Does Sweet Feed Increase Ulcer Risk For Horses?

Many horses develop ulcers over the course of their lifetime. While there are lots of ways to assist in ulcer healing or prevent recurrence, one of the most common piece of advice traded between horse owners is 'cut out the sweet feed.' But is that actually valid?

A horse's diet influences both the development and healing of ulcers, reports The Horse. The stomach can be divided into two main areas: the glandular and the non-glandular regions. The glandular portion of the stomach is closer to the small intestine. The cells of the stomach in this area secrete hydrochloric acid, which breaks down feed. It also secretes mucus, which protects the stomach from the acid.

The non-glandular portion of the stomach doesn't secrete mucous (or acid), but it is at risk of ulcer development. Some things that predispose a horse to ulcers include low forage intake; non-steroidal anti-inflammatory use, extended time in a stall, high-grain diets and intense exercise.

Diet has an impact on the environment of the stomach and can make it a more or less hospitable environment for ulcers to form. Horses should ingest 1.5 percent of their body weight in forage daily – preferably continually. Saliva buffers the stomach from acid, and chewed hay creates a mat that floats on top of the fluid in the stomach, preventing it (and the acid) from splashing up and causing ulcers.

Sweet feeds and other high-grain concentrates can cause stomach acid production to spike in order to break down the sugar in these textured grains.

Experts say there are a few strategies you could consider when giving sweet feed to an ulcer-prone horse:

-Feeding forage before the grain to buffer the stomach acid.

-Divide sweet feed into multiple smaller meals to reduce the possibility that the grain will stay in the glandular region of the stomach.

-Look at other feed options. If a horse must be fed a lot of calories to maintain weight, investigate sweet feeds with higher fat.