Hidebound has its origins in agriculture. The word, which appeared in English as hyde bounde in the 16th century, originally described cattle that, due to illness or poor feeding, had skin that clung to the skeleton and could not be pinched, loosened, or worked with the fingers.

What is hidebound in a horse?

Bound tightly by the hide, as an animal, or by the bark, as a tree: said of a horse, etc., when, from emaciation or other cause, the hide on its back or ribs cannot be loosened or raised in folds with the fingers; of a tree or a root, when the bark is so close or unyielding as to impede its growth.

What is hidebound thinking?

Someone who's painfully old-fashioned, with chauvinistic, inflexible ideas and beliefs about the world can be described as hidebound. A hidebound culture can make a school, family, or workplace difficult and unpleasant for anyone who doesn't fit those narrow-minded standards.