A topographic analysis of skin thickness in horses.
Abstract: A systematic study of regional skin thickness in different types of horses has not yet been described. Knowledge about regional skin thickness has long been used in human medicine to optimise wound care and skin grafting outcomes and similar knowledge could prove useful in equine wound management. The objective of the current study was to report the topographical variation in skin thickness of Warmblood (WB) and Coldblood (CB) type horses and to compare different methods for measuring skin thickness. Horses free of skin conditions and euthanised for reasons unrelated to this study were included. Skin biopsies were collected post-mortem from 28 locations in 9 WB horses and skin biopsy thickness was measured using a digital calliper. In 6/28 locations, skin fold measurements using a micrometer were also obtained. In another cohort comprising 8 WB and 10 CB horses, skin biopsies were harvested from 6 locations for histologic skin thickness measurements. Descriptive statistics revealed large topographical variation in skin thickness. A mixed effect model assessing the effect of breed and sampling location demonstrated that skin thickness was significantly higher in CBs than WBs ( < 0.001). At the mid-15th rib and between the forelimbs, there was strong correlation between calliper and skin fold measurements ( 0.72 and 0.74, respectively), whereas correlation was very strong at the ventral abdomen ( 0.83). In conclusion, this study demonstrates large topographical variations in skin thickness in horses, and significant differences between horse types. Skin fold measurements may estimate skin thickness at the ventral abdomen. The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11259-026-11124-4.
Publication Date: 2026-02-25 PubMed ID: 41739265PubMed Central: PMC12935807DOI: 10.1007/s11259-026-11124-4Google Scholar: Lookup
The Equine Research Bank provides access to a large database of publicly available scientific literature. Inclusion in the Research Bank does not imply endorsement of study methods or findings by Mad Barn.
- Journal Article
Summary
This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.
Overview
- This study investigates how skin thickness varies across different regions of the horse’s body and between two horse types: Warmblood (WB) and Coldblood (CB).
- It also evaluates different methods to measure skin thickness to aid in improving equine wound care and management.
Background and Importance
- Understanding regional skin thickness is important in human medicine for optimizing wound care and skin grafting.
- This knowledge is currently lacking in equine medicine, where it could similarly improve wound management strategies for horses.
- Prior to this study, no systematic analysis of horse skin thickness across different body regions and horse types had been performed.
Study Objectives
- To provide a detailed topographical map of skin thickness in horses, specifically comparing Warmblood (WB) and Coldblood (CB) breeds.
- To evaluate and compare different methods for measuring skin thickness: digital calliper measurements, skin fold measurements using a micrometer, and histologic measurement of skin biopsies.
Methodology
- Subjects:
- Primary group: 9 Warmblood horses euthanised for reasons unrelated to the study, with no skin conditions.
- Additional cohort: 8 Warmblood and 10 Coldblood horses.
- Sampling:
- Post-mortem skin biopsies taken from 28 different body locations in the primary group.
- From 6 of these 28 locations, skin fold thickness was measured using a micrometer.
- In the additional cohort, biopsies from 6 selected locations were subjected to histologic thickness measurements.
- Measurement Techniques:
- Digital calliper for biopsy thickness measurement.
- Micrometer for skin fold thickness measurement.
- Histology for assessing actual skin thickness microscopically.
- Data Analysis:
- Descriptive statistics to capture variability in skin thickness across regions.
- Mixed effect model to assess influence of breed and location on skin thickness.
- Correlation analyses between measurement methods at selected body locations.
Key Findings
- Considerable variation in skin thickness was observed depending on the body region sampled.
- Cold blood horses had significantly thicker skin than Warmblood horses, with p-value less than 0.001 indicating strong statistical significance.
- Correlation between skin fold measurements and digital calliper measurements was strong to very strong at particular sites:
- Mid-15th rib: correlation approximately 0.72
- Between the forelimbs: correlation approximately 0.74
- Ventral abdomen: correlation approximately 0.83 (very strong)
- These correlations suggest skin fold measurements may be a reliable, non-invasive proxy to estimate skin thickness at least in certain regions like the ventral abdomen.
Conclusions and Implications
- This study is the first systematic evaluation of regional skin thickness differences in horse breeds and reveals substantial topographical and breed-related variation.
- Cold blood horses, generally heavier and stockier, have thicker skin, which could influence wound healing and skin care practices.
- Skin fold measurement is proposed as a useful, simple technique to estimate skin thickness in live animals, particularly at the ventral abdomen, potentially helping in clinical settings.
- The findings provide foundational knowledge that could improve equine wound management and surgical planning by considering skin thickness variations.
- Further research could refine these measurements and explore their direct impact on healing outcomes and treatment efficacy.
Cite This Article
APA
Hmb O, L W, M V, Jm W, Ct F.
(2026).
A topographic analysis of skin thickness in horses.
Vet Res Commun, 50(3), 170.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11259-026-11124-4 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Companion Animal Clinical Sciences, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Ås, Norway.
- Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, Easter Bush Pathology, The University of Edinburgh, Midlothian, United Kingdom.
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
- , Noordpolderkade 4, 1399 VV, Muiderberg, The Netherlands.
- , Woumarec Hamsterlaan 4, 6705 CT, Wageningen, The Netherlands.
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Companion Animal Clinical Sciences, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Ås, Norway. cathrine.fjordbakk@nmbu.no.
Conflict of Interest Statement
Declarations. Ethical animal research and informed consent: The study was approved by the Norwegian University of Life Sciences Ethical Committee for approval of studies with animal patients (Approval number 14/04723 − 118) and was in accordance with Norwegian legislation regarding use of animals in research (FOR-2015-06-18-761). A signed consent form was obtained from owners of all horses included in the study. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests.
References
This article includes 22 references
- Bowden A, Boynova P, Brennan ML, England GCW, Mair TS, Furness. Retrospective case series to identify the most common conditions seen ‘out-of‐hours’ by first‐opinion equine veterinary practitioners. Vet Record 187(10):404–404.
- USDA. Baseline Reference of Equine Health and Management in the United States, 2015. .
- Wilmink JM, Van Herten J, Van Weeren PR, Barneveld AA. Retrospective study of primary intention healing and sequestrum formation in horses compared to ponies under clinical circumstances. Equine Vet J 34(3):270–273.
- Freeman SL, Ashton NM, Elce YA, Hammond A, Hollis AR, Quinn G. BEVA primary care clinical guidelines: Wound management in the horse. Equine Vet J 53(1):18–29.
- Comino F, Pollock PJ, Fulton I, Hewitt-Dedman C, Handle I, Gorvy DA. A novel tension relief technique to aid the primary closure of traumatic equine wounds under excessive tension. Equine Vet J 56(3):514–521.
- Wilmink JM, Van Herten J, Van Weeren PR, Barneveld A. The modified Meek technique as a novel method for skin grafting in horses: evaluation of acceptance, wound contraction and closure in chronic wounds. Equine Vet J 38(4):324–329.
- Wilmink JM, Van Weeren PR. Skin grafting with the modified Meek technique in the standing horse using full thickness skin: Evaluation of acceptance, wound contraction and wound closure in chronic wounds. Equine Vet J 56(6):1209–1215.
- Lee Y, Hwang K. Skin thickness of Korean adults. Surg Radiol Anat 24(3–4):183–189.
- Kim YS, Lee KW, Kim JS, Gil YC, Tanvaa T, Shin DH. Regional thickness of facial skin and superficial fat: Application to the minimally invasive procedures. Clin Anat 32(8):1008–1018.
- Talukdar AH, Calhoun ML, Stinson AW. Microscopic anatomy of the skin of the horse. Am J Vet Res 33(12):2365–2390.
- Wakuri H, Mutoh K, Ichikawa H, Liu B. Microscopic Anatomy of the Equine Skin with Special Reference to the Dermis. Okajimas Folia Anat Jpn 72(2–3):177–183.
- Jørgensen E, Lazzarini G, Pirone A, Jacobsen S, Miragliotta V. Normal microscopic anatomy of equine body and limb skin: A morphological and immunohistochemical study. Ann Anat 218:205–212.
- Wada N, Ushiroda S, Satoh R, Sakurai M, Kawada S, Luziga C. Allometric scaling of skin weight and thickness to body weight in relation to taxonomic orders and habitats in mammals. Anat Histol Embryol 53(1):e12967.
- Chan RK, Rose LF, Wu JC, Tucker DI, Chan MM, Christy. Autologous Graft Thickness Affects Scar Contraction and Quality in a Porcine Excisional Wound Model. Plast Reconstr Surg Glob Open 3(7):e468.
- Frankland AL. Autologous, split skin transplantation on the lower limbs of horses. Vet Rec 104(26):590–595.
- Kerns MJ, Darst MA, Olsen TG, Fenster M, Hall P, Grevey S. Shrinkage of cutaneous specimens: Formalin or other factors involved?. J Cutan Pathol 35:1093–1096.
- Nolte K, Van der Merwe RA, Helena CA, Nolte HW, van der Meulen J. A comparison between skinfold callipers and ultrasound imaging for assessing body composition in recreationally active students.. Ergon SA 28(1):12–24.
- Amaral TF, Restivo MT, Guerra RS, Marques E, Chousal MF, Mota J. Accuracy of a digital skinfold system for measuring skinfold thickness and estimating body fat.. Br J Nutr 105(3):478–484.
- Zanna G, Fondevila D, Ferrer L, Espada Y. Evaluation of ultrasonography for measurement of skin thickness in Shar-Peis.. Am J Vet Res 73(2):220–226.
- Kleinerman R, Whang TB, Bard RL, Marmur ES. Ultrasound in dermatology: Principles and applications.. J Am Acad Dermatol 67(3):478–487.
- Brown DJ, Wolcott ML, Crook BJ. The measurement of skin thickness in Merino sheep using real time ultrasound.. Wool Technol Sheep Breed 48(4):269–276.
- Bendeck SE, Jacobe HT. Ultrasound as an outcome measure to assess disease activity in disorders of skin thickening: an example of the use of radiologic techniques to assess skin disease.. Dermatol Ther 20(2):86–92.
Citations
This article has been cited 0 times.Use Nutrition Calculator
Check if your horse's diet meets their nutrition requirements with our easy-to-use tool Check your horse's diet with our easy-to-use tool
Talk to a Nutritionist
Discuss your horse's feeding plan with our experts over a free phone consultation Discuss your horse's diet over a phone consultation
Submit Diet Evaluation
Get a customized feeding plan for your horse formulated by our equine nutritionists Get a custom feeding plan formulated by our nutritionists
