Competition and consequences: Insight into the causes of gastric ulcers

pennyhawken digestion, equine, Science and Solutions Blog

Have you ever wondered what impact one weekend of competition can have on the digestive system of your horse? Well the results from a study by researchers1 in the field of equine science might surprise you. They simulated the events associated with one weekend of competition (e.g. Friday to Sunday: travel, yarding and moderate – high intensity exercise) and found that the incidence of gastric (i.e. stomach) ulcers increased from 17% to 57%. Importantly, just under 50% of horses progressed from having no signs of ulcers to at least grade 1 ulceration after just one weekend of competition. Furthermore, those horses that had grade 1 ulcers prior to the simulated competition progressed from grade 1 to grade 2 or even grade 3 ulcers.

So what should you take away from this study?

  1. One weekend of travel and competition induced gastric ulcers of varying severity in approximately 50% of horses.
  2. The disciplines were of varying intensity and included dressage, endurance, show jumping and western pleasure.
  3. Consider how many times over the year you travel for competition or practice/training – Repeated travel and competition can cause and exacerbate gastric ulcers in horses, so imagine the impact that this activity has on your horse.
  4. A proportion of the horses (17%) started the study with grade 1 ulcers – indicating that gut issues aren’t always resolved with ‘time out’ or a spell.

So what can you do?

  • Firstly, be aware of signs of gastric ulcers and digestive issues in your horse. These can include a change in attitude, elevated head carriage, unwillingness to go forward, bucking, change in condition and/or eating habits.
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  • Secondly, always consult a vet if you are concerned that your horse may have ulcers and seek appropriate treatment.
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  • Thirdly, prevention is better than the cure (as well as less expensive and distressing for both you and your horse), so be on the front foot protecting your horse during the high risk periods of work and travel.
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  • Contact us TODAY to discuss how our Equine Digestion Bars,  Digestive Support Elixir or Equine Pre-Work Bars could help to protect your horse this season.

References

1Hartmann and Frankeny (2003) Journal of Equine Veterinary Science; 23:12; p560

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