Equine Gastric Ulcer Syndrome (EGUS) can affect any horse or pony, from high-performing athletes to beloved leisure riding horses. Whilst awareness of EGUS has grown significantly among horse owners, a deeper understanding of the causes, signs, and preventative measures is important.
The Horse’s Digestive System and Ulcer Formation
To grasp how ulcers develop, let’s delve into the unique digestive system of a horse. Food undergoes initial breakdown through chewing and saliva mixing in the mouth before travelling down the oesophagus and reaching the stomach. Here’s a breakdown of the stomach’s two areas:
Glandular Region (Lower Stomach): This region continuously produces gastric acid to break down food. Simultaneously, a protective layer of mucus coats the lining, produced by specialised cells called goblet cells.Squamous Region (Upper Stomach): This fragile region lacks the protective mucus layer and is susceptible to ulceration
Partially digested food enters the stomach’s lower section, where it mixes with gastric acid and mucus. As the partially broken-down food enters the stomach, in the lower part it is mixed with hydrochloric acid that is constantly being secreted. This carries on the breaking down process.
The upper area of the stomach acts as a reservoir for the fluid but unlike the glandular region it doesn’t have any protection like the mucus lining. This is where ulcerations can occur
Fibre is Key: As hindgut fermenters, horses rely heavily on fibre for efficient digestion. Fibre buffers stomach acid and promotes fermentation in the large intestine, where most digestion occurs. Since the horse’s stomach continuously produces gastric acid, a constant supply of fibre is necessary to act as a buffer and soak up the acid, reducing the risk of ulcer formation. Saliva, which is produced during chewing, also buffers acid, but saliva production is limited to its chewing time.
Modern Management Issues: Today’s management practices, especially for performance horses, often involve prolonged stabling and diets that are high in starch and low in fibre. This causes, stress which can increase steroid hormones that regulate body functions, resulting in reduced blood flow to the stomach lining and making it more vulnerable to acid damage.
Prevalence: A condition many horse owners think mostly affect racehorses. This isn’t true; Equine Gastric Ulcer Syndrome (EGUS) can affect any horse or pony.
There has been a lot of industry-wide research into just how often this condition arises in horses. The highest rate with 93% are racehorses, 63% performance and sports horses and the most recent research shows up to 60% leisure horses and ponies. Not forgetting foals. In the first few months after being born studies have shown around 50-84% of youngsters have ulcers and that number increases after weaning.
There are several reasons behind the cause of these ulcerations, but the main areas to consider are – feeding, exercise, medication and stress.
Does Exercise Play a Role? Recent research shows that exercise does affect the glandular and squamous regions of the stomach. The intensity of exercise impacts the squamous area, and the amount of exercise directly influences the glandular region. In situations of intense exercise, the acid is pushed up on to the squamous mucosa for a longer period, effectively causing more damage. For ulcers that appear in the glandular region, studies have shown the number of days exercising plays a role.
Several research studies indicate that horses exercised for more than five days had a 10% higher ulcer rate compared to those exercised for four days or less.
So, providing hay or a fibre-based feed such as Fibre-Beet whilst grooming and before tacking up, aids in soaking up any acid in the stomach before exercise. Fibre-Beet is a super-fibre conditioning feed formulated to contain all the benefits of Speedi-Beet with added high-quality alfalfa for optimum condition and quality protein.
The highly degradable fibre sources in Fibre-Beet provide optimum fermentation patterns to help keep the digestive system healthy.
Signs and Diagnosis of Gastric Ulcers
Unfortunately, there’s no definitive set of symptoms for EGUS, but some signs may indicate a problem:
Sensitivity around the abdomen or when tightening the girthLoss of appetite, weight, or conditionPoor coat qualityReluctance to work or reduced performanceChange in temperament (grumpy or unusual behaviour)Recurring colic
Diagnosis: If you suspect EGUS in your horse, consult your vet immediately. Gastroscopy is the only definitive diagnostic procedure. Your horse will be sedated and fasted for 8-16 hours before the procedure. A camera is passed through the mouth and oesophagus to examine the stomach for ulcers.
Gastric Ulcer Treatment
Treatment depends on ulcer severity as determined by your veterinarian. For severe ulcers Gastroguard or Omeprazole might be prescribed daily to suppress acid production. Long-term management plans are crucial to prevent future ulcers.
This may involve reducing workload for high-performance horses and providing a more natural lifestyle with access to continuous grazing.
Fibre First: Protecting Your Horse from Ulcers
As our understanding of EGUS evolves, the importance of diet becomes increasingly clear. Here are some key dietary strategies to promote gut health:
Fibre First: Ensure your horse receives plenty of high-fibre, low-starch forage as the dietary base.Add Concentrates only for additional needs, if extra energy is required for work or maintaining condition.
Additional Management Tips
Fibre-Beet from British Horse Feeds has been awarded the Gastric Ulcer Feed Assurance Mark by the British Equestrian Trade Association. This means that it is safe to feed to horses or ponies prone to gastric ulcers as part of a balanced diet.
To find out more about Fibre-Beet and the key benefits to including it in your horse’s diet here.
References:
Andrews FM, Nadeau J. Clinical syndromes of gastric ulceration in foals and mature horses. Equine Vet J 1999;31(Suppl 29):30–33
Dionne RM. Gastric ulcers in standardbred racehorses: prevalence, lesion description, and risk factors. J Vet Intern Med 2003;17:218–22
Jones et al., GASTRIC ULCER DISEASE. The North American Veterinary Conference — 2006
Leite et al; Gastroduodenal lesions in racehorses: evaluation and mapping according to the Updated Sidney
System and Equine Gastric Ulcer Syndrome Council Classification. Braz J Vet Pathol, 2012, 5(2), 51 – 59
Sykes et al., European College of Equine Internal Medicine Consensus Statement—Equine Gastric Ulcer Syndrome in Adult Horses. J Vet Intern Med 2015;29:1288–1299.
Van der Boom. Equine gastric ulcer syndrome in horses and foals. Equine | March/April 2024, Vol 8 No 2. 59-67.
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