The Equinist: Articles and Commentary by Susan Kauffmann

             In the last few years, various studies have shown that an alarming number of horses suffer from stomach ulcers, a problem referred to as Equine Gastric Ulcer Syndrome (EGUS) because of its complex nature.  Estimates are that ulcers are present in 25-50% of foals, 60% of show horses, and over 90% of racehorses and other high-level performance horses – and one new study has even found a shockingly high rate of ulcers in broodmares on pasture.  Experts agree that the main causes of EGUS are intensive exercise, infrequent feedings, stall confinement, trailering, the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and carbohydrate rich diets, but when it comes to the less tangible factor of psychological stress, opinions differ wildly.  While there is anecdotal evidence which suggests that psychological stress can play a role in the development of EGUS, and many articles and advertisements state that it does, there is littl...

Horse eating out of 1.5" hole size Nibblenet I just came across an ad for a training barn that mentioned the fact that they feed "twice a day", as if this were a selling point. While it is a common practice in the horse industry to feed on a twice daily schedule, this is terribly inadequate if you look at the horse's biological requirements. Please allow me to explain why. Horses were designed by nature as "trickle feeders", meaning that they are meant to take in small amounts of food over a long period of time. In natural settings, horses graze at least 16 hours a day, with the pattern being nibble a little, walk a bit, nibble a little more. The whole physiology of their digestive system is set up to accommodate this model of consumption, starting with the fact that horses are constant acid secreters. This differs from humans, whose stomachs only secrete acid in the presence of food. The stomach of the horse, however, produces hydrochloric acid at...