Feeding To Prevent Gastric Ulcers

August 29, 2023

A majority of high-performance horses will experience gastric ulcers at some point during their careers/lives; however, even the pleasure horse or paddock ornament is susceptible to the condition if they are not provided with a species-appropriate diet and kept in an environment that includes the 3 F’s: Friends, Forage, and Freedom.

Symptoms of Equine Gastric Ulcer Syndrome can include the following:

Loss of appetite.
Difficulty gaining and maintaining weight.
Recurring episodes of colic.
Behavioural changes such as aggression or agitation.
Poor performance or reluctance to follow cues.
Wind-sucking/cribbing or wood chewing.
Poor coat and skin health despite a nutritious diet.

The tricky part is… a horse can show NONE of these symptoms and still have gastric ulcers. The only way to diagnose this condition is via a gastroscope performed by your veterinarian, and the best way to prevent this painful and often debilitating health issue is to provide a species-appropriate diet and environment.

To delve a little deeper into diet…

Horses are physiologically designed to be ingesting and digesting roughage almost continuously and require a minimum of approximately 1.5-2% of their bodyweight daily in pasture and/or hay. Studies have shown that horses can develop ulcers in as little as 3-4 hours without access to forage.
Horses will vary in how much or how little amylase (the enzyme that breaks down starch to make it digestible) they produce. This is why some horses cope better on grain-based diets than others.
For horses prone to ulcers, aim to feed them equal to or less than 2g of starch per 100kg body weight over a 24-hour period, or 1g of starch per 100kg body weight per meal. This is only a guideline, and some horses who are particularly sensitive will need to be provided with less starch daily.
Regardless of susceptibility to gastric ulcers, I encourage my clients to be vigilant with reading the ingredients list of what they are feeding their horses and keep in mind that not all marketing is factual. I could produce a premixed feed based on barley and corn and slap “ulcer-friendly” on the front of the bag and there isn’t much that would be done about it.

If your horse is displaying any of the above symptoms, or if they have been diagnosed with gastric ulcers by your veterinarian and you would like to ensure that their diet is supportive of healing and preventing recurrence, I would love to help out with an Equine Nutrition Consultation tailored to their individual needs.