Equine gastric ulcer syndrome (EGUS) affects a majority of performance horses and causes significant chronic pain. Prevention through management and treatment with omeprazole are highly effective welfare interventions.
EGUS is a silent welfare epidemic in the equine world. Affected horses experience the chronic pain of ulceration without the obvious clinical signs that would prompt immediate owner concern. Performance deterioration, irritability under saddle, girthiness, and stereotypic behaviour such as crib-biting are commonly misattributed to training issues or vice formation rather than recognised as pain indicators. The prevention strategy is directly aligned with natural horse behaviour — horses evolved as continuous trazers whose stomach acid production matches a constant intake of fibrous forage. Intensive management that creates prolonged periods without forage is the primary cause. Forage access, reduced cereal intake, and stress reduction prevent most cases.