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Journal of veterinary internal medicine2024; 38(6); 3297-3308; doi: 10.1111/jvim.17223

Improvement of gastric disease and ridden horse pain ethogram scores with diet adaptation in sport horses.

Abstract: Gastric disease is highly prevalent in sport horses and may lead to poor performance, cause behavioral changes and impact welfare. Objective: Assess whether diet affects gastric disease and pain expression during riding, and whether it has an impact on physiological and locomotor variables during an exercise test, including jumps. Methods: Nine healthy show-jumping Warmbloods trained at the same stable. Methods: Prospective observational cohort study. The horses receiving a pelleted diet, high in sugar and starch (>30%), were examined at T0 and after 12 weeks (T12) of changing to a cooked, muesli-type low-starch (11%) diet. Each time, the horses underwent a standardized exercise test (SET) and a ridden pain score (Ridden Horse Pain Ethogram [RHpE]) was calculated by 2 blinded observers. The next day, horses underwent gastroscopy and gastric lesions were scored blindly. Results were analyzed using Wilcoxon and Spearman tests. Results: After 12 weeks of a low starch diet, the Equine Gastric Disease (EGD; 4 [3-5] at T0 vs 1 [0-1] at T12, P < .01) and RHpE scores (6 [3-13] at T0 vs 3 [0-6] at T12, P < .01) improved significantly. Squamous, glandular, and EGD scores were positively correlated with RHpE scores (respectively, r = .747, P < .01; r = .743, P < .01 and r = .867, P < .01). Conclusions: Gastric disease and pain scores correlated positively in ridden horses. A low starch diet significantly decreases the severity of gastric disease and associated pain score during riding in horses. Gastric ulcers may be mitigated and the comfort of equines athletes improved by dietary adjustments.
© 2024 ESMP. Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine.
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Publication Date: 2024-10-28 PubMed ID: 39465968PubMed Central: PMC11586567DOI: 10.1111/jvim.17223Google 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.

The research studies the impact of diet change on gastric disease and ridden horse pain scores in sport horses, finding that a low-starch diet can significantly decrease the severity of gastric disease and associated pain during riding.

Research Objective

The main objective of the research was to assess whether dietary changes could affect the prevalence of gastric disease and expression of pain in sport horses during riding. Specifically, the researchers were interested in the impact this might have on physiological and locomotor variables during an exercise test that included jumps.

Methods

  • The study was carried out as a prospective observational cohort study. The subjects were nine healthy Warmblood show-jumpers all trained at the same stable.
  • The horses were initially given a pelleted diet, which was high in sugar and starch (>30%). The researchers examined the horses at the beginning of the study (T0) and after 12 weeks (T12) of switching them to a cooked, muesli-type low-starch (11%) diet.
  • At each examination, the horses underwent a standardized exercise test (SET) and a ridden pain score (Ridden Horse Pain Ethogram [RHpE]) was calculated by two observers, who were blinded to the study’s objectives.
  • The following day, the horses underwent gastroscopy, and gastric lesions were scored blindly. The results were analyzed using Wilcocean and Spearman statistical tests.

Results

  • After a 12-week period of eating a low-starch diet, the horses’ Equine Gastric Disease (EGD) and ridden horse pain ethogram (RHpE) scores improved significantly. The EGD scores were 4 [3-5] at T0 and reduced to 1 [0-1] at T12. The RHpE scores were 6 [3-13] at T0 and decreased to 3 [0-6] at T12.
  • The scores of Squamous, glandular, and EGD were positively correlated with RHpE scores, indicating a mutual relationship between gastric disease and ridden horse pain.

Conclusions

  • The study found that gastric disease and pain scores in ridden horses were positively correlated.
  • Switching horses to a low-starch diet significantly decreased the severity of gastric disease and associated pain scores during riding.
  • The study’s findings suggest that dietary adjustments can help mitigate gastric ulcers and improve the comfort and performance of equine athletes.

Cite This Article

APA
Pineau V, Ter Woort F, Julien F, Vernant M, Lambey S, Hébert C, Hanne-Poujade S, Westergren V, van Erck-Westergren E. (2024). Improvement of gastric disease and ridden horse pain ethogram scores with diet adaptation in sport horses. J Vet Intern Med, 38(6), 3297-3308. https://doi.org/10.1111/jvim.17223

Publication

Journal of veterinary internal medicine
ISSN: 1939-1676
NlmUniqueID: 8708660
Country: United States
Language: English
Volume: 38
Issue: 6
Pages: 3297-3308

Researcher Affiliations

Pineau, Violaine
  • Equine Sports Medicine Practice, Waterloo, Belgium.
Ter Woort, Fe
  • Equine Sports Medicine Practice, Waterloo, Belgium.
Julien, Félicie
  • Lambey SAS, Moulin des Prés, Torpes, France.
Vernant, Margaux
  • Lambey SAS, Moulin des Prés, Torpes, France.
Lambey, Sandrine
  • Lambey SAS, Moulin des Prés, Torpes, France.
Hébert, Camille
  • CWD, Lim group, Bordeaux, France.
Hanne-Poujade, Sandrine
  • CWD, Lim group, Bordeaux, France.
Westergren, Victor
  • Faculty of Economics, Solvay Brussels School of Economics and Management, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium.
van Erck-Westergren, Emmanuelle
  • Equine Sports Medicine Practice, Waterloo, Belgium.

MeSH Terms

  • Horses
  • Animals
  • Horse Diseases / diet therapy
  • Prospective Studies
  • Diet / veterinary
  • Male
  • Female
  • Physical Conditioning, Animal
  • Stomach Diseases / veterinary
  • Stomach Diseases / diet therapy
  • Animal Feed / analysis
  • Pain / veterinary
  • Sports
  • Cohort Studies
  • Pain Measurement / veterinary

Grant Funding

  • Lambey SAS

Conflict of Interest Statement

F. Julien, M. Vernant and S. Lambey are employed by Lambey SAS that has provided the tested feed. C. Hébert and S. Hanne‐Poujade work for Lim group that has provided the iJUMP saddle.

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Citations

This article has been cited 5 times.
  1. Busechian S, Di Salvo A, Orvieto S, Rueca F, Villella C, Sollevanti G, Pieramati C, Nisi I, Della Rocca G. Changes in Fitness Parameters in Ridden Trained Showjumping Horses After Healing of Gastric Ulcers: Preliminary Results. Vet Sci 2025 Dec 21;13(1).
    doi: 10.3390/vetsci13010009pubmed: 41600665google scholar: lookup
  2. Klinck M, Lovett A, Sykes B. Incorporating a Behavioral Medicine Approach in the Multi-Modal Management of Chronic Equine Gastric Ulcer Syndrome (EGUS): A Clinical Commentary. Animals (Basel) 2025 Oct 17;15(20).
    doi: 10.3390/ani15203019pubmed: 41153946google scholar: lookup
  3. Frippiat T, Bonhomme M, Dyson S, Votion DM. Evaluation of Owner-Reported Clinical Signs and Fecal Occult Blood Tests as Predictors of Equine Gastric Ulcer Syndrome in Competition Dressage Horses. J Vet Intern Med 2025 Nov-Dec;39(6):e70248.
    doi: 10.1111/jvim.70248pubmed: 41055229google scholar: lookup
  4. Irving J, Pineau V, Shultz S, Ter Woort F, Julien F, Lambey S, van Erck-Westergren E. Impact of Low-Starch Dietary Modifications on Faecal Microbiota Composition and Gastric Disease Scores in Performance Horses. Animals (Basel) 2025 Jun 28;15(13).
    doi: 10.3390/ani15131908pubmed: 40646806google scholar: lookup
  5. Sykes B, Lovett A. Can All Behavioral Problems Be Blamed on Equine Gastric Ulcer Syndrome?. Animals (Basel) 2025 Jan 22;15(3).
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