Equine gastric ulcer syndrome (EGUS) is extremely prevalent in performance horses - evidence-based prevention through feeding management significantly reduces welfare harm.
Gastric ulcer welfare is a case where the primary cause - inadequate forage access combined with high grain diets - is a management choice that can be changed. The chronic low-level pain of untreated EGUS affects every aspect of a horse's daily life - appetite, social behaviour, and willingness to work are all impaired. Horses cannot communicate this chronic discomfort clearly. Prevention through ad libitum hay provision costs less than treatment and produces dramatically better welfare outcomes. Racing and performance industries where EGUS is endemic need structural change - removing financial incentives for management practices that cause chronic welfare harm.