Gastric ulcers affect an estimated 60-90% of performance horses and are a major cause of pain and reduced welfare in the equine industry. Prevention is far more effective than treatment alone.
Gastric ulcers cause chronic, often unrecognized pain that manifests as girthiness, poor performance, behavior changes, and weight loss. Many horses endure ongoing ulcer pain without their handlers recognizing the cause. The welfare case for management change is strong: ulcers are largely preventable through feeding frequent small meals or continuous forage access, minimizing stressful intermittent feeding practices. Racing and competition management practices that restrict turnout and forage access need reform to reduce the enormous suffering caused by ulcers.