Shoes are another BIG expense. Pasture horses and horses not showing or traveling on difficult terrians usually do not have to have shoes although they do need to have thier hooves trimmed regularly. The amount of time usually 6 to 8 weeks may vary depending on your horse and how much foot they grow in what amount of time. Horses with shoes also cannot live outside without the danger of thowing shoes. Pick a good farrier, a bad shoeing job can cause more trouble than you can image, back pain, shoulder problems, even lameness, so choose a farrier carefully.
Ulcers can also trigger colic.
Having recently went through Ulcers problems with my stallion I have gathered some information on the subject. To date the most effective treatment for ulcers has been Gastro Gard which is very expensive, hundreds of dollars a week in some cases. Poor appetite or a decrease in performance levels are amongst the symptoms, and many times the horse appears to be colicing. Since GastroGard is so expensive any treatment that's cheaper would be nice, in some horses mine included Nutrient buffer given daily helps to prevent the reoccurrence of ulcers. Nutrient buffer is my first choice as it is the only one I have found that does not have aluminum.