She became interested in horse measuring through her own involvement with horses.
"I went to get my horses measured and saw how busy the steward was and thought it was something I'd like to help with. I tend to end up offering to help with lots of stuff,'' she said.
The Royal Agricultural Society is the overseeing body for horse measurements, and horse measuring stewards have to be ratified.
Stewards are paid a token amount for the voluntary role and the horse measuring fees paid to the Royal Agricultural Society.
Certificates have to be renewed each year until the animal is over 8 years old, when it would be considered fully grown. Owners can then apply for a lifetime height certificate, which requires the animal to be microchipped and to have been issued with a vet certificate. Without the lifetime certificate, horses must be verified each year.
"There is quite a bit of paperwork involved,'' Thomas said. "All the measurements are checked and signed off by a witness.''
At Barge Park showgrounds last week, horses and ponies of all heights and sizes were being readied for their turn at the laser measuring bar. Lined up were several pint-sized ponies, a Clydesdale, several huge and beautifully shaved hacks that looked ready to lope into a dressage ring. There was even a mule.
"It can get quite tense when there is a borderline case right around the 148cm mark. We want the pony to be nice and relaxed or its muscles tend to bunch up and it could be over the mark and have to be classed as a horse,'' she said.
"There have been a few sad people where they have turned up with what they thought was a pony only to find it isn't a pony.
"We'll take the time and try to get the animal nice and relaxed, sometimes getting the owners to walk them round or give them a bucket of feed to calm them,'' she said.
Other measuring centres sometimes used wooden arms to lower over the withers, which could have the effect of dipping the animal's shoulders.
"With a laser, that can't happen. It is extremely accurate,'' she said.
A slight allowance of half a centimetre is made if the animal has horseshoes.
Owners sometimes shave the area of the withers to make sure the laser point can be clear of horse hair.
All horses' birthdays were set from August 1 so measuring certificates ran out each July 31.
"From August 1 they need to be measured again.''
As young animals can grow quickly, young stock measurements can be done twice a year for a lesser fee at the second measure.
Replacement certificates have to be issued from the Royal Agricultural Society head office and come at the same price as a life certificate - $76.
A first measure certificate costs $31 and a young stock remeasure costs $11. The annual measure certificate costs $21.
"I have occasionally busted people trying to apply for a first measure certificate with the horse under a different name as it's cheaper. But I know a lot of the horses and I will usually recognise them as I check their markings as they come through.''
Thomas said equestrians were busy preparing for the show season, although some events have already been cancelled because of Covid-19 lockdown conditions.
"Some are panicking as there are now only limited opportunities to qualify for horse of the year championships.''
She said equestrians travelled far to compete, sleeping in well-equipped horse trucks and joining in the festive atmosphere of competitions.
"The words 'cheap' and 'horse' don't go together,'' she said.
The Whangārei A & P Summer Show is scheduled for December 4, if Covid-19 restrictions allow.
