In the spring time, for show horses comes the months, in which many demands are made on them. No wonder many horses are getting thinner and thinner. One rider just wrote to us again: "My horse always loses weight when training and competing at once. As soon as he goes to the tournaments and gets stressed, he loses weight." They are not alone with this problem. Transport stress, demanding training and the tournament atmosphere can confuse the eating habits. It's just like us people: Sometimes when it gets too stressful, we have no appetite. In horses, however, the loss of appetite can also have more serious causes: Horses suffering from ulcers often eat badly. The horse's well-being disappears.
As horse owners and show riders we must therefore pay special attention that our horses are relaxed. Because if they feel stressed, the risk of getting stomach ulcers increases. And when they have ulcers, they feel stressed. But how do you escape this stress trap?
If there is too much acid in the stomach permanently, a stomach ulcer forms in the horse. And above all, if horses frequently drive to tournaments, get grain-heavy concentrated feed and do not have enough time to graze, the stomach acid cannot be properly metabolized. This often results in a lack of well-being for the horse.
Many show riders decide to focus on prevention right away. The simplest (and far cheaper than an ulcer treatment) is clearly a natural food supplement. Equine 74 Gastric is often recommended in the show rider scene because many successful riders are very satisfied with the results - not only in terms of prevention, but also the behaviour of their horses.
The young American dressage queen Barbara Davis tells enthusiastically that her nervous horses have become much calmer since they got Equine 74 Gastric - but have by no means become lazy, but much more concentrated. In the interview she tells how she discovered the ulcers in her horses and how she got the problem under control.
For brand new 2016 American Young Riders Champion Barbara "BeBe" Davis Equine 74 Gastric has become an integral part of her feeding plan for her FEI level dressage horses. The 18-year old Davis has been competing Feivel Mousekewitz and Rotano at international young riders level and with Equestricons Carrera she has made her first steps into Under 25 Grand Prix division. By adding Equine 74 Gastric to her mounts' diet, Davis has unlocked a new level of health and competitive success for her loyal equine partners.
Much is asked from high performance dressage horses who have to travel and compete on a regular basis. Often they develop ulcers from stress related activities, a problem many dressage riders face and struggle with. After a long search for the right product, Davis' horses found relief in Equine 74 Gastric.
"One of my horses began to act very strangely. He was very tired and did not have a good appetite, which was very out of the ordinary for him. The vet diagnosed him with both front and hindgut ulcers," Davis explained. "We had tried many different courses of action with the horses before to either treat or prevent ulcers. However, most of them were either quite complicated or very expensive and not practical."
Davis discovered Equine 74 Gastric through her father Michael, who had heard about it word of mouth.
"Once I read testimonies from other riders and spoke to Anita van Slyke, the U.S. representative of Equine 74 Gastric, I thought it would be a great product to try. After receiving the sample and trying it, we were hooked," said Davis enthusiastically. She has now joined a string of highly acclaimed international dressage riders - such as Tinne Vilhelmson-Silfven, Pether Markne, Wolfgang Schade, Julie de Deken, Ludwig and Karin Zierer, Liz Diegutis, and Isabel Freese - who swear by it.
Barbara believes Equine 74 Gastric stands out as an ulcer prevention and treatment product for numerous reasons. It not only prevents gastric ulceration but it helps alleviate excess acid in a horse's stomach by absording it.
"Equine Gastric is so effective and so easy to use, and the horses also love the taste," she said. "Equine Gastric is the best product I have used thus far in treating and preventing any sort of stomach problems. At the moment all of my horses get it. They have all flourished while on the product. It has a calming effect on my more excited horses, but does not make them lazy. It is an incredible product and far superior to other ones I have tried. Most products only treat stomach ulcers as well as other issue. However, Equine Gastric not only treats but prevents these issues from even occurring."
Barbara began feeding Equine 74 Gastric as of January 2016 and has seen a notable difference in all her horses.
"They are not only looking healthier, they also feel much happier and healthier," said Davis. "Their coats are gleaming, they are eating all their food and in general they have improved so much. All of the symptoms have cleared up and it is clear that they are feeling their best."