Equine Gastric Ulcer Syndrome: A Common Hidden Welfare Problem

Gastric ulcers affect a high proportion of horses in intensive management, causing chronic pain that is often missed. Understanding risk factors and recognising subtle signs enables earlier treatment and better welfare outcomes.

Key Facts

Gastric ulcers affect approximately 50 to 90% of racehorses and 11 to 37% of leisure horses in various studies
Horses have continuously acid-producing stomachs requiring constant access to forage to buffer acid
Risk factors include intermittent feeding, high concentrate diets, stabling, intense training, and NSAIDs
Signs include poor performance, reluctance to work, weight loss, dull coat, and behavioural changes
Diagnosis requires gastroscopic examination — clinical signs alone are unreliable for diagnosis
Omeprazole is highly effective treatment for squamous ulcers but less effective for glandular disease
Hindgut ulceration (colonic ulcers) is a separate condition with different risk factors and treatment

Welfare Considerations

Horses with gastric ulcers experience chronic pain that is often expressed subtly — reduced willingness to engage in work, girthiness, sensitivity to touch, and altered behaviour rather than the dramatic signs of acute illness. Because horses cannot communicate pain directly and the signs are easily attributed to behavioural issues, ulcers are frequently undiagnosed for months. Welfare management involves both treatment and fundamental changes to management — increased turnout, ad libitum forage, reduced grain, and minimising NSAID use address the root causes rather than just suppressing symptoms.

What You Can Do

Provide horses with continuous access to forage — intermittent feeding is a primary ulcer risk factor
Increase turnout and grazing time, which naturally buffers gastric acid through saliva production
If your horse shows performance changes or behavioural resistance, discuss gastroscopy with your veterinarian
Minimise NSAID use which directly damages the gastric mucosa
Use omeprazole at appropriate doses for the full recommended treatment duration for confirmed ulcers