Equine gastric ulcer syndrome (EGUS) is extremely common in performance horses and affects welfare significantly, with management approaches including dietary changes and acid-suppressive treatment.
Gastric ulcers cause chronic, often unrecognised suffering in horses - the connection between horse behaviour (sensitivity, reluctance, stereotypies), poor body condition and gastric ulcer pain is frequently missed by owners who attribute signs to training problems or difficult temperament. Diagnosis requires gastroscopy under sedation - a significant commitment, but necessary for confirmation. Management success requires both medical treatment and addressing the underlying risk factors: increasing forage availability and turnout, reducing starch in the diet, minimising stress through appropriate training loads and social management. Performance horses routinely treated with omeprazole without addressing underlying management are likely to relapse repeatedly.