The cup is a place on the spine between the shoulder blades of a four-legged animal . In many species, it is the highest point of the body; in horses and dogs, this is the standard place to measure animal growth (as opposed to cattle, which typically measure growth from the upper thigh ).
Content
Horses
In horses, the withers are formed by a part of the spine between the 3rd and 11th spinal vertebrae (most horses have 18 spinal vertebrae), which are unusually elongated in this part of the body. In a horse, the processes of the vertebrae can reach over 30 cm in length.
Since the withers does not move relative to ground level (in both horses and dogs), it is used to measure horse height. Usually a horse’s height is measured in the palms - 4 inches (10.16 cm) in one palm. Horses can have significantly different height - from small ponies to large draft horses. The average height at the withers of a thoroughbred horse is 16 palms (1.6 m), for a pony - 14.2 palms (1.44 m).
Dogs
A dog’s height at the withers is often measured to determine the height of the dog’s jump in various sports, as well as to determine whether the appearance of the dog matches the quality standards of its breed .
The withers of the dog are formed by the first five vertebrae of the thoracic (spinal) spine . This place should be the highest point of the back of a calmly standing dog [1] .
Medical Issues
Inflammation of the mucous bags ( bursitis ) in this area is often called fistulous withers fistula [2] .
Links
- ↑ Dog breeding site (Retrieved December 10, 2009)
- ↑ Fistulous Withers and Poll Evil , Merck Veterinary Manual , Merck & Co., Inc., retrieved December 14, 2010.