TEXAS VET NEWS By Dr. Bob Judd, DVM and the Texas Farm Bureau Texas Farm Bureau Radio Network

A common problem in performance horses is ulcers that form in the stomach, which are called gastric ulcers.  Some studies have shown that up to 90% of race horses in training have ulcers, and it is believed a large percentage of other types of performance horses also have ulcers.  Gastric ulcers can cause many different clinical signs including a decrease in appetite, colic and reduced performance.  It has been shown that ulcers can develop if a horse is simply not fed or even if you just confine the horse in a stall.  The reason horses develop ulcers through exercise is related to the acid in the stomach being displaced to an area of the stomach that is not protected because of the increased pressure in the stomach that occurs with exercise. 

Another thing that has been related to ulcer formation is a horse’s diet. A recent study was performed at Texas A&M to determine if there was a difference in gastric ulcers in horses fed alfalfa hay versus horses fed Bermuda grass hay.  The study involved 24 quarter horse yearlings that were fed alfalfa and a grain concentrate for 28 days and later were fed coastal Bermuda and the same grain concentrate for another 28 days.  Horses were housed in dry lots and were exercised 3 days per week.  Results indicated that horses fed alfalfa had significantly less stomach ulcers than horses fed coastal hay.  Although there is an approved drug to prevent ulcers in horses, the drug is fairly expensive as it must be given daily to be effective.  So if you have a horse that has had problems with stomach ulcers, or a performance horse in whom you want to prevent ulcers, consider feeding alfalfa hay instead of coastal Bermuda. 

Hear the audio of this program at the Texas Farm Bureau Network.

Date Published: 1/5/2009 9:42:00 AM