News — ulcers

To understand how we can feed horses to help prevent and heal ulcers, it is important to understand where and why they appear. Ask the Expert: Elisabeth Chizek, Equine Nutritionist. 

With so many other things to worry about, gut health might not always be a high-priority issue. But it should be. Gastric ulcers can cause significant discomfort, dramatically impacting performance and potentially triggering significant health issues. Prevention is key, especially among high-risk competition horses.

This probably comes as no surprise, but the horse is a unique animal. This is especially true when it comes to how they digest food. Classified as non-ruminant herbivores, horses’ digestive systems are a cross between a monogastric animal (like a dog or human) and a ruminant (like a cow or goat). The problem is that many people feed their horse like they would a dog or themselves—with two or three meals given throughout the day. This can work, but it often leads to problems. If more people understood more how the horse’s digestive system functioned, they might be more...