3 Steps to Ulcer Management

Did you know that 97% of performance horses have ulcers? That means that your horse probably does too. Not all horses that have ulcers show it the same way, and not all ulcers live in the stomach. 

Some horses with ulcers colic, some act grouchy, some get stressed out easily, and some act ravenous at meal times. Some horses don’t show any symptoms at all. 

Here’s what you need to know about ulcers… 

There are two kinds of ulcers. Most people are more familiar with gastric ulcers, but colonic ulcers can be just as damaging. 

Gastric Ulcers

This is the kind that you are probably familiar with. These ulcers are in the stomach, and are caused by a build-up of stomach acid. The bottom two-thirds of the horse’s stomach is much tougher, and can withstand large amounts of stomach acid. The top third, however, is weaker, and is susceptible to deterioration if it comes into contact with stomach acid. This is when gastric ulcers form. 

Colonic Ulcers

The funny thing about this is that the most common treatment for gastric ulcers, Omeprazole (aka gastroguard/ulcerguard) has been shown to actually cause colonic ulcers. This type of ulcer occurs when the hindgut gets too acidic. Horses are hindgut fermenters, and rely on a strong community of bacteria in their cecum and colon to digest food properly. If these bacteria run out of fiber to eat they start to die off, creating an acidic environment that then leads to colonic ulcers. 

Okay so now that we know that there are two types of ulcers and that most horses have one or the other, what can you do to prevent ulcers in your horse? Luckily the steps are the same for both types of ulcers, so if you follow these three steps you’ll be combating both gastric and colonic acidity.

• Keep Roughage Coming

There are a few reasons to keep your horse eating hay or grass for as many hours a day as possible. Of course, by keeping the digestive tract working on small amounts of roughage at all times, stomach acid can’t build up and hindgut microbes won’t get hungry. But another reason is that saliva is alkaline!The moment I learned this was a mind blowing one. Because both types of ulcers are caused by excess acidity, saliva can help buffer the digestive tract. Horses can produce up to ten gallons of saliva each day, so by keeping them eating, and therefore swallowing, all day you can keep acidity levels lower and prevent ulcers from ever occurring. One great way to keep roughage coming is with a slow feeder like this one.

• Split Grain Rations into Small Portions

A horse’s stomach can only actually hold about two gallons at a time, so keeping grain meals under two pounds at a time can help prevent stomach acid from reaching that critical top third of stomach tissue, as well as prevent sugar spikes that could acidify the hindgut, among other things. If you need to feed more than two pounds per day you can split the meal into as many as you need to reach the required dose. 

• Feed at the Right Times

Whether you use a slow feeder or not, feeding your horse at the right time can help keep ulcers at bay. Specifically, making sure that your horse even just a few bites of hay or grass before exercise and before eating grain can make a big difference. 

With these three simple steps your horse will have less stomach acid build-up and a less acidic hindgut, keeping them in the clear of ulcers.