The life of a competition horse can be unusual compared to that of a non-competition horse. Competition horses are frequently on the move, have irregular meal and water times, and are often exposed to high-pressure situations such as reaching the finals of a high-level event or multiple competitions in a day.
It is therefore no surprise that the stress of such a lifestyle can lead to intestinal problems in these horses. Not only can these problems affect a horse's career, but they can quickly become earnest and take a long time to overcome.
Quarter Horse News spoke with Thomas Kellerman, DVM, of Brazos Valley Equine Hospitals in Navasota, Texas, for more information on how to keep a performance horse’s gut fit.
Food is crucial for good intestinal health
Horses are designed to graze throughout the day and eat compact, repeated meals, so their stomachs are constantly producing acid to digest all the plant matter they would normally eat. However, most horses in training and show programs do not have the luxury of constant feeding. Instead, current husbandry practices typically require them to eat two enormous grain meals per day. However, when a horse's diet is lacking in roughage, it can cause many health problems.
“Regular feeding is especially helpful in maintaining stomach health,” Kellerman said. “Nutritionists typically recommend feeding a minimum of 1.5 to 2 percent of a horse's body weight in high-quality parched matter forage each day. Ideally, this amount should be divided into at least two feedings per day.”
“Forage” can mean pasture, provided the grass is good and not parched or full of weeds; grass hay, such as coastal, Bermuda or timothy hay; or alfalfa hay. While experts agree that horses generally need long-stemmed forage to snail-paced overall absorption and augment the amount of fibrous mass that passes through the intestines, horses with dental or respiratory problems, such as asthma, may not tolerate it. Giving these horses hay pellets, cubes or beet pulp can aid them meet their fiber needs while protecting their stomachs from acid.
Stomach ulcers are common
Even if a horse eats plenty of food, other factors, such as the stress of traveling and competing, can lead to gastric ulcers. These are erosions of the stomach lining that range from compact, superficial lesions to multiple, enormous defects. It is estimated that 50 to 90 percent of all horses have suffered a gastric ulcer at some point in their lives.
Horses with gastric ulcers may show signs of colic, malaise or pain-related behavioural problems. Once diagnosed, they are usually treated with omeprazole, which inhibits stomach acid production, for 28 days. Some horses may require up to 60 days of treatment, depending on the severity of the ulcer.
“The proton pumps work very quickly, which is why we treat horses diagnosed with gastric ulcers daily to keep the pH of the stomach higher or less acidic than it would normally be without treatment,” Kellerman said. “Horses can also develop ulcers in the glandular stomach, which is constantly exposed to gastric fluids. Horses that develop glandular disease are sometimes treated with sucralfate, which acts almost like a liquid bandage to cover the healing tissue, and misoprostol, a prostaglandin analogue that increases blood flow to the mucosa.”
Other intestinal diseases can cause problems
While stomach ulcers are a common intestinal problem in horses, they are not the only one. Colic is another major problem. There are many things that can cause colic in horses, but research shows that going several hours without water, being stabled without exercise, a high-grain diet, and repeated changes in environment – all things that affect show horses – can significantly augment the risk.
Colitis and inflammatory bowel disease also play an crucial role, especially in horses of performance age. In addition, certain infectious diseases can affect the horse's intestines, as can parasites, inflammation and tumors. Anytime your horse is behaving unusually, you should call your veterinarian. However, if you notice certain symptoms, it is very likely that something in the intestines is the cause.
“Colic, anorexia, problems maintaining body condition, reactions to girthing and behavioral problems are all signs that would prompt me to investigate a horse's stomach health,” Kellerman said.
Gut health goes beyond the stomach
When riders think about gut health, they tend to focus only on the stomach aspect. After all, the stomach plays a major role in a horse's well-being and is easily visualized with a gastroscope, Kellerman said. But a horse's gut health goes beyond the stomach.
“Every part of the horse's intestine plays an crucial role in their overall health, from nose to tail,” Kellerman said. “Although the compact intestine and enormous intestine are more tough to examine directly, they still play an crucial role in a horse's health. Problems such as right-sided dorsal colitis from long-term NSAID employ and infectious causes of colitis such as salmonella or clostridial enteritis can have a massive impact on horses if they develop diarrhea.”
Sand buildup in the colon, often cleared by taking psyllium supplements, is common in some parts of the country and can lead to sand colic, chronic diarrhea and weight loss. Veterinarians are also discovering how the employ of prebiotics and probiotics can support the health of the horse's colon. A newer area of interest, Kellerman added, is the horse's microbiome, or the natural bacterial population in its gastrointestinal system, and using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing to develop individualized therapies for specific horses.
Prevention is the best plan for performance horses
You can't completely prevent stress if your horse is on the road frequently traveling to shows or rodeos, but there are management strategies you can employ to prevent ulcers and other stomach conditions. Kellerman likes to give horses a preventative dose of UlcerGard to aid them ease the pressure of traveling. There are also products on the market that aid buffer stomach acid, chemically lowering the acidity of the stomach for a period of time. Keeping a supply of feed in front of your horse on the trailer and in the stall can also aid prevent stomach acid from building up and causing sores. When on the road, you can prevent colic by taking several low breaks to give water rather than racing through the ride. And by giving your horse mental breaks at shows, even if it's just grazing in hand for a few minutes or walking around to see other horses, you can keep his stress levels low and his mental health stable.
