The Prevalence of Gastric Ulcer Syndrome in 395 Horses in Jiangyin City, China, Jiangsu Province.
Authors: Zhou Kairen, Dong Zhen, Zhou Xuzheng, Zhai Bintao, Li Bing, Zhang Jiyu, Cheng Fusheng
Journal: Animals : an open access journal from MDPI
Summary
# Editorial Summary: Gastric Ulcer Prevalence in Working Horses A Chinese research team performed gastroscopies on 395 horses to establish baseline data on equine gastric ulcer syndrome (EGUS) prevalence and identify risk factors across different ages, breeds and work types, using a standardised grading system (0–4). The strikingly high prevalence of 78% ulceration within this population warrants immediate attention, with 60% of horses presenting ulcers graded 2 or above—and notably, horses engaged in demanding activities (performance work, cart-pulling) exceeded 50% in the more severe grades. Whilst age and breed showed no significant association with ulcer presence overall, older horses did demonstrate susceptibility to involvement of both glandular and squamous regions, and breed differences emerged in ulcer location patterns; work intensity emerged as the critical differentiating factor, directly correlating with both incidence and severity. For farriers, vets and other equine professionals, these findings underscore that management of work demands—including training schedules, turnout patterns and feeding protocols—deserves greater emphasis in EGUS prevention strategies, particularly given that occupation-related stress appears more influential than intrinsic animal factors. This dataset provides practical benchmarking values for identifying at-risk populations and evaluating intervention efficacy in working horse enterprises.
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Practical Takeaways
- •Gastric ulcers are highly prevalent in working horses; implement routine monitoring and preventive management strategies for horses in your care, particularly those in intensive work
- •Work intensity and type appear to be stronger risk factors than age or breed; prioritize horses performing demanding tasks (performances, pulling) for closer observation and prophylactic treatment
- •Older horses warrant attention to both glandular and squamous regions during assessment; breed-specific ulcer patterns may inform targeted prevention protocols
Key Findings
- •Overall prevalence of gastric ulcers was 78% in the examined horse population
- •Older horses showed higher susceptibility to ulcers in both glandular and squamous mucosal areas
- •60% of horses across different job types had ulcer scores of 2 or above, with >50% in horses performing intense work (performances, cart-pulling)
- •No significant association between age or breed and ulcer prevalence, but breed differences existed in ulcer location and work activity significantly influenced incidence and severity