Equine gastric ulcer syndrome is one of the most prevalent and underdiagnosed welfare problems in domesticated horses. Understanding its causes and prevention is essential for owners and trainers.
Equine gastric ulcer syndrome is a welfare problem directly created by the way humans keep horses. The modern management practices that cause ulcers — intermittent feeding, stabling without forage access, high-concentrate diets, and intensive training — are at odds with the horse's fundamental physiology. The stomach of a horse that evolved to graze continuously cannot function without constant forage buffering of its continuously produced gastric acid. The result is painful ulceration that affects the majority of stabled, working horses to some degree. Welfare-positive management that provides ad libitum hay or haylage, reduces stabling time, minimises concentrate feeding, and manages training intensity prevents ulcers far more sustainably than treating them after they develop.