Horse Withers Anatomy

For the purpose of conformation a horse should generally have medium sized well defined withers. Withers that are too tall are usually also too narrow causing an improper saddle fit.

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They should be almost level with the rump or croup of the horse.

Horse withers anatomy. They are an important attachment point for the muscles of the torso. Horse anatomy the withers. This means that there is no bone linking the shoulder joint with the ribcage only muscles.

Horse heights are extremely variable from small pony breeds to large draft breeds. Withers can be tall and narrow medium and well defined or low and wide. Horses are commonly measured in hands one hand is 4 inches 10 cm.

Other animals like dogs cows and sheep have withers too. Theres 2 bones that were going to be looking at the scapula also called shoulder blade for humans and the humerus. A horses height in hands is measured at the top of the withers.

The roughly nine linked bones that make up this sectionthoracic vertebrae numbers 3 through 11 on anatomy chartshave a unique shape. The height at the withers of an average thoroughbred is 16 hands 64 inches 163 cm and ponies are up to 142 hands 58 inches 147 cm. If the vertebrae of the withers are long.

One major difference that horses have compared to us is that they do not have a collarbone. The withers are the highest point of the horses thoracic vertebrate just above a horses shoulder blades. A horses withers the term is always pluralthere is no singular wither are formed by a section of his spinal column.

They are the long thoracic vertebrae roughly the 3rd through 11th that support his head and neck. The shoulder rotates freely backward using the muscles attached to the withers.

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