Equine gastric ulcer syndrome affects up to 90% of racehorses and a significant proportion of leisure horses, causing chronic pain that is frequently undiagnosed and undertreated.
Gastric ulcers cause chronic discomfort that affects performance, behaviour, and quality of life for millions of horses. The insidious nature of ulcer presentation - with signs often attributed to training issues rather than pain - means that many horses continue to be worked and trained through genuine gastric pain. Routine testing of horses showing performance changes or behavioural issues, combined with management changes that reduce ulcer risk, would significantly improve welfare across the equine population. The management changes required - maximum forage access, reduced grain, pre-exercise hay - also align with good general equine management practice.