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Veterinary journal (London, England : 1997)2008; 181(3); 251-255; doi: 10.1016/j.tvjl.2008.03.020

Prevalence of gastric ulcers in Thoroughbred broodmares in pasture: a preliminary report.

Abstract: Gastroscopic examinations were performed in 62 Thoroughbred broodmares (33 pregnant, 29 non-pregnant) at one breeding farm to investigate the prevalence of gastric ulceration. Age, pregnancy status, race earnings, last race start, herd size, medical history, number of live foals, breeding years, feed type and number of feedings were recorded, plus coat condition and body condition score were determined. Twenty-one mares were re-evaluated after foaling, and the foaling date, foal weight at birth and placenta weight were recorded. The overall prevalence of gastric ulcers was 70.9%, with a median ulcer score of 3.0 (range: 2-5). Most ulcers were present on the squamous portion of the stomach, while two mares had glandular ulcers. There were no differences in the presence, location and severity of gastric ulcers between pregnant and non-pregnant mares. Furthermore, there were no significant associations between the variables measured and the presence of gastric ulceration. The prevalence of gastric ulceration in this specific population of horses was higher than expected and further investigation is warranted to determine the factors that contributed to this finding.
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Publication Date: 2008-06-03 PubMed ID: 18511313DOI: 10.1016/j.tvjl.2008.03.020Google 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.

This study investigates the occurrence of stomach ulcers in Thoroughbred broodmares, with shocking results showing around 71% of individuals affected. No significant differences were found in relation to pregnancy status or other variables recorded.

Study Overview

The study was carried out in a single breeding farm with 62 Thoroughbred broodmares participating. The mares consisted of both pregnant (33) and non-pregnant (29). The investigators gathered data on age, pregnancy status, race earnings, last race start, herd size, medical history, number of live foals, breeding years, type and frequency of feed. In addition, assessments were made regarding coat condition and body condition score. Twenty-one mares were examined further after giving birth, recording the foaling date, foal weight at birth and placenta weight.

Gastroscopic Examinations and Findings

  • A gastroscopy, an examination using a small camera to observe the stomach and the upper part of the digestive system, was carried out on the mares.
  • The examinations showed that a startlingly high prevalence of gastric ulcers was found, affecting 70.9% of the mares.
  • The severity of the ulcers, scored between 2 and 5, had a median score of 3.0.
  • Most ulcers were located on the squamous portion of the stomach, whilst two mares suffered from ulcers in the glandular region.

Key Conclusions

The research did not find any significant association between the presence of gastric ulcers and the variables measured. This includes the relationship between pregnancy status and ulcer incidence – both pregnant and non-pregnant mares seemed to be equally affected. The prevalence of gastric ulcers amongst the horses of this study is surprisingly high, prompting the need for further investigations. The factors contributing to this high prevalence rate could not be determined from this study’s findings and warrant more comprehensive research.

Cite This Article

APA
le Jeune SS, Nieto JE, Dechant JE, Snyder JR. (2008). Prevalence of gastric ulcers in Thoroughbred broodmares in pasture: a preliminary report. Vet J, 181(3), 251-255. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tvjl.2008.03.020

Publication

Veterinary journal (London, England : 1997)
ISSN: 1090-0233
NlmUniqueID: 9706281
Country: England
Language: English
Volume: 181
Issue: 3
Pages: 251-255

Researcher Affiliations

le Jeune, Sarah S
  • Comparative Gastroenterology Laboratory, Department of Surgical and Radiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, 1 Shields Avenue, Davis, CA 95616, United States. sslejeune@ucdavis.edu
Nieto, Jorge E
    Dechant, Julie E
      Snyder, Jack R

        MeSH Terms

        • Animal Husbandry
        • Animals
        • Female
        • Horse Diseases / diagnosis
        • Horse Diseases / epidemiology
        • Horses
        • Pregnancy
        • Stomach / pathology
        • Stomach Ulcer / diagnosis
        • Stomach Ulcer / epidemiology
        • Stomach Ulcer / veterinary

        Citations

        This article has been cited 14 times.
        1. 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
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          doi: 10.3390/ani14111531pubmed: 38891578google scholar: lookup
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        7. Silva CJFL, Trindade KLG, Cruz RKS, Manso HECCC, Coelho CS, Filho JDR, Nogueira CEW, Aragona F, Fazio F, Manso Filho HC. Effects of the Ingestion of Ripe Mangoes on the Squamous Gastric Region in the Horse. Animals (Basel) 2022 Nov 9;12(22).
          doi: 10.3390/ani12223084pubmed: 36428312google scholar: lookup
        8. Busechian S, Turini L, Sgorbini M, Bonelli F, Pisello L, Pieramati C, Orvieto S, Rueca F. Body Condition Score Is Not Correlated to Gastric Ulcers in Non-Athlete Horses. Animals (Basel) 2022 Sep 30;12(19).
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          doi: 10.2147/VMRR.S235258pubmed: 35004264google scholar: lookup
        10. Popescu S, Lazar EA, Borda C, Niculae M, Sandru CD, Spinu M. Welfare Quality of Breeding Horses Under Different Housing Conditions. Animals (Basel) 2019 Mar 5;9(3).
          doi: 10.3390/ani9030081pubmed: 30841611google scholar: lookup
        11. Tesena P, Yingchutrakul Y, Roytrakul S, Wongtawan T, Angkanaporn K. Serum protein expression in Equine Glandular Gastric Disease (EGGD) induced by phenylbutazone. J Vet Med Sci 2019 Mar 20;81(3):418-424.
          doi: 10.1292/jvms.18-0679pubmed: 30674748google scholar: lookup
        12. Hewetson M, Sykes BW, Hallowell GD, Tulamo RM. Diagnostic accuracy of blood sucrose as a screening test for equine gastric ulcer syndrome (EGUS) in adult horses. Acta Vet Scand 2017 Mar 11;59(1):15.
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        14. Woodward MC, Huff NK, Garza F Jr, Keowen ML, Kearney MT, Andrews FM. Effect of pectin, lecithin, and antacid feed supplements (Egusin®) on gastric ulcer scores, gastric fluid pH and blood gas values in horses. BMC Vet Res 2014;10 Suppl 1(Suppl 1):S4.
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