Equine Health

Medicine & Husbandry

Equine Gastric Ulcer Syndrome

New studies indicate that a high percentage of performance horses have gastric ulcers

Equine Gastric Ulcer syndrome (EGUS) affects a high percentage of performance horses, but only recently have actual numbers indicated how high. The results of two extensive research projects on the equine stomach have recently been published with surprising results. Up to 80% of performance horses has some degree of ulceration according to research at the University of Florida. In another study by Fairfield Equine Associates, veterinarians for the 2000 Olympic Games, over 50% of horses presented for colic like symptoms were actually suffering from ulcers.

Ulcers are the result of acid eating the stomach lining, which happens when there is no food in the gut to protect it. Horses continually make stomach acid, whether they are eating or not. Historically, grazing buffered the stomach with food, but with today’s feeding schedule, horses often have only two big meals. Add in the stress of competition, lack of free exercise, noise, and frequent handling of the show environment and the rate of ulceration increases dramatically. Research also showed that any gait faster than a walk exposes the upper stomach to a much higher percentage of acid than normal.

The acid in the stomach eats away at the protective lining, causing intense pain. The discomfort that is produced by the gastric ulcers affects the way the horse carries itself and holds itself. Often owners complain of poor performance and their horses are treated for chronic back pain or hock and stifle problems. Other times the pain is thought to be due to recurring bouts of colic. Dr Richard Mitchell of Fairfield Equine states that “nearly 50 percent of the horses that had been presented with complaints of colic were found to have ulcers.”

To treat EGUS, GastroGard (omeprazole) is given for a minimum of 28 days to clear the stomach of ulcers. Then the horses feeding habits are changed to make sure the stomach is continually buffered. It is recommended that horses prone to ulceration be fed four to six small meals daily of high quality hay. Grain should be fed only in small amounts. Dr. Mitchell, based on his success treating several Olympic horses, also recommends “a lower dose of GastroGard as maintenance therapy when the horse is placed in a more stressful condition such as shipping, training or competing.”

These studies have shown that gastric ulcers might be more the rule than the exception when we exercise horses. Continued research will hopefully provide more ways in which we can minimize damage to the equine GI system.