Equine gastric ulcer syndrome causes chronic pain affecting performance, behavior, and quality of life, with management combining pharmaceutical treatment and husbandry modification.
Equine gastric ulcer syndrome causes chronic pain that subtly but significantly impairs welfare across the performance horse population. The high prevalence — over half of sport horses in most studies — means gastric ulcers are not an edge case but a routine welfare burden in competitive horses. The behavioral indicators, often dismissed as training resistance or attitude problems, reflect genuine pain that causes horses to associate work with discomfort. Welfare-centered equine care treats behavioral changes as potential pain signals requiring investigation rather than training challenges requiring correction. Management integrating appropriate feeding — continuous hay access, reduced starch — with treatment addresses root causes rather than just symptoms.