Knowledge
Nutrition Focus
Lorna Edgar – specialist equine nutritionist
Revisiting Gastric Ulcers After talking about the digestive system last month, I thought it might be appropriate to revisit and remind ourselves about Gastric Ulcers and how we can make some small changes in everyday stable management to help reduce the risks of getting them and treating them. Research has shown that more than 90 per cent of racehorses in intensive training have gastric ulcers and two different studies on leisure horses have found that up to 37 per cent in one study and 53 per cent in another have gastric ulcers, so it is highly likely that polo ponies are at high risk too.
at the effects of exercise on the digestive system and found that there is increased pressure when a horse exercises at high intensity, leading to compression of the stomach, thus pushing the acidic contents of the gastric region into the squamous region – the ‘sloshing’ effect. The longer the training, the increased time the squamous region is exposed to acid, increasing the potential for ulcers to occur.
What are the Signs of Ulcers? The only way to make a definitive diagnosis is via a gastroscope examination. The
symptoms that would lead you to a discussion with your vet include: • Poor appetite • Weight loss – ‘good doers’ are just as susceptible • Loose droppings/acidic smelling droppings • Mild signs of colic • ‘Girthiness’/grumpiness/hypersensitive • Resistance or explosiveness under saddle • Excessive recumbency (lying down) • Dull coat • Poor performance/exercise intolerance
How do they occur?
Photography courtesy of Lorna Edgar
As we will have learnt from last month’s article, the horse is designed to have a constant flow of fibre passing through its digestive system. The stomach continuously produces hydrochloric acid in its lower glandular region to begin the digestive process, PRODUCING APPROX 1 ½ LITRES PER HOUR. Saliva is produced through chewing (when the horse is ‘trickle feeding’ naturally it will produce up to 12 litres per day), which helps neutralise the acid through its bicarbonate content and acts as a buffer to the gastric acid in the stomach. The lower, glandular area, of the stomach is protected by mucus. The upper, squamous region of the stomach has no built-in protection because it relies on the physical barrier of the continuously ingested fibre. Generally, ulceration of the upper squamous region can occur when acid from the lower region splashes up, either because of insufficient fibre passing through the stomach and/or through the physical effect of exercise. Ulcers in the glandular region (pyloric ulcers) are less common but can occur when the protective barrier is compromised, for example, through stress or continued use of drugs, like ‘bute’.
Exercise Causing Ulcers
The severity of ulcers seems to be greatest in horses that are in training for prolonged periods of time; researchers have looked 64
Polo Times, May 2022
The equine stomach
www.polotimes.co.uk
