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Home / Equine Research Bank / Vet Sci / Changes in Fitness Parameters in Ridden Trained Showjumping ...
Veterinary sciences2025; 13(1); 9; doi: 10.3390/vetsci13010009

Changes in Fitness Parameters in Ridden Trained Showjumping Horses After Healing of Gastric Ulcers: Preliminary Results.

Abstract: Equine Gastric Ulcer Syndrome (EGUS) is a worldwide disease described in different categories of animals. A causal relationship between exercise and EGUS has been suggested, attributed to stress as well as physiological changes in the position of abdominal organs, especially during trot and gallop. EGUS can influence athletic fitness, as has been described in various papers on racehorses. The aim of this work was to determine if gastric ulcer healing is associated with changes in selected fitness parameters (i.e., speed, heart rate during exercise and recovery, stride length and frequency) in 21 trained showjumping horses affected by gastric ulcers. Four animals were excluded for incomplete healing or loss to follow-up. In the remaining seventeen subjects, all healed completely, and fitness parameters were evaluated before and after healing of EGUS during a ridden exercise. The animals were equipped with a fitness tracker validated for use in horses while they performed both flat work and a small obstacle course. Results show that speed and stride length increased after healing, with no concurrent modification in maximal heart rate recorded during exercise and the heart rate recorded during recovery. The increase in speed and stride length is probably related to the disappearance of abdominal discomfort, already described in racehorses after healing of gastric ulcers.
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Publication Date: 2025-12-21 PubMed ID: 41600665PubMed Central: PMC12846468DOI: 10.3390/vetsci13010009Google Scholar: Lookup
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Summary

This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.

Overview

  • This study investigates whether healing from Equine Gastric Ulcer Syndrome (EGUS) affects fitness measures such as speed, heart rate, stride length, and stride frequency in trained showjumping horses.
  • The researchers measured these parameters before and after healing of gastric ulcers in 17 horses to analyze any changes associated with ulcer recovery.

Background and Purpose

  • Equine Gastric Ulcer Syndrome (EGUS) is a common condition worldwide that affects horses in many categories.
  • Exercise has been linked as a cause or contributing factor to EGUS, possibly due to both stress and physiological effects like changes in abdominal organ positioning during intense movements such as trot and gallop.
  • EGUS is known to affect athletic performance, especially in racehorses, potentially due to discomfort or pain that may limit exercise capacity.
  • The study aims to evaluate whether healing of gastric ulcers leads to improvements in measurable fitness parameters in trained showjumping horses, expanding knowledge beyond racing horses.

Methodology

  • The study initially enrolled 21 trained showjumping horses diagnosed with gastric ulcers.
  • Four horses were excluded from the final analysis due to either incomplete healing of their ulcers or loss to follow-up.
  • The remaining 17 horses achieved complete healing of their gastric ulcers.
  • These horses underwent ridden exercise tests including flat work and navigating a small obstacle course.
  • Fitness parameters were measured using fitness trackers validated for equine use, including:
    • Speed (during exercise)
    • Heart rate during exercise (maximal heart rate)
    • Heart rate during recovery
    • Stride length and stride frequency
  • Measurements were recorded both before treatment (while horses still had ulcers) and after confirmed healing.

Findings

  • After healing of gastric ulcers, horses demonstrated a significant increase in speed during exercise.
  • Stride length also increased after healing, indicating possibly more efficient or less restricted movement.
  • No significant changes were observed in maximal heart rate during exercise or heart rate during recovery between pre- and post-healing conditions.

Interpretation and Implications

  • The increase in speed and stride length is likely due to the resolution of abdominal discomfort caused by gastric ulcers, which has been previously described in racehorses.
  • Since heart rate parameters did not change, the improvement in fitness does not appear to be related to cardiovascular capacity but rather to decreased pain or discomfort.
  • This suggests that gastric ulcer healing can positively influence performance parameters related to movement efficiency and willingness to exercise in showjumping horses.
  • These preliminary results highlight the importance of managing and treating gastric ulcers in equine athletes to optimize their athletic performance and welfare.
  • Further research with larger sample sizes and additional parameters would be beneficial to fully understand the impacts of EGUS on equine fitness and performance.

Cite This Article

APA
Busechian S, Di Salvo A, Orvieto S, Rueca F, Villella C, Sollevanti G, Pieramati C, Nisi I, Della Rocca G. (2025). Changes in Fitness Parameters in Ridden Trained Showjumping Horses After Healing of Gastric Ulcers: Preliminary Results. Vet Sci, 13(1), 9. https://doi.org/10.3390/vetsci13010009

Publication

Veterinary sciences
ISSN: 2306-7381
NlmUniqueID: 101680127
Country: Switzerland
Language: English
Volume: 13
Issue: 1
PII: 9

Researcher Affiliations

Busechian, Sara
  • Department of Experimental Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Surgery, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Via Montpellier 1, 00133 Rome, Italy.
Di Salvo, Alessandra
  • Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Perugia, Via San Costanzo 4, 06126 Perugia, Italy.
Orvieto, Simona
  • Independent Researcher, 06125 Perugia, Italy.
Rueca, Fabrizio
  • Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Perugia, Via San Costanzo 4, 06126 Perugia, Italy.
Villella, Chiara
  • Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Perugia, Via San Costanzo 4, 06126 Perugia, Italy.
Sollevanti, Gaia
  • Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Perugia, Via San Costanzo 4, 06126 Perugia, Italy.
Pieramati, Camillo
  • Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Perugia, Via San Costanzo 4, 06126 Perugia, Italy.
Nisi, Irma
  • Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Perugia, Via San Costanzo 4, 06126 Perugia, Italy.
  • Acme Srl, Via Portella della Ginestra 9, 42025 Cavriago, Italy.
Della Rocca, Giorgia
  • Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Perugia, Via San Costanzo 4, 06126 Perugia, Italy.

Conflict of Interest Statement

Irma Nisi was, at the time of the study, a PhD student of the Department of Veterinary Medicine of the University of Perugia and, at the same time, was, but no longer is, an employee of Acme srl, which, among other drugs, also manufactures a formulation of omeprazole. Sara Busechian and Fabrizio Rueca are currently involved in a project of Acme that is not related to this study. Acme srl did not have any role in the collection or interpretation of the data of this manuscript or in the decision to present the data collected. The remaining authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

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