Convert Furlong to Hand
Convert furlongs to hands instantly. 1 furlong = 1980 hand — use the live calculator, the exact formula, a conversion table and worked examples. Also check the Hand to Furlong converter for the reverse conversion.
Units explained
Furlong
A furlong is an Imperial unit of length equal to 660 feet, or exactly one eighth of a mile (about 201.17 m). It is the longest unit in the traditional English farm-and-survey system.
The furlong derives from Old English furh (furrow) + lang (long) — originally the length of a furrow in a typical medieval English open field. Standardised at 660 feet (= 10 chains = 220 yards = 1/8 mile) in medieval times.
Furlongs are the standard distance unit in horse racing (e.g., 'The race is 8 furlongs'), historical English farming and surveying, and occasional poetic or rhetorical usage. Modern racing courses worldwide list distances in furlongs.
Medieval English farming origin; standardised at 660 feet; remains the official distance unit in flat-racing thoroughbred horse races worldwide.
Hand
A hand is an Imperial unit of length equal to 4 inches (101.6 mm). It is used primarily to measure the height of horses at the withers.
The hand derives from the average breadth of a human hand and was standardised at exactly 4 inches by the Statute of Henry VIII in 1541.
Hands are used worldwide for horse height specification (the typical riding horse is 14–17 hh). Also used in some equestrian-adjacent contexts. The unit is now almost exclusively a horse-measurement convention.
Standardised at 4 inches by Henry VIII in 1541; value became exact in 1959 when the inch was fixed at 25.4 mm.
Furlong to Hand conversion formula
The relationship between furlongs and hands:
To convert furlongs to hands, multiply the value in furlongs by 1980. To reverse, multiply hands by 0.0005050505.
How to use this converter
Type a value into the calculator. The result in hands updates as you type. Tap a quick value, copy the result with one click, or use the swap arrow to jump straight to the Hand to Furlong converter for the reverse direction.
Step-by-step: convert furlongs to hands
- Write down the value in furlongs (fur).
- Multiply that value by the factor 1980.
- The product is the equivalent value in hands (hh).
- To reverse, multiply the hand value by 0.0005050505.
Worked examples
Example 1 — Convert 1 fur to hh:
1 × 1980 = 1980 hh
Example 2 — Convert 100 fur to hh:
100 × 1980 = 198000 hh
Furlong to Hand conversion table
Standard reference values for converting furlongs to hands:
| Furlong [fur] | Hand [hh] |
|---|---|
| 0.01 | 19.8 |
| 0.1 | 198 |
| 1 | 1980 |
| 2 | 3960 |
| 3 | 5940 |
| 4 | 7920 |
| 5 | 9900 |
| 10 | 19800 |
| 20 | 39600 |
| 30 | 59400 |
| 40 | 79200 |
| 50 | 99000 |
| 100 | 198000 |
| 500 | 990000.0000000001 |
| 1000 | 1980000.0000000002 |
Frequently asked questions
How many hands is 1 furlong?
How do I convert furlongs to hands?
How do I convert hands back to furlongs?
How many hands is 100 furlongs?
Popular length unit conversions
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Metric / SI (4 units)
Imperial / US Customary (26 units)
Sources & references
Conversion factor (1 fur = 1980 hh) verified against the following authoritative sources:
- BIPM — The International System of Units (SI Brochure 9th ed.)
Official BIPM publication defining the seven SI base units (including the meter) and the rules for their use. The global authority on units of measurement.
- NIST — Guide to the SI
US National Institute of Standards and Technology reference covering the SI base and derived units with definitions and usage rules for US technical practice.
- NIST Special Publication 811 — Guide for the Use of the International System of Units
Detailed NIST guide covering exact conversion factors between SI and US customary units along with formatting and rounding conventions.
- NIST — Refinement of values for the yard and pound (Federal Register 1959)
The treaty (signed by US
- International Hydrographic Organization — Resolution on the Nautical Mile
International authority that standardised the nautical mile at exactly 1852 m in 1929 — the value adopted worldwide for sea and air navigation.