Gastric ulcers affect the majority of performance horses and many pleasure horses, causing chronic pain that is frequently missed or dismissed as behavioral problems.
Gastric ulcers represent one of the most widespread and undertreated welfare problems in domestic horses. The horse gut evolved for continuous trickle feeding on fibrous grasses; modern management with twice-daily grain feeding and long periods without forage creates ideal conditions for acid accumulation and mucosal damage. Affected horses frequently have behavior attributed to training resistance or bad temperament when the underlying cause is chronic abdominal pain. Welfare-first management includes unrestricted hay access, reduction of grain, turnout time, and management of competitive feeding stress in group settings. Even after successful treatment, management changes are essential to prevent recurrence.