Understanding glandular gastric ulcer disease in horses, distinct from squamous ulcers, and its welfare management.
Glandular gastric ulcer disease represents a significant and frequently missed welfare problem in performance horses. Unlike squamous ulcers that respond reliably to acid suppression, glandular lesions occur in the protected mucus-secreting zone of the stomach and often require more nuanced treatment including mucosal protectants and stress reduction. The chronic low-grade pain of glandular ulcers causes behavioral changes that are routinely misattributed to training resistance, bad attitude, or back pain — leading to escalating training pressure on animals in genuine discomfort. Accurate diagnosis requires gastroscopy performed by an experienced equine veterinarian, and treatment planning should address both the lesions and the management factors that predispose to them. Welfare improvement requires willingness to investigate pain as the cause of performance problems before intensifying training.