Foreword: Equine gastric ulcer syndrome in horses and foals: a holistic approach

Equine gastric ulcer syndrome is a well-known issue across many equestrian disciplines, with particular prevalence in high-level competition such as racing. This supplement provides a holistic overview of the condition.

Nutrition is an important factor in successfully managing gastric ulcers, so it is vital that any issues in the diet of a horse with gastric ulcers are tackled in order to improve the outcome for these animals (pS3). Professor Meriel Moore-Coyler highlights how horses with gastric ulcers (with a focus on squamous gastric disease) must be managed with regards to their stress levels and particularly their diet in order to improve their symptoms. Many high-level competition horses are fed high-starch and high-sugar diets, which provide plenty of energy for their day-to-day work, but are less than ideal for protecting against gastric ulcers.

Robin van den Boom discusses the diagnosis, clinical signs and management of gastric ulcers, differentiating between the two aspects of the condition – squamous and glandular gastric disease – and discusses the clinical signs which may be seen in foals with ulcers (pS9). This gives an excellent rundown of how these two syndromes differ, and what can be expected with each of them.