14/05/2026
Why Equine Stomach Ulcers Are So Common — And What Many Horse Owners Overlook.
Ulcers and chronic stomach inflammation are incredibly common in modern horses — not only in racehorses, but also in pleasure, trail and competition horses.
In many cases, the biggest contributing factors are stress and feeding management.
A horse’s stomach was designed for almost constant grazing. In nature, horses spend much of the day slowly consuming fibrous forage while moving freely and living within a herd environment.
Modern horse life often looks very different.
Large grain meals, limited turnout, isolated stabling, travel, inconsistent routines, intense training schedules and environmental stress can all place pressure on the digestive system.
What many people don’t realise is that horses produce stomach acid continuously — whether they are eating or not.
And this is where chewing becomes incredibly important.
Equine saliva is naturally very low in digestive enzymes, but extremely rich in bicarbonate — one of the horse’s most important natural acid buffers.
Interestingly, forage requires dramatically more chewing than hard feed:
• 1 kg hard feed = approx. 10 minutes eating and around 900 ml saliva
• 1 kg hay = approx. 40 minutes eating and several litres of saliva production
The more a horse chews, the more saliva is produced to help buffer stomach acid and support digestive health.
This is one of the reasons long periods without forage can become such a problem for many horses.
Stress also plays a major role.
Anxious or highly alert horses often rush their feed, chew less effectively and spend more time in a heightened stress response — all of which can negatively affect digestive health over time.
Some common signs associated with ulcers or stomach irritation may include:
• Girthiness
• Behaviour changes
• Reduced performance
• Mild unexplained colic
• Weight loss
• Teeth grinding
• “Empty” chewing or yawning
• Runny manure
• Dull coat
• Sensitivity when mounted
• Social withdrawal or irritability
Of course, these signs can also indicate other issues, which is why veterinary guidance is always important.
At SonoVet Natural Therapy, we always believe prevention and management should come first wherever possible.
Simple foundations can make a significant difference:
• Consistent access to forage
• Feeding hay before hard feed
• Reducing excessive starch and molasses
• Consistent routines
• Lower-stress management and training approaches
• Supporting horses that struggle with tension or overstimulation
Because often, ulcers are not just a stomach issue — they can also reflect the horse’s overall nervous system, environment and daily management.
— SonoVet Natural Therapy 🤍
