weak horses

Question
hello ma'am, do weak horses irrespective of any breed have prominent withers? if yes, may i know why?

Answer
Rohit,

No, prominent withers do not necessarily mean a horse is weak or has poor conformation. Withers of a  medium height are ideal. Too high, and the horse will have saddle-fitting issues. Low withers result in a "mutton-withered" horse #no withers to speak off# and are also hard to fit a saddle to.

Horse's toplines do tend to lower as a horse ages, however. The muscles may atrophy a bit, and the fat layer surrounding the backbone and wither area may lesson, and so the withers and hip joints and croup become more prominent. A very thin horse will have prominent withers, as well as an aged horse.


However, in a horse which is still in its prime and in good condition, the height of the withers will vary according to its bloodlines and general conformation. The withers are formed by the dorsal spinal processes of the 3rd through the 11th thoracic vertebrae. They are unusually long in this area. They also provide an attachment for the muscles that support the shoulders and neck. If they are long #front to back#, then the shoulder is freer to move backwards. This helps in better movement for the horse.