Equine gastric ulcer syndrome (EGUS) is extremely prevalent in performance horses, causing chronic pain and welfare compromise that is often underrecognized by owners and trainers.
Gastric ulcers cause chronic pain that significantly impairs quality of life in affected horses. The horse's gastric anatomy makes them particularly vulnerable - acid splashes the unprotected squamous mucosa during exercise, especially when the stomach is empty. Many horses in work are managed in ways (restricted forage access, high grain diets, periods of fasting) that are fundamentally incompatible with normal gastric health. The high prevalence of ulcers in performance horses reflects a widespread failure to align management with the species' physiological needs. Behavioral signs are often misinterpreted as training problems, delaying diagnosis and prolonging suffering.