Horse Gastric Ulcer Prevention and Welfare

Equine gastric ulcer syndrome is extremely prevalent in performance horses, causing significant pain and welfare compromise that is largely preventable through management.

Key Facts

Equine gastric ulcer syndrome affects 60-90% of performance horses and up to 40% of leisure horses
Horses are designed to graze continuously - their stomachs produce acid continuously unlike human stomachs
Periods without forage allow acid to splash onto the unprotected squamous mucosa causing ulceration
High concentrate diets and reduced forage access are the primary risk factors
Clinical signs include poor performance, girthiness, behavioral changes and weight loss
Treatment with omeprazole is effective but prevention through management change is preferable

Welfare Considerations

Gastric ulcer syndrome represents a significant welfare burden across the performance horse population, and management practices common in horse keeping are major risk factors. The fundamental mismatch between feeding practices based on convenience and economic efficiency, and the horse's physiological requirement for near-continuous forage intake, drives widespread ulcer development. Welfare-focused management prioritises forage availability, reduces concentrate feeding, and uses ad-lib forage or slow feeders to maintain gastric acid buffering. Regular endoscopy in at-risk horses allows early detection and treatment before severe welfare compromise.

What You Can Do

Provide horses with near-continuous forage access through ad lib hay or slow feeders
Reduce concentrate feed quantity and increase forage proportion in the diet
Consider routine endoscopy for performance horses showing any subtle behavioural changes
Advocate for forage management to be central to equine welfare codes