“I love my horse and I want it to feel good!” This is a very common sentence we hear from riders and horse owners all the time. There is no wonders that most of them go to great length to ensure the wellbeing of their horses. There is a lot of talk about animal-welfare. Horses get to go to the pasture as often as possible. The training is based on soft, horse-appropriate methods that emphasize the joy of learning. Saddles and bridles are perfectly customized, and the feeding is constantly optimized.

It’s a pity that all our effort apparently don’t lead to the desired outcome: 80% of all horses who take part in big national and international competitions are estimated to suffer from stomach problems, or even gastric ulcers. This is supported by Isabel Freese, who trains horses at Paul Schockemöhle’s stables, and has an impressive number of international successes to show for.

What can riders do for their horses to prevent them from growing gastric ulcers?

The stakes are getting higher for competition horses, because they need to deal with increasing performance levels. However, even leisure horses feel stressed when trailering, or entering local competitions nearby.

Many horses stop eating properly. And this leads to stomach problems even quicker. Stomach acid can only be neutralized when the horse eats. This calls for supplements that can be mixed into the regular feed rations. These can buffer the excess acid, so chances are pretty good that stomach ulcers don’t grow at all. And most of all, horses feel so much better, no matter if they are entering competitions, or just train in the rink at home.

Isabel Freese has decided to try Equine 74 for her horse that was showing grave symptoms of stomach problems: Besides the nervous, unbalanced behavior you might expect in this case, its entire body was covered with a terrible rash.

Here you can read if she was successful with our natural feed supplement, and what she can tell about increasing demands competition horses are facing right now.

She is one of the best horse trainers in Germany. She has demonstrated her talent with young dressage horses. This is also confirmed by the two German Championship titles she won in 2015 with Fasine and Fürsten-Look. But this is not all. Management, too, is one of the major factors for her success. We are talking about Isabel Freese from Norway, a top rider in Paul Schockemöhle's stables in Mühlen. What she looks for in terms of health and feeding and why she feeds Equine 74 Gastric.

You are saying that the feed and the resulting health is an essential factor of athletic achievement for you. What exactly does this mean?

"It´s quite simple, really. Our sports horses have to be absolutely top fit.Their well-being is a major factor in this context. Only vital and healthy individuals meet the basic requirements for being motivated and on the ball at all times. This is no different for horses than it is for people."

What exactly do you mean by 'well-being' in this context?

"This, too, is basically simple: Our horses, of course, must be in top physical condition.This includes stamina, muscles, feeding state and health. But this is not all, however - we do need something else as well: Motivated horses that love training, that are even-tempered while also having the necessary 'Go'.

Is this what many horses are lacking?

"Well, I don't know about many. But some, certainly. At least in this important combination within equestrian sports."

What do you think causes this?

"On the one hand, I believe that today's sports requires this. Our show horses have a tightly packed programme almost every day – training, show, travelling… plus breeding, of course, which has been adapted to these demands. Today's top sports horses are almost all highly bred and therefore more vulnerable to stress. In this case, composure and well-being, as mentioned, quickly fall by the wayside."

What happens? What is your experience?

"Many horses develop considerable stomach problems. My colleagues keep confirming this, too. Some are saying that 80 percent of all horses in high-performance national or international sports have gastric problems. And that almost everyone is feeding Omeprazol for this reason. I myself have had the same experience with one of my Grand Prix horses."

What happened to your horse?

"First of all, he didn't feed particularly well. Secondly, he was very nervous. Not just when riding, but also in his box. Worst of all, however, was this rash all over his body."

You are speaking in the past tense. Have you been able to deal with these problems?

"Luckily, yes! On Josef Klapphake's recommendation I started to feed Equine 74 Gastric. At first I was a bit unsure whether it was wise to change anything at all about the feed. Because of the rash. I hardly dared to feed anything different. But now I'm glad I did. The horse changed totally. He is even-tempered and happy. And what's even better: The rash is almost entirely gone. He has a wonderful coat and I am totally happy!"

So, do you think that Equine 74 Gastric has contributed to your horse feeling well these days?

"Well, I'm not 100 % sure, of course. But I do know that he's been feeling well since I started feeding him this product. And that he is very good to ride. And that his horrible rash is gone. This makes me very happy."