The stress that horses endure from training, competing and traveling undoubtedly takes a toll on their health. One of the most common health problems for horses in strenuous performance or show activities is the presence of gastric ulcers. Research studies have shown that at least 90 percent of active performance horses and 60 percent of show horses have ulcer issues.
Ulcers are formed when stomach acid comes into contact with an unprotected portion of the stomach lining and dissolves the tissue, causing pain, irritation and blood loss. The main causes of gastric ulcers are due to stress, intense exercise, and the over-consumption of large amounts of grain.
“These causes increase the amount of acid secreted by the stomach, and intensify the splashing effect of gastric contents on the upper, unprotected portion of the horse’s stomach lining, which is called the non-glandular region,” explains Southern States Equine Nutritionist Dr. Marty Adams, PhD. “The splashing effect of gastric contents onto the upper stomach region occurs whenever the horse moves from a walk to a faster gait (trot, pace, canter or gallop),” he adds.
Risk Factors for Gastric Ulcers in the Horse
• Transportation (trailering, especially to new locations)
• High-grain/Low-hay diet
• Stall confinement (lack of turnout)
• Intermittent feeding (not feeding on a regular schedule and not feeding at least twice daily)
• Intense exercise
• Racing (quarter horse, thoroughbred and standard bred)
• Stress, illness or lameness, pain of any kind
• NSAID (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug) use, such as phenylbutazone, banamine and corticosteroids
• Management changes (movement to new stall, barn, change in training schedule or training intensity, etc.)
Gastric ulcers can be life-threatening, so it’s important to monitor your horse or foal regularly. Weight loss, poor appetite, and decreased stride length could be signs of gastric ulcers. Other symptoms include:
• Mild, chronic colic
• Lying down more than normal
• Not finishing hay or grain
• Poor performance
• Behavioral or attitude changes
• Inadequate energy
• Chronic diarrhea
• Poor hair coat
Treatment of gastric ulcers can be very expensive. Currently, the only FDA-approved drug for gastric ulcers costs $30-$40 daily. In order to improve the digestive health of horses who have ulcers, Legends has created Legends GastroTech Supplement.
The proprietary blend of ingredients is formulated to support healthy digestive tract function in show and performance horses, and is designed to be mixed or top-dressed with a grain ration on a twice-daily feeding program. Legends GastroTech Supplement has a recommended feeding rate of ½ pound twice per day for horses weighing 1,000 to 1,200 pounds and a daily cost of about 75 cents.
“Legends GastroTech Supplement has been shown to significantly reduce severity of gastric ulcer lesions, and the cost is far below that of current medications and supplements. It’s a breakthrough for reducing and preventing gastric ulcer issues in performance horses,” says Dr. Adams.
For more information, visit www.southernstates.com/legends
