Gastric ulcers affect the majority of performance horses and a significant proportion of pleasure horses, causing chronic pain that is frequently unrecognised because horses mask their discomfort.
Equine gastric ulcers cause chronic abdominal pain in a very high proportion of working horses, yet the stoic nature of horses means this suffering is frequently unrecognised. A horse that is grumpy when saddled, reluctant to work, girthy or performing below expectation may be communicating gastric pain that owners interpret as behavioural rather than medical. The management practices that create ulcer risk — intermittent feeding, high starch diets and prolonged periods without forage — are standard in many competition and livery stable environments. Addressing EGUS welfare requires both treatment of active ulcers and management reform providing continuous forage access and reduced acid exposure during training and competition.