Prevalence and Risk Factors for the Presence of Gastric Ulcers in Pleasure and Breeding Horses in Italy.
Authors: Busechian Sara, Bindi Francesca, Orvieto Simona, Zappulla Francesco, Marchesi Maria Chiara, Nisi Irma, Rueca Fabrizio
Journal: Animals : an open access journal from MDPI
Summary
Equine gastric ulceration manifests in two distinct forms—squamous (ESGD) and glandular (EGGD)—with different aetiologies and risk profiles, yet comparative data from mixed horse populations remain limited. Researchers performed gastroscopic examinations on 316 Italian pleasure, breeding, and retired horses alongside detailed questionnaires covering signalment, management, activity, and health to establish prevalence figures and identify modifiable risk factors for each disease type. ESGD prevalence aligned with international benchmarks and demonstrated clear associations with age, time spent with the current owner, paddock management (duration and type), forage quality, supplementary feeding practices, and work intensity; conversely, EGGD occurred less frequently and showed correlation only with signalment variables, with management factors appearing irrelevant to glandular mucosal lesion development. These findings suggest that ESGD in leisure and breeding populations remains substantially influenced by husbandry and exercise protocols, offering practitioners multiple intervention points through optimising turnout, hay provision, and gradual activity increases. The minimal management associations for EGGD imply a more intrinsic disease process, potentially warranting investigation into systemic or genetic predisposition factors rather than environmental modification alone.
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Practical Takeaways
- •Assess signalment, paddock management, hay quality/quantity, and activity type when evaluating horses with suspected gastric ulcers, as these factors are modifiable risk factors for ESGD in pleasure and breeding horses.
- •EGGD appears less management-dependent than ESGD; consider breed and individual predisposition when evaluating glandular lesions.
- •Time spent with current owner and consistency of management transitions warrant attention as risk factors for squamous gastric disease development.
Key Findings
- •ESGD prevalence in Italian pleasure, breeding, and retired horses was similar to literature reports and was associated with signalment, time with owner/caretaker, management practices (paddock time/type, hay, supplementary feed), and activity level.
- •EGGD was present in a lower percentage of animals and was associated only with signalment, not management factors.
- •This is the first study in Italy to investigate gastric ulcer prevalence across a diverse population including pleasure, breeding, and retired horses.
- •Management factors significantly influence squamous gastric disease development but not glandular gastric disease in this Italian cohort.