What causes Equine Gastric Ulcer Syndrome?
Horses secrete acid even when they are not eating, and for the most part, their stomachs are designed to withstand the secretions. The lining on the top portion of the stomach has minimal protection. But the bottom portion, which resembles the lining of the human stomach, is glandular in structure and has elaborate means of withstanding acid secretions. A horse’s penchant for grazing is natural self-protection against ulcers. When a horse grazes all day, the roughage he consumes absorbs a considerable amount of digestive acid, keeping the level within the stomach low. In addition, a horse’s saliva has an acid-neutralizing effect. As a result, the amount of acid that accumulates in a horse’s stomach declines when he’s eating and increases when he’s not – sometimes to a potentially injurious level – which manifests itself in the form of gastric ulcers. Problems arise when you bring a horse into stall confinement and then provide large quantities of concentrate – whether it be grain or pe
