Equine gastric ulcer syndrome is endemic in sport horses, with management practices rather than medication forming the foundation of effective prevention.
Gastric ulcers cause chronic pain that affects performance, behavior, and quality of life in sport horses. The relationship between management practices and ulcer development is clear: horses that are stabled, fed intermittently, and worked intensively face much higher ulcer risk than those with continuous forage access and turnout. Prevention requires acknowledging that conventional sport horse management conflicts with equine digestive physiology and making practical adjustments to reduce acid exposure.