Many owners of horses with stomach problems are facing challenges while riding. The horses are typically tense and will not release the back, with the head never fully stretched out forward/downward. The horse is completely unable to relax and there is no sense of a ‘riding feeling’. This is caused by stomach pain due to gastric problems.

Even while tightening the girth, stomach patients will express their indisposition by flattening their ears, tensing up considerably, biting, lashing about with their tail, or trying to kick the person. As soon as the girth is tightened, the horse’s stomach will contract, causing the gastric acid to enter the glandless part of the stomach. If this has already been damaged by inflammation or lesions of the gastric lining, as well as by gastric ulcers, it will be excruciatingly painful for the horse.

If the horse is known to suffer from acute stomach problems or if it tends to develop gastric ulcers, make sure to watch out for possible signs of discomfort while riding so as to make sure that the horse does not become disgruntled with training. Always start out slowly with the training session and proceed carefully to determine whether the stomach is causing acute problems. Stomach patients in particular need long relaxation phases. Horses generally tend to show clearly whether they are in pain. A horse suffering from stomach ache will not only tense up its back, but it will also have difficulty bending and collecting, since it tightens up completely. Such horses tend to bite and hold on to the bit, grinding their teeth. Frequent yawning is another symptom. Increased salivation is frequently observed, too. Thus, the horse is trying to compensate for the excess gastric acid by buffering it with more saliva.

If a horse displays these symptoms very clearly during training, we can support this horse by feeding a gastric acid buffer such as Equine 74 before riding to buffer the excess amount of gastric acid. Thus, the gastric acid is prevented from entering the glandless part of the stomach. A stomach lining protector will also enhance the horse’s wellbeing under the saddle. Thus, supplementation with linseed or linseed jelly, Schlonzi, psyllium, lecithin, or pectins, among others, before riding has a beneficial effect on the horse. The sensitive stomach lining is therefore covered with a protective coating and can no longer be directly attacked by gastric acid.