Prevalence of gastric ulceration in Swedish Standardbreds in race training.
Authors: Jonsson H, Egenvall A
Journal: Equine veterinary journal
Summary
# Editorial Summary: Gastric ulceration in racing Standardbreds Jonsson and Egenvall investigated the prevalence of squamous gastric ulceration in Swedish Standardbreds undergoing active race training, addressing a notable gap in our understanding of this condition in harness racing populations. Using gastroscopy to examine 80 horses trained by nine different trainers, the researchers scored ulcer severity (0–4 scale) and correlated findings with age, sex, recent performance, temperament, feeding practices, housing and training status. Seventy per cent of the cohort had endoscopically evident ulceration, with only 30% completely free of lesions; importantly, horses in preparatory training phases and those raced within the preceding month showed significantly higher ulcer scores than fit but currently non-racing animals, making training intensity and recent competition the only statistically significant risk factors identified. Despite expectations that factors such as age, sex, behaviour and diet would prove relevant, these parameters showed only weak associations with ulceration status, underscoring that clinical signs and history alone are unreliable diagnostic tools. For equine practitioners working with Standardbreds, this work emphasises both the high baseline prevalence of gastric ulceration in this population and the critical importance of gastroscopic examination as the only reliable diagnostic approach, particularly in horses showing performance decline or behavioural changes during intensive training phases.
Read the full abstract on PubMed
Practical Takeaways
- •Gastric ulcers are highly prevalent in racehorses in active training—endoscopy should be considered as a diagnostic tool rather than relying on clinical signs or history alone
- •Horses undergoing intensive training and racing are at elevated risk; management strategies during preparatory and active racing phases warrant investigation
- •Age, sex, performance level, behaviour, and feeding regimens alone cannot reliably predict which individual horses will have gastric ulcers, so screening protocols should not exclude horses based on these factors
Key Findings
- •70% of Swedish Standardbreds in race training had gastric ulcers (ulcer scores 1-4), with 30% showing no lesions
- •Horses in preparatory training and those that raced within the last month had significantly higher ulcer prevalence than fit but non-racing horses
- •Training status was the only parameter significantly associated with gastric ulcers; age, sex, performance, behaviour, and eating habits showed weak associations
- •Endoscopic examination is the only reliable diagnostic method, as clinical parameters and history provide insufficient predictive value for identifying affected horses