Withers
The ridge between the shoulder blades, the highest point of the back, where a cow's height is measured.
Also: shoulder top, height at the withers
The withers is the ridge where the neck meets the back, just above the tops of the shoulder blades. Height in cattle is measured from the ground to this point with the animal standing square on level ground, which is how breed sizes are compared, from miniature Vechur cows under a metre to Chianina bulls approaching 1.8 metres. In zebu cattle the hump rises over this point. The withers also carry the weight of a neck yoke in working oxen, which is why drivers watch them for sores and pad the yoke where it rests. Judges look for withers that are firm and well knit to the back.