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What causes gastric ulcers in horses?

Gastric ulcers can be caused by a variety of issues relating to feed, management and workload. They are being increasingly diagnosed across all horse populations, including leisure horses, likely due to greater awareness of the signs and symptoms. There have also been developments in technology allowing vets to make earlier and more conclusive diagnoses.

What are the different types of gastric ulcers in horses?

There are three main types of gastric ulcers in horses:

1. Glandular or mucosal ulcers occur in the lower part of the stomach and are typically associated with stress.
2. Squamous ulcers occur on the upper part of the stomach and are mainly due to acid splash, such as working a horse on an empty stomach.
3. Pyloric ulcers occur at the junction with the duodenum (first part of the small intestine) and are more likely to occur when the horse has not had access to feed for several hours.

What is the best treatment for gastric ulcers in horses?

Treating a horse with ulcers is a four-fold approach:

Should horses constantly be eating?

How many times a day should a horse eat?

Horses evolved on grassy, treeless plains. They are nomadic trickle feeders that would spend and average of 12.5 hours a day grazing upon forage - which would have been the leaves, stalks, flowers and seed heads that grew on these plains.

Relatively recent studies show that horses generally graze in 10 to 15 feeding bouts per day and so constant availability of forage is deemed essential for our horses health and well-being.

What should a horse eat?

Whilst we cannot provide a grassy, treeless plain it is possible to recreate some of the factors that constitute species-appropriate feeding for horses that spend time in a stable.

Vegan Horse Feeds

Did you know Simple System's entire range of feeds are all registered with The Vegan Society?

The horse is an obligate herbivore which means in human terms, it is Vegan. Sadly, not all the ingredients in many ranges of feed are all from plant sources but we have respect for the horse as an obligate herbivore and feel it is inappropriate to include animal remains of any sort in horse feeds.

The Vegan Society is very thorough in its processes to ensure that we adhere to their strict guidelines and we are inspected regularly to ensure compliance.

Why are Ulcers a common problem in horses?

Stomach ulcers are sadly common place in horses. They are being increasingly diagnosed across all horse populations, including leisure horses, likely due to greater awareness of the signs and symptoms. There have also been developments in technology allowing vets to make earlier and more conclusive diagnoses.

What causes ulcers?

Ulcers can be triggered, or exacerbated by stress, travelling, long periods without food, insufficient forage, cereals and straw. Some medications can also trigger them.

Winter Feeding Tips

Our Director of Nutrition, Jane van Lennep BSc., MSc., BHSI (SM Cert)., NPSD., shares advice on how to feed your horse this winter.

Forage first. Make sure your horse always has forage available to eat. Horses generate their heat through fermenting forages in the hindgut. By ensuring your horse has enough hay to eat, you will keep him warm in the coldest weather. Split hay rations into two or three piles spread evenly apart. Encouraging movement will keep your horse exercised, healthier and will help keep joints in good condition.

Split feeding times. Instead of feeding your horse once a day, try to split feeding times to two or even three times a day (if possible!). Horses are used to eating almost constantly.

Check water levels. Monitor your horse's water daily to ensure they are drinking enough and staying hydrated. Break ice on frozen water troughs (use a colander to sift out chunks of ice) and add in a little hot water to tempt your horse to drink. If your horse needs further encouragement still, adding a handful of TopGain , MetaSlim or Simple Balance + can work incredibly well. Soaked forages, such as our Blue Bag Grass Pellets, are a great way to hydrate your horse as well as giving them a nutritious feed. 

Managing the Cold Weather

Don't get caught out by this spell of cold and wet weather! When the temperature drops horses need more calories to keep warm and when it is wet as well, even more so. Add in a brisk wind and needs really go up.

Introducing HayCare

Introducing one of our best selling horse feeds, HayCare. A quick soaking hay replacer for horses who struggle to chew hay. 

Low in sugar, low in starch and high in fibre, HayCare is suitable as a hay replacer for older horses, those with poor dentition, laminitic horses and those prone to metabolic issues. HayCare is also frequently trusted by vets for use post colic, post surgery and post dental work.

HayCare is...

Our Best Hay Replacers for Horses

With both grass and hay in short supply, a lot of horse owners are looking for a suitable forage to replace hay & keep the horses ticking over until there is more grass and new hay.

Cheap feeds are not always economical, good quality always pays!

On our travels we have seen some hay and haylage made already which is encouraging, but it is best to wait at least 6 weeks before using it and bear in mind, when made in May or June, this could be very rich. It will be high in sugar and protein but relatively low in fibre, so not quite what we normally think of as hay. Ideal horse hay is first cut, made in July or even August, when fibre levels are higher and it is not too nutritious or heating.

So, until the next lot of suitable hay is around what are the alternatives?