Horse Gastric Ulcer Prevention | Animal Welfare Hub

How management practices can prevent equine gastric ulcer syndrome, one of the most common welfare conditions in performance horses.

Key Facts

Equine gastric ulcer syndrome affects up to 90% of racehorses and 60% of performance horses
Horses produce acid continuously unlike humans, making them vulnerable when the stomach is empty
Intermittent feeding and high-starch diets significantly increase ulcer risk
Ad libitum forage access maintains gastric buffering and is the most important preventive measure
Omeprazole is effective treatment but prevention through management change is preferable

Welfare Considerations

Gastric ulcers cause chronic pain that significantly impairs horse welfare and performance. The equine stomach produces acid continuously regardless of whether food is present, meaning that the typical management of feeding twice daily with long periods without forage creates prolonged acid exposure. Prevention through providing constant forage access, limiting high-starch feeds, and reducing transport and competition stress addresses root causes. Management change is more sustainable than long-term medication for horses in appropriate management conditions.

What You Can Do

Provide ad libitum hay access to reduce gastric acid exposure between meals
Limit high-starch grain feeding and spread concentrate meals across multiple small feeds
Minimize transport and competition stress as significant ulcer risk factors
Discuss omeprazole treatment with your vet if ulcers are suspected or confirmed by scoping