Withers

	Email		Print
	Bookmark		Link

Withers

The withers is the highest point on the back of a non-upright animal, on the ridge between its shoulder blades.

withers in horses are formed by the dorsal spinal processes of roughly the 3rd through 11th thoracic vertebrae

Thoracic vertebrae

Discussion

Ask a question about 'Withers'

Start a new discussion about 'Withers'

Answer questions from other users

Full Discussion Forum

Encyclopedia

The withers is the highest point on the back of a non-upright animal, on the ridge between its shoulder blades.

Horses

The withers in horses are formed by the dorsal spinal processes of roughly the 3rd through 11th thoracic vertebrae

Thoracic vertebrae

The 12 thoracic vertebrae compose the middle segment of the vertebral column, between the cervical vertebrae and the lumbar vertebrae. They are intermediate in size between those of the cervical and lumbar regions; they increase in size as one proceeds down the spine, the upper vertebrae being much smaller than those in the lower part of the...
(most horses have 18 thoracic vertebrae), which are unusually long in this area. The processes of the withers can be more than 12" (30cm) in height on the average horse.

Since they do not move relative to the ground (as does the horse's head), the height of a horse is measured from the ground to the withers. Horse sizes are extremely variable, from small pony breeds to large draft breeds. The height of the withers on an average Thoroughbred

Thoroughbred

The Thoroughbred is a list of horse breeds best known for its use in Thoroughbred horse race. Although the word "thoroughbred" is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed....
is 16 hands

Hand (unit)

A hand is a unit of length measurement, originally based on the breadth of a male human hand and now standardized at 4 inches . When used to measure height, it is abbreviated "h" or "hh" ....
(5' 4").

Conformational issues

The withers of the horse are considered in evaluating conformation. Generally, a horse should have well-defined withers, as they are considered an important attachment point for the muscles of the torso. Withers of medium height are preferred, as high withers make it difficult to fit a saddle and are often associated with a narrow chest, and low withers (known as "mutton withers") do not provide a ridge to help keep the saddle in place.

More importantly, the dorsal spinal processes provide an attachment for the muscles that support the shoulder and neck. Horses do not have a clavicle

Clavicle

In human anatomy, the clavicle or collar bone is classified as a flat bone that makes up part of the shoulder girdle . It receives its name from the Latin clavicula because the bone rotates along its axis like a key when the shoulder is Abduction ....
, so the shoulder can freely rotate backwards. If the vertebrae of the withers are long (front to back), the shoulder is more free to move backwards. This allows for an increase of stride length (and so it can increase the horse's speed). It is also important in jumping, as the shoulder must rotate back for the horse to make his forearm more parallel to the ground, which will then raise the animal's knees upward and get the lower legs out of the way. Therefore, the withers have a direct impact on one of the most important points of conformation

Equine conformation

Equine conformation refers to the correctness of a horse's bone structure, musculature, and its body proportions in relation to each other. Undesirable conformation in a horse can limit its ability to perform a specific task....
: the shoulder.

Dogs

In dogs, the height of the withers is often used to determine the dog's jump height in various dog sports. It is also often a determining factor in whether the dog conforms to the show-quality standards

Breed standard

A breed standard in animal fancy and animal husbandry is a set of guidelines which is used to ensure that the animals produced by a Breeder or breeding facility conform to the specifics of the breed....
for its breed.

Medical problems

Inflammation of the bursa

Bursa (anatomy)

A bursa is a small fluid-filled sac made of white fibrous tissue and lined with synovial membrane. It provides a cushion between bones and tendons and/or muscles around a joint; bursae are filled with synovial fluid and are found around almost every major joint of the body; when they become inflamed, the condition is called bursitis....
in this region is called fistulous withers by veterinary surgeons.