One of the most common things people want to know about their horse’s health is “does my horse have ulcers?”
Ulcers seem to be increasingly common, difficult to diagnose, hard to treat, and the symptoms tricky to be really sure of. Is your horse grumpy because your saddle doesn’t fit, or does he have ulcers?
Common symptoms of ulcers include poor appetite, colic, decreased performance, attitude change, poor body condition and weight loss, according to Hygain, with the main causes being related to feed, and stress.
In this article in The Horse magazine, they say
A common case of heartburn can bring intense discomfort, even pain, to a person. Imagine your horse trying to perform with a stomach ulcer.
The same article states,
Gastric ulcers are common in horses. Their prevalence has been estimated to be from 50% to 90%, depending on populations surveyed and type of athletic activity horses are engaged in.
In my horse communication sessions, I’ve been checking for ulcers routinely for the last 9 months.
To date, the results are 50 / 50.
(If you’re interested in more of the stats I’ve gathered while doing my horse communication sessions, check out this free info sheet, What Horses Say. )
This would seem to agree with the stats given in the above article, especially since the majority of my horse clients aren’t high performance horses (ie horses that might be under more stress in terms of their work and living environment, or who have limited access to forage).
Of those who, for me, test positive to having ulcers, only a few have tested ‘high’; most tested ‘low’ seriousness. Healing sent by me, and sometimes an ulcer supplement added to their diet seemed to be all that was necessary for them.
So, if you think your horse may have ulcers, what should you do?
Well, of course your first port of call should be your vet, who will likely stomach scope your horse. And, if you want a non-invasive opinion, and to find out in more detail how your horse is feeling and what he needs, book a horse communication & healing session.
Are you worried about your horse, but not sure if it’s ulcers or something else? Have a look at my free 6 page pdf, What’s Wrong With My Horse, for my insights and advice.
Trisha x
About Trisha
Trisha Wren has been an equine professional for most of her adult life. She rode, competed, and taught Western Riding for 15 years in Scotland, then horse and rider bio-mechanics in New Zealand and Australia for 10 years. She’s been a full time horse communicator and healer since April 2016. Find out more about Trisha here and sign up for her self paced Animal Communication course here.