Most people who are competing are aware of gastric ulcers and often are very diligent about treating them with preventative doses of ulcergard. This is very good practice, but important to remember that ulcergard will only reduce acid production to reduce the chance of damage to the mucosa of the stomach. Just treating with ulcergard will not guarantee a clean stomach if the horse does not have the correct diet. It cannot be said enough how important forage is for the diet. When horses eat hay or grass, they produce twice as much saliva as they do when they consume a grain meal. This is important because saliva is the natural acid buffer for the stomach. When the horse is traveling and competing (no matter how calm and relaxed they may appear) there is a physiological spike in cortisol levels. Chronic stress and subsequent release of cortisol can lead to suppression of the immune system, an increased risk of gastric ulceration and colic.
So, as much as we all want to reduce stress for our horses, it is unfortunately a product of what we do with them. In my practice, a competition horse that does not have a history of gastric ulcers can certainly maintain a healthy GI tract simply with a well-planned diet where the horse has access to steamed hay as much as possible. This will help create a nice forage mat at the bottom of the stomach and encourage a lot of saliva production. I personally take a Forager with me when I travel so that I can provide a large amount of hay but control the rate of intake. This way, I can simulate his grazing behavior that he normally does at home. The Haygain Forager is easy to transport and helps provide as much hay as the horse can consume in a day. As an added benefit, I have found that the forager is the best way to feed hay in the trailer as well! They maintain their proper head down grazing position which is not only great for the GI tract, but for the airway as well.
Water: Always ensure the horse has access to clean, fresh water. Dehydration impedes gut movement and when ingested feed stops moving through the horse’s gut efficiently, the material can accumulate and cause impaction colic.
No sudden changes to diet: Dietary changes should be made gradually over 2-3 weeks. Studies show a greater colic risk 7-14 days after diet change.
Turnout: Studies have shown horses that have access to pasture turnout have a lower colic risk than those without pasture access.
Maximise forage intake: Consuming forages can provide much of the energy needs of the horse, help maintain gastrointestinal tract function and help prevent boredom in the stabled horse. Conserved forages such as hay should be provided in a way to minimize the horse eating directly off the ground where it would potentially consume sand, dirt, and/or parasites. The Haygain Forager is an ideal solution for this and will also slow down how fast the horse eats its forage so it will last them longer in keeping with the trickle feeding part of gut health to help prevent colic.
Forage hygiene: Poor forage hygiene caused by bacteria and mould in conserved forage has been identified as a risk factor for colic. The quality of forage hygiene can be improved using a Haygain hay steamer which steams at high temperatures to kill bacteria and mould thus improving the hygiene quality of the forage.
Minimize concentrate intake: Colic risk increased 70% for each pound increase in whole grain or corn fed in some studies. Horses eating pelleted feeds are also at increased risk for colic compared to horses on a 100% hay diet.
Regular dental checks: Ensures good ability to thoroughly chew hay and other feed. Horses that are unable to chew their food properly can suffer from impaction colic where pieces of poorly chewed hay block portions of the intestine.
Effective parasite control: Keep parasitic levels in the gastrointestinal tract low. Parasite-related colic can be caused by:
Winter time can throw up some additional risks to colic, most commonly related to the cold weather months are impaction-colics.
Read our winter colic article for more details.
Colic episodes vary in type, nature and severity but colic signs include:
Read more on colic in horses.
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