Horse Gastric Ulcer Management and Prevention

Equine Gastric Ulcer Syndrome is among the most prevalent health and welfare conditions in performance horses, affecting up to 90% of racehorses.

Key Facts

Horses evolved as trickle feeders producing continuous gastric acid to digest small, frequent forage meals
Modern management — stabling, intermittent feeding, exercise on an empty stomach — creates conditions that promote ulcers
Omeprazole is the gold standard treatment and is highly effective when administered correctly
Prevention focuses on maximising forage access, reducing meal gaps, and managing exercise timing
Hindgut acidosis is a separate but related condition associated with high starch diets and also causes significant welfare harm

Welfare Considerations

Gastric ulcers cause chronic abdominal pain that impacts every aspect of a horse's daily life. Many horses with active ulcers are managed with escalating pressure when their poor performance and negative behaviours are better explained by pain. The condition is largely iatrogenic — caused by how we manage horses — and prevention requires rethinking fundamental aspects of stabling and feeding.

What You Can Do

Provide ad libitum forage access to buffer gastric acid throughout the day and night
Feed a small forage meal before exercise to reduce acid splash onto non-glandular mucosa
Use omeprazole-based treatment prescribed by a vet for confirmed or strongly suspected cases
Reintroduce forage access after exercise promptly and minimise stress during stabling and transport