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Withers are the ridge between the shoulder blades of an animal, typically a quadruped.In many species, this ridge is the tallest point of the body. In horses and dogs, it is the standard place to measure the animal's height.
The withers of the horse are made up by the dorsal spinal processes of the thoracic vertebrae numbers 5 to 9. [ 3 ] The skull consists of 34 bones and contains four cavities: the cranial cavity, the orbital cavity, oral, and the nasal cavity.
Mutton withers. Mutton withers. The horse has flat and wide withers, from short spines projecting off the 8th–12th vertebrae. Can be seen in any breed. The withers are an important attachment for ligaments and muscles that extend head, neck, shoulder, and back vertebrae, and are also insertion point for muscles that open ribs for breathing.
Horses' back shape can vary greatly from horse to horse. The upper curvature of a horse's withers, back, and loin is called the "topline." The line of the belly from elbow to flank is the "under line" or "bottom line." In terms of the back, both are important; a long underline with a relatively short topline is ideal.
Some varieties of Miniature horses are measured at the base of the last true hairs of the mane rather than at the withers. [21] For international competition regulated by the Fédération Équestre Internationale (FEI) and for USEF competition in the US, a horse can be measured with shoes on or off. In the United Kingdom, official measurement ...
The height of horses is measured at the highest point of the withers, where the neck meets the back. [23] This point is used because it is a stable point of the anatomy, unlike the head or neck, which move up and down in relation to the body of the horse.
The path this horse takes through the air is an arc. Bascule / ˈ b æ s k juː l / is the natural round arc a horse's body takes as it goes over a jump. The horse should rise up through its back, stretching its neck forward and down, when it reaches the peak of his jump. Ideally, the withers are the highest point over the fence.
Collective term in horse anatomy for the external parts of a horse, such as crest, withers, shoulder, cannon, etc. pointing Resting a foreleg; indicating soreness in that leg or foot. [5]: 208 pole A single rigid bar extending from the front of a horse-drawn vehicle, positioned between a pair of horses, and harness ed to them. Allows the horses ...