted at the time of measuring. if required.
Owners may be charged a half fee for missed appointments unless 24 hours’ notice is given to the Official Measurer by Phone or Email and a full fee if, for any reason, except the fault of the Official Measurer, a Measurement is abandoned or postponed or a microchip, where required, cannot be inserted at the time of Measurement.
For full information about the Joint Measurement Board and its panel of Official Measurers, please visit the JMB website.
