VET Forum 2007 EN Archives

Equine Gastric Ulcer Syndrome: A 2007 Update  By Barney Fleming, DVM (Mar07 EN) 

What causes ulcer formation? There are several factors that predispose a horse to EGUS. A grain-heavy diet and infrequent grazing or reduced hay intake can lead to stomach ulcers within hours to days. Performance horses often go without feed several hours of each day during training, permitting acid build-up within the stomach and causing damage to the stomach lining.

Prolonged stabling or time spent in stalls, coupled with limited turn-out, can also contribute to ulcers. Extended periods of inactivity or strict confinement results in delayed emptying of stomach contents, conditions that are favorable to ulcer development.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, intense exercise or rigorous training actually increases acid production in the horse's stomach and reduces blood flow to the stomach. Consequently, strenuous exercise can be just as likely to result in stomach ulcers as inactivity.

Other factors such as shipping, frequent competition, unfamiliar surroundings and the use of analgesic anti-inflammatories, such as phenylbutazone and flunixin meglumine, have also been shown to contribute to equine stomach ulcers

Looking Back, As A Rider And A Vet  By David Nicholson, DVM (Apr07 EN)  

I was asked to write an article about the history of our sport from a veterinarian's perspective, but when I started writing, I came to realize that I was a rider rather than a vet in the beginning. To me it was a sport, and I tried hard not to get involved in the politics or vetting. So my early memories are from a rider's perspective.

As I reminisce about the good old days when we used to party all night and ride all day, then party again the following night, I think we were a tougher group than today's contestants. We used to go to rides in a pickup truck with the horse in the back, or pulling an old two-horse trailer.

I remember seeing one of the wealthy "fat cats" at Tahoe City driving a new GMC pickup with a camper shell on the back and a new trailer painted to match. Boy, was that class, long before the days of $75,000 trailers and million-dollar horses!I came to my first Tevis in an old Ford truck that was painted with a paintbrush. It had a mattress in the back and we tied the horses to the side and let them eat hay on top of our bedding. Maybe that's why I've always been allergic to hay. We camped in a skunk cabbage patch behind the Chevron station in Tahoe City and told stories of the adventure to come. Pity the poor newcomers who had to endure sagas of snakes, steep canyons and moss-covered swinging bridges that swayed precariously over the rushing rivers below. I miss the tall tales and the campfires