How to Measure a Miniature

Why the association is wrong?

Well now that is a bold statement to start with. I have given this much thought and have come to the conclusion that someone needs to speak up and no one else seems to be doing that. So here goes, I have looked at the industry and checked other reputable registries and we are out on a limb with this jargon on measuring hook bones. Not only is it confusing, especially to new buyers, it lends itself to misunderstandings, no one asked off the street would measure there and it started from a supposed professor emeritus that at best misunderstood it. There are those using it as an excuse to mark heights as different than should be. So lets explain and so better as breeders and association.

Reputable registries do not measure hook bones but measure 'AT the hook bone' but ACROSS the back. Looking at miniature Hereford's to Dexter's they measure across the back. Now there are registries that allow hook bone measuring, but alas I could also register my donkey as miniature cow if I just send in a fee and what I say is the parents. (I should try this just to make the point). I am not knocking registries that are looking to track animal pedigrees and have to start somewhere with a new breed they want to start. However, the professor who it seems this started from contradicted himself on his website saying a single animal does not mean a breed then patented a certain marking from a single heifer and attempted to start a breed. Now if one care to begin a new breed more power to them, We have Beefmasters today because someone once started tracking and our own Texas longhorn registry began with a small collection as such with stringent specific requirements. Our agreement should however be with those reputable registries as well as industry standards.

Where do we get industry standards. These originally came about from a university study that was looking for a connection to ribeye size to measurable data on live animals. One of these measurements was hip height and when you read the study they state measure at the pin bone across the back, which would clearly be the hip height. The pin giving every university student a specific place to measure each animal as it was processed leaving less room for error. The study eventually conferred there were no corelation between hip height and ribeye size so they gave up measuring them. Now for all intents and purposes beef animals are no longer measured for height except for miniature status. No breed standards have height requirements in them for people to be taking up valuable time measuring them. This then leaves it to the miniature cattle world. So two of the oldest miniature breeds Herfords and Dexters both measure across the back at the hip/pin bone, really making this the industry standard and we should join them.

Now let's discuss the misleading aspect. I have been in conversations with mini breeders who say they can change the height depending on how they stand. That would be dishonest to do so as such directions state to have the animal squared up as if you were showing them. If an animals is set square or with back feet in profile set up like showing their height difference would be minimal. Who is hurt by this most? New buyers. It would be hard pressed to find anyone off the street so to speak that would measure as we do. If you ask 100 people who had not been told you would get ZERO who would measure as we do. Some would likely pick the shoulders as horses are done or Zebu and Brahma cattle. Others looking at most cattle being stlighty higher in the hips, we all take the good pictures with front feet higher to make them look better, would pick the hips. There would likely be a few who would pick the head until you pointed out is moves up and down. There would not be a SINGLE person who would say, the pin bones, lets measure the pin bones, so why do we? We should not be! How many of us have purchased from each other only to get the animal and discover it is taller than told. Who is measuring wher and what? New buyers should be able to buy animals that if they walked out to measure it with no explanation should be very close to the advertised measurement. We should measure the hips and not the shoulders because most cattle are slightly taller hipped than their shoulders. To get great pictures we are told to get those front feet on ever so slightly a hill. Why? Because we all know the hips are taller. So lets not measure anything lower than the tallets permanant part of the animal.

Sidenote, one breeder I know suggested permanant measurements once a certain age, which I think could be a great tool for the future of the breed. Imagine being able to buy from animals that you knew to be officially a certain height. If you want to push the envelope and raise them on the brink of standards you could or if you want to get animals under say 43 inches you could find them. But alas one improvement at a time and our Associaitons need to correct this one.

I measure all my animals as follows and propose the associations correct theirs as well. "To measure have your animals set with feet set square or in proper and correct show ring profile stance on firm even surface. Place device, level or measureing stick arm, across the back at the hip and measure from the ground. The pin bone can be your guide to find correct place on back to measure. Here is a graph to show an example.

Proper and Honest way to measure a miniature cow.

Warning to new purchasers it is unfortunate that people measure differently and regretably you may have an animal that is not considered miniature. This gives you the knowledge to ask sellers and breeders where they measure and I highly encourage you to go visit ranches you are considering buying from to ensure the animals are indeed under their height requirements. Also be warned that young stock is still growing and no matter how much a seller desires until that animal is 3-4 years old is is still VERY likely to grow in height. Most cows are done growing by 3 but occassionally some even grow a very little from 3 to 4. So if the animal is pushing the border on height and you are not interested in breeding down to a smaller genetics their offspring will very likely match their mature height.

This article is meant to start a conversation i hope will help clarify and help our industry, association and future buyers. I am open to conversations both for and against my point of view. Please reach out to let me know you agree or disagree or if you find error in my arguments to correct this farce.