Pony Measuring System

From 1 January 2023 - Full Implementation of new Pony Measuring System

Please refer to the Veterinary Regulations, Chapter IX, Pony Measuring for full details concerning Regulatory Height, Pony Measuring at FEI Measuring Sessions, Ponies’ Presentation, Pony Measuring Procedure, Refusal to Measure, Extraordinary Measuring Sessions.

In brief:
FEI Ponies must be measured in at an FEI Measuring Session and be issued with an Interim or Lifetime Measuring Certificate in order to be allowed to take part in FEI Pony Competitions.

Ponies’ regulatory height at the withers must not exceed: 148cm without shoes (any measurement between 148.1cm and 148.9cm will be rounded down to 148.0cm); and 149cm with shoes (any measurement between 149.1cm and 149.9cm will be rounded down to 149.0cm).​

If a Pony measures in and is 8 years old or older it will receive an FEI Lifetime Measuring Certificate, be registered as Pony in the FEI database, and be allowed to compete at FEI Pony Events. If a Pony measures in and is between 6 and 8 years it will receive an FEI Interim Measuring Certificate, which is valid for 15 months. If a Pony measures in and it is between 6 and 8 years and its height does not exceed 140cm without shoes (or does not exceed 141cm with shoes), it will receive an FEI Lifetime Measuring Certificate.

The Calendar of scheduled Measuring Sessions is published here on the FEI website. To register your Pony, please contact the corresponding contact email indicated in the Calendar. The National Federation is responsible for organising the Measuring Sessions.

Ponies can attend a measuring session in any country however they will not be allowed to be measured by an FEI Measuring Veterinarian from the same National Federation under which it is registered.


If a Pony measures out, the NF is notified and it is blocked from entering in any FEI Pony Competition; and registered as a horse if required. It can be re-measured once the same year at another Measuring Session, and once a year in the two following consecutive years. In total it may be measured 4 times in 3 consecutive years.

All ponies must be free of any substances included on the EPSL and EADCM samples may be taken during measuring sessions.

For any questions or concerns that you may have related to Pony Measuring, please do not hesitate to contact georgina.rowse@fei.org at the FEI Veterinary Department.

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