How Can My Horse’s Diet Support Gastric Ulcer Healing?

Long-stem alfalfa hay can help buffer stomach acid. | iStock

Q: My horse was recently diagnosed with gastric ulcers, and my veterinarian recommended we work with an equine nutritionist to ensure his diet supports his recovery. What diet changes could help a horse being treated for gastric ulcers?

A: Building a team with both your veterinarian and equine nutritionist is a great way to make sure your horse has well-rounded support while recovering from gastric ulcers. When adjusting his nutrition program, keep in mind the type of gastric ulcers your horse has.

Horses can develop two distinct types of equine gastric ulcers: squamous and glandular. Squamous disease is closely tied to forage intake and dietary management, whereas glandular disease is more often linked to stress.

Forage for Horses With Gastric Ulcers

When building a nutrition program, especially for horses with squamous disease, start with the forage. Your horse should consume about 2% of his body weight in hay daily, and you should schedule his feedings in a way that prevents fasting periods. Many horses will do well on free-choice access to hay, but slow feeders can be helpful in some cases to stretch the daily hay allowance until the next feeding.

Owners often overlook hay cleanliness when feeding free-choice hay. If you feed hay on the ground, whether in your horse’s stall or paddock, it can get dirty, making your horse less likely to eat it. This creates fasting periods and increases the risk of squamous ulcers.

Additionally, if you give your horse his last feeding of hay at night check and he’s eaten all the hay by morning, you’re not providing free-choice hay. You might need to increase the amount of hay he gets or use a slow feeder overnight.

Beyond the amount of forage, the type of hay can make a difference. Alfalfa hay has been shown to be a great gastric buffer; therefore, you could consider adding alfalfa to your horse’s ration. If you can feed some alfalfa before exercise, it might work as a buffer in the stomach during work.

Carbohydrate Intake for Horses With Gastric Ulcers

Once you have established an appropriate forage plan, evaluate your horse’s nonstructural carbohydrate (NSC) intake. Diets high in NSCs in the diet can increase a horse’s risk of developing squamous disease.

If your horse eats significant amounts of grain or other high-NSC feeds, reassess whether that level of starch and sugar matches his workload. For horses with a history of squamous disease, replacing some NSC calories with digestible fiber or fat can help reduce dietary risk factors.

Nutraceuticals for Horses With Gastric Ulcers

With guidance from your veterinarian and an equine nutritionist, you could add evidence-based nutraceuticals into your horse’s dietary management program, but this should not be the first step. Address any forage issues and balance the base ration first.

When choosing a supplement to support your horse’s gastric ulcer management and treatment plan, always choose research-backed supplements and consult your veterinarian and an equine nutritionist for help evaluating the product.

Take-Home Message

Nutritional adjustments remain crucial in the healing process and prevention of equine gastric ulcers, especially squamous disease. Start with a critical evaluation of your horse’s forage intake and check that his ration is balanced and not providing excess NSC content. Then possibly add a research-backed nutraceutical with guidance from your veterinarian and an equine nutritionist.

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