Researchers tested facial sensitivity in 34 healthy Warmblood mares, geldings, and stallions ranging in age from 1 to 23 years old. | Photo: iStock

Researchers measured horses’ facial sensitivity to touch, pressure, and heat to find out what they’re feeling. They used handheld devices—including a pressure reader designed for horse faces—to check each horse’s sensitivity and facial nerve functions.

“Knowing the normal sensitivity values of the face would provide a tool for veterinarians to diagnose alterations in sensitivity,” said Kata O. Veres-Nyéki, DrMedVet, Dipl. ECVAA, PhD, MRCVS, of The Royal Veterinary College, in Hatfield, the U.K., formerly of the Vetsuisse Faculty at the University of Bern, in Switzerland.

“Acute injuries of the face are probably obvious, but chronic pain conditions might be overlooked otherwise,” Veres-Nyéki said. “Using the quantitative sensory testing methods, we can not only detect alterations but also follow up the efficacy of analgesic (pain relief) treatments in a noninvasive (harmless) way