 The shoulder blades on a cow should be neat- they should be the same on either side of the back, and they shouldn't stick out too much- on a beef cow, this area should have some muscle.The shoulder blades should also be set in line with the spine- if they are not, the cow could be structurally incorrect.As with the shoulder blades, all joints in the back should be level with the spine, from the shoulder blades to the hip and the pins of the cow.