Influence of horse breed on transepidermal water loss.

This study found that the amount of water loss through the skin, known as transepidermal water loss (TEWL), is affected by a horse’s breed. Different breeds exhibited statistically significant differences in TEWL in several areas of their bodies.

Objective of the Research

• The study aimed to identify if there is a link between the breed of a horse and the transepidermal water loss (TEWL), which refers to the measurement of the amount of water that passes from inside a body through the epidermis to the surrounding atmosphere via diffusion and evaporation.

Study Methodology

• Non-invasive measures were employed to assess skin condition, with TEWL being the focal point.
• Four distinct breeds were put under scrutiny for the study, including Felin ponies, Polish koniks, Polish cold-blooded horses, and Wielkopolska horses.
• The TEWL values of these horses were then compared from multiple regions of their bodies including the neck, lumbar, inguinal, and lip regions.

Key Findings

• The study found that there are indeed breed-dependent differences in TEWL among horses.
• Significant divergences were noticed particularly in the neck, lumbar, and inguinal regions of different breeds.
• These differences were statistically significant, indicating a strong likelihood that the observed differences were not due to chance.

Study Conclusions

• The breed of a horse influences their TEWL negatively, and this factor should be considered when examining TEWL.
• Interestingly, the disparities between breeds were non-significant in three out of the four tested body regions, suggesting that these areas might be the most suitable for assessing TEWL.