Horse Gastric Ulcer Prevention in Discipline-Specific Management

Different equestrian disciplines create specific gastric ulcer risk factors, requiring tailored prevention strategies for racehorses, sport horses, and pleasure horses.

Key Facts

Equine Gastric Ulcer Syndrome (EGUS) affects 60-90% of racehorses and 50-70% of sport horses in training
EGUS has two forms: ESGUS (squamous, stress and diet-related) and EGGUS (glandular, poorly understood)
Race training involves high-intensity work, infrequent feeding, and trailering - all major EGUS risk factors
Dressage horses often show high glandular ulcer rates possibly related to training stress and tight schedules
Endurance horses face unique risks from prolonged exercise without water or forage access

Welfare Considerations

Gastric ulcers cause chronic pain, behavioral changes, and reduced willingness to work. Many horses suffer silently because performance degradation is subtle and owners attribute it to training problems rather than pain. Discipline-specific awareness allows targeted prevention: racehorses benefit from hay access before morning training and limited NSAID use; sport horses benefit from reduced stabling and stress management. Regular gastroscopy in high-risk horses enables early detection before severe ulceration causes significant suffering.

What You Can Do

Implement continuous hay access for horses in training to maintain gastric buffering
Schedule gastroscopy for high-performance horses showing any behavioral or performance changes
Work with a veterinarian knowledgeable about discipline-specific EGUS risk factors
Consider feed management changes (alfalfa, forage-first feeding) as preventive measures
Minimize NSAID use in horses and only use with appropriate ulcer prophylaxis when necessary