Ulceration of the stomach was created by alternating 24 hours off feed and 24 hour periods on hay. The severity of the ulceration was lessened by the use of ranitidine, a drug which decreases the acid secretion in the stomach. The other part of the study involved a comparison of the changes in the stomach ulcers when horses were confined to stalls for 7 days with free access to hay or were turned out to pasture for the same period. Horses kept in stalls had more severe signs of stomach ulceration compared to those out at pasture. The authors thought that this was probably due to alterations in feeding behaviour.
Stomach ulceration is still a hidden disease and hard to diagnose without specialised equipment.
However, it is clear that management and feeding changes can produce the problem and ulceration of the stomach should be suspected when some of the signs detailed above are present. A range of treatments, including drugs such as ranitidine, can be helpful in treating the problem.