Summary: by Beth Stelzleni of Mars Horsecare US, Inc. Ulcers are a major problem in the horse industry today, and it has been reported that 60-95% of all mature working horses have ulcer problems. Horses most at risk for ulcers include performance horses - especially race horses, but leisure horses can be at risk for ulcers as well. Any horse, regardless of being a high level race horse or a weekend pleasure pony can develop ulcers if exposed to some of the risk factors we will discuss here. To understand why the horse is so at risk for ulcers, itrsquo;s important that we understand the horsersquo;s stomach anatomy. The horsersquo;s stomach has two main regions. The first region is the non-glandular region, which takes up the top part of the horsersquo;s stomach. This region is made up of very sensitive tissue, similar to the type of tissue that makes up our esophagus. This region does not produce any acid and also does not have any protective factors against it. The lower region in the horsersquo;s stomach is the glandular region, which has tissue that is much tougher than the non-glandular region. The glandular region does produce acid and has protective factors lining the tissue, such as mucus. Itrsquo;s important to note that the horsersquo;s stomach produces acid at all times, even if there is not food in the stomach. This means that if the horsersquo;s stomach is empty at any time, some of this unused stomach acid will start to eat away at the sensitive non-glandular tissue. Because the non-glandular region is the more sensitive of the two regions, the majority of stomach ulcers in horses occur in this upper region. Hard physical work also contributes to ulcer formation in horses. As a horse works, the muscles in the horsersquo;s body put pressure on the stomach. This pressure pushes the acid that normally stays in the glandular portion of the stomach into the non-glandular portion, so it exposes that sensitive non-glandular tissue to acid. The harder a horse works, or the faster he goes, the more pressure is put on the stomach, so more acid is pushed into the sensitive non-glandular region. Diets that are high in NSC (or sugar and starch) contribute another factor that increase the risk for ulcers. The bacteria in the stomach ferment the NSC when it enters the stomach in high amounts. When this fermentation occurs, acid byproducts called volatile fatty acids are produced which increase the acidity of the stomach. So on top of the normal stomach acid thatrsquo;s already in the stomach, diets high in NSC contribute to the acidic environment by producing high quantities of VFArsquo;s. One of the major management factors we see today that may increase the risk of ulcers is a horsersquo;s change from their natural setting to a very unnatural one. In its natural setting, a horse is on pasture all the time and can eat 24 hours/day if they wish. This continuous eating means that there is always something in the stomach for the acid to work on, and this food thatrsquo;s always in the stomach serves as a protective factor for the sensitive non-glandular portion. Also, the constant chewing that comes with grazing means that there is constant saliva production. Saliva is a very important buffer for the horse and plays a big part in protecting against ulcers. In todayrsquo;s setting however, most horses are stalled for all or at least part of the day. The problem with stalling horses isnrsquo;t necessarily the actual containment; itrsquo;s the meal-feeding that goes along with stalling a horse. Meals create periods where the stomach is empty, so the acid thatrsquo;s always in the stomach has nothing to work on. Periods of time without food also mean the horse isnrsquo;t chewing, so therersquo;s no saliva production as well. If you have a horse who is at risk for ulcers or has had ulcers in the past, there are a few simple steps you can take to reduce the ulcer problem. The first rule of thumb is ...
