Aug 29

Aug 29 Ulcers

If you’ve ever visited any horse related facebook group or forum, you’ve likely seen numerous people going on-and-on about ulcers and gut health.

While it can be overwhelming to see the alarming number of comments claiming that ulcers may be the cause of a certain horses issues, this can actually be the case. Of course, there can be many other causes for a horses discomforts too (like kidney dysfunction, joint issues, and more).

Thanks to extensive research on the subject, we know that over 60% of horses have gastric ulcers. These are described as painful lesions in the horses stomach lining and are often caused by the vast amount of acid that the horses stomach constantly produces, in conjunction with stress, and other gut disturbances.

Horses are designed to be foragers (not grazers, actually) and therefore they should eat small meals, often, rather than indulging on lush grass 24/7, or eating a couple meals of tossed hay and a bucket of grain each day. However, providing a horse with constant access to slow-fed hay and eliminating grain isn’t always going to keep ulcers at bay, though it can certainly help.

When a horses gut has been compromised, this makes them that much more susceptible to developing ulcers. Any form of stress, such as travel, trailering, training, changes to routine or environment, changes to their herd, anything really - can trigger a gut imbalance that contributes to the formation of ulcers.

These lesions can appear quickly, and actually resolve quickly, though that is often not the case. The longer they go on for, the worse they can become…even causing bleeding, permanently damaging stomach lining and causing scar tissue.

When scoping, only the stomach can be seen however ulcers can appear in the stomach, as well as the ‘hind-gut’ and develop into a condition called hind-gut acidosis or right dorsal colitis. This is often seen in horses consuming high amounts of grain, as their stomachs were not designed to digest and ferment high amounts of grain.

Physical causes of ulcers are less talked about.

Physical imbalances within the body can affect the horses structure, soft tissues, fascial system, craniosacral system, and last but certainly not least, the nervous system. The nervous system is much more than we often think it is. The way that our bodies are designed to work, is through a very complex system that is designed to work harmoniously with all the other pieces. When one system becomes compromised, other systems may as well.

When tension or torsion takes place in the soft tissues, the structure may become misaligned and the nerves that run through this area, that supply proper function to other systems including organs, can become compromised too.

To keep this simple, there are certain physical imbalances that are related to the wellness of the esophagus, stomach and hindgut. The diaphragm is included in this. This core muscle is prone to experiencing spasm and dysfunction which can cause a wide variety of issues within the horse.

More often, we hear about the physical issues that horses with ulcers end up experiencing. Often times they will be very tight in the back, or stepping short in the right hind, as they attempt to brace against the discomfort of the ulcers. They may be sensitive in the flank.
See this related article: Right Dorsal Colitis by MadBarn.

However, what if a physical misalignment or injury within the spine was holding a pattern that enabled a vicious cycle with ulcers? This may sound taboo or unlike anything you’ve ever heard but the fact of the matter is - everything is connected.

It’s important to acknowledge that this could be a ‘chicken and egg’ scenario - which one came first? The physical imbalances making it more likely for ulcers to develop - or ulcers developing due to stress, travel, training, stalling, etc. that have now created physical compensations in their body to avoid the discomfort - only to further inhibit healing all around…? Food for thought.

It is not uncommon to see a horse stuck in a cycle of severe & chronic ulcers that happens to be supported by improper biomechanics and training. This locks the horse in a state that continues to impede the function of nerves supplying the viscera such as the esophagus and stomach organs.

Recommended Treatments

The Three F’s

Forage (constant access to slow-fed grass hay and a forage based grain free diet)
Freedom (as much turnout as possible)
Friends (who doesn’t need a good friend group with little drama or stress)

Medications & Supplements