Stomach problems up to stomach ulcers occur more frequently in horses than previously thought. Sport and racehorses, but also leisure horses, broodmares, and even foals can be affected. For the horse, stomach ulcers are very painful, and even stomach problems reduce the quality of life. Treatment by the veterinarian is expensive. Therefore, prevent it through appropriate feeding. Stress plays a crucial role in the development of problems in the gastrointestinal tract. Feeding is often involved: it can be the cause, but it can also contribute to treatment and improvement.
Tracking Stomach Problems
If the stomach system or protective mechanisms are disturbed, stomach acid comes into direct contact with the stomach lining. The stomach acid can lead to irritation of the stomach lining (gastritis). With persistent irritation, stomach ulcers (gastric ulcers) can develop, which are also referred to as Equine Gastric Ulcer Syndrome (EGUS).
Often the symptoms are non-specific, so one does not immediately suspect a stomach problem in the horse. Indications of stomach problems or stomach ulcers can be behaviors such as frequent yawning, flehmen, interrupted and hesitant food intake, belching, bad breath, looking at the belly, or increased sensitivity to touch when grooming, saddling, and riding. Over time, weight loss and a poorer general condition often occur. Only a gastroscopy can correctly diagnose stomach ulcers. A diagnostic therapy is also often carried out nowadays: if the symptoms improve with the administration of certain medications, a stomach ulcer is inferred as the cause.
Once the Stomach is Upset – Correct Feeding Errors
Stomach ulcers often arise from incorrect feeding, but are also favored by other diseases, housing, training, or in many cases by stress. Wild horses in the wild spend most of the day searching for and consuming food. Through the constant intake of structured grasses and herbs in small portions, the relatively small stomach, with about 18 liters, is always ideally filled. A constant flow of saliva is promoted, which neutralizes the stomach acid permanently produced by the horse's stomach.
In modern stable housing, it often looks different. Feeding breaks over four hours, for example, to reduce energy and nutrient intake, hardly occur in the wild. Too little roughage, too long feeding breaks, and crib feed amounts not adjusted to performance with too much starch or in too large portions can lead to stomach problems.
Grain-Free Horse Feed as a Problem Solver
In case of stomach pain and stomach ulcers, feeding should be done over a longer period with a grain-free and starch-reduced feed. Studies show that simply switching to a starch-reduced diet with a lot of crude fiber and increased fat content improves existing stomach damage.Switching to our Mifuma Muesli Grain-Free as the sole crib feed helps support the treatment of stomach ulcers by the veterinarian and the healing of the stomach.
But not only when symptoms and problems occur, but at all timesfeeding ration and management must be aligned with the species-appropriate and performance-appropriate needs of the horse. The basis is an adequate amount of roughage and fiber feed, offered throughout the day or even permanently available. This avoids too long feeding breaks and promotes a constant flow of saliva to neutralize stomach acid. Overall, energy and nutrient supply must be aligned with the actual needs for maintenance, growth, and performance. The crib feed should only provide as much starch as the respective horse needs. If necessary, the crib feed must be divided into several portions so that the maximum recommendation of 1 g of starch per kg of body weight per meal is not exceeded. Energy supply can be increased by adding oil if needed.
After longer feeding breaks, it is generally advantageous to offer fiber-rich feed in the trough. In horses, stomach acid rises sharply during a feeding break; when consuming a starch-rich grain ration with a short chewing time, the stomach acid can only be insufficiently buffered by the substances contained in saliva. For stomach health, even in healthy horses, feeding Mifuma Muesli Grain-Free as the sole crib feed or as a supplement to normal crib feed has proven effective: the structured mixture forces the horses to chew thoroughly and thus to produce plenty of saliva and mix the food pulp. In the stomach, the food bites arrive well chopped, soaked, and with plenty of bicarbonate, which buffers the formed stomach acid. The contained linseed with valuable mucilages additionally supports the protection of the stomach and intestinal mucosa. If you prepare Mifuma Muesli Grain-Free like a mash with warm water, the mucilages can even fully unfold their effect directly.
Further information and an overview of our Mifuma horse feed can be found on the product overview page.
