The ridge at the top of a horse's back, right where the neck meets the body and just above the front legs. If you stand beside a horse and run your hand from its neck backwards, the withers is the small hill your hand goes over before the back flattens out.

The ridge at the top of a horse's back馬背上方的隆起處, right where the neck meets the body and just above the front legs就在脖子和身體交接、前腳正上方的地方。If you stand beside a horse and run your hand from its neck backwards如果你站在馬旁邊，用手從牠的脖子往後摸, the withers is the small hill your hand goes over before the back flattens outwithers 就是你的手在背部變平之前，會摸過的那個小丘。

It matters because it is the standard place people measure a horse from: you measure from the ground up to the withers, not up to the head, because a horse moves its head all the time and the withers stays still.

It matters because it is the standard place people measure a horse from這個位置很重要，因為它是量馬身高的標準基準點: you measure from the ground up to the withers是從地面量到 withers 這個位置, not up to the head而不是量到頭, because a horse moves its head all the time因為馬的頭一直在動 and the withers stays still而 withers 這個位置是不動的。

The same word is used for dogs and some other four-legged animals, especially in dog shows and breed rules. This word is always plural in form — you say "the withers", never "a wither", even though you are talking about one part of one animal.

The same word is used for dogs and some other four-legged animals這個字也用在狗和一些其他四腳動物身上, especially in dog shows and breed rules尤其常出現在狗展和犬種規則裡。This word is always plural in form這個字的形式永遠是複數 — you say 'the withers', never 'a wither'你會說「the withers」，絕不會說「a wither」, even though you are talking about one part of one animal即使你講的是同一隻動物身上的同一個部位。

It is a specialist word: horse people, vets, and dog breeders use it every day, and most other English speakers have never used it in their lives. Many will have met it only in one old phrase from Shakespeare, "my withers are unwrung", meaning "that criticism does not hurt me" — but that phrase is very old-fashioned, and you can safely leave it alone.

It is a specialist word這是個專業用語: horse people, vets, and dog breeders use it every day馬術圈的人、獸醫、狗的繁殖業者天天在用, and most other English speakers have never used it in their lives但大多數其他說英文的人一輩子沒用過這個字。Many will have met it only in one old phrase from Shakespeare很多人唯一接觸過這個字的地方，是莎士比亞的一句老話, 'my withers are unwrung'「my withers are unwrung」, meaning 'that criticism does not hurt me'意思是「那個批評傷不到我」 — but that phrase is very old-fashioned不過這句話非常過時了, and you can safely leave it alone可以放心不用理它。