Equine gastric ulcer syndrome is extremely prevalent in performance horses, and monitoring for early signs enables treatment before significant welfare harm develops.
Gastric ulcers cause chronic abdominal pain that impairs welfare throughout every aspect of the horse's day - eating, exercise, and rest are all affected. The high prevalence in performance horses reflects management factors including restricted forage, intermittent feeding, and exercise on empty stomachs. Addressing these management factors prevents ulcer development and treats the cause rather than just the symptom.