My studies into Holistic Equine feeding are bringing to my attention the high percentage of horses suffering with Equine Gastric Ulcer Syndrome (EGUS) this was at one time considered to only affect race and high performance horses, but recent studies in Denmark have shown that 53% of leisure horses tested had clinically significant EGUS, so how do we recognise the signs and how can we holistically help our horses?
Signs of EGUS in horses
These signs can be subtle or extravagant and one or two of these signs may not mean your horse has EGUS, but if your horse is showing multiple signs then it is time to consider it as a cause:
- Biting when being girthed
- Biting or kicking on touch of the ribs or flanks
- Biting on touch to chest
- Not standing to be saddled or mounted
- Excessive yawning on saddling
- Kicking or biting at saddling
- Discomfort on being brushed
- Lack of appetite, picky eater
- Lip curling after eating
- Aggressive behaviour at feeding time
- Problems with canter lead (normally the right)
- Disunited in canter
- Not wanting bodywork
- Problems with right bend
- Depression
- Not wishing to be caught
- Finding it difficult to hold the hind legs up for the farrier or trimmer
- Stiffness after holding legs up for a period of time
- Pain face
- Tightness in body
- Reluctance to go forward
- Exploding when made to go forward
- Difficulty in regulation of temperature
- Bolting
How can we help our horses if we suspect they are suffering from EGUS?
You have the option of getting your horse scoped, this will only show the level of ulcers in the stomach (squamous region) the Glandular region and sometimes the Duodenum but it doesn't show ulcers in the hind gut. Due to the fasting before scoping (12-18 hours) and the sedation it would not be my first choice.
Once EGUS is established it is often treated with products like Omeprazole (GastroGard) which must be given on an empty stomach and is only effective on squamous ulcers and Sulcralfate which is often given in combination with Omeprazole and is more effective on glandular ulcers.
An alternative to the above is to treat holistically, this can include herbal or Ayurvedic support, which can help the whole gastric tract to produce more mucus to buffer the stomach acid and aid the healing of the ulcers, wherever they are in the gastric tract. This alone is not sufficient, lifestyle and feeding play a huge role too:
- Provide good quality forage at all times - 24/7, no fasting
- Avoid haylage
- No cereal high fibre ration, with high Omega 3
- NSC (combined Carbohydrate and Starch) below 10%
- Maximum turnout
- Check all your feed labels (see previous blog) many feeds and supplements sold as Ulcer friendly are not!
- Provide warmed water in cold weather periods
- Low sugar (sugarbeet is fine as it a by product and has had the sugar removed)
- Avoid heavily processed foods (Quick soaking beet etc)
- Do not allow access to acorns (very high in starch and toxins)
- Keep warm in cold weather
- Worm count and if needing to worm support the gut afterwards with mucilage promoting products (Ron Fields Remount or PreUlc, Marshmallow Root, Hops, Slippery Elm, Chamomile, Meadowsweet, Inulin etc)
- Try to remove stress from your horses life!
This is not a definitive list, but it is to help you understand what may be going on with your horse and how you can help him or her. If you need to ask more questions on the subject of how to feed your horse then please contact me for independent advice on my passion subject!