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13th November 2020
03:07pm GMT

Horse racing at Aintree Racecourse, Liverpool. (Photo: Getty)[/caption]
Researchers added that, while horse skin is generally thicker, this does not greater protection from pain.
These findings disprove the notion that horses have a 'thick skin' better-placed to absorb shock and pain.
Professor Paul McGreevy from the University of Sydney, told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation:
"We were interested in the thickness of the skin's base layer, which is called the dermis, and also the outer layer, called the epidermis - and what's important is what lies between those two areas and that's where the nerve endings are found."
Scientists behind the study believe their research should be taken into account when considering the ethics of horse racing.
The study concludes: "This finding challenges assumptions about the physical capacity of horses to feel pain particularly in comparison to humans, and presents physical evidence to inform the discussion and debate regarding the ethics of whipping horses."Explore more on these topics: