Be particularly careful when feeding horses suffering from gastric ulcers or those that have suffered from gastric ulcers in the past. Make sure that these horses are taking up sufficient roughage and not too much concentrated feed so as to reduce the risk of aggravating the problem or causing a relapse.

Besides, there are various feedstuffs available for horses with a sensitive stomach, frequently grain-reduced ones, as well as a variety of supplements to buffer the gastric acid and/or protect the gastric mucosa.

Anyone caring for a horse with a sensitive stomach who has really delved into the topic of gastric ulcers among horses will be more or less familiar with the term ‘Schlonzi’, which appears on various internet platforms in Germany.

Schlonzi is a home-made product based on oatmeal, oil, and usually beet slices. There is no definitive recipe for Schlonzi. Anyone preparing it will develop their own ‘secret recipe’, catering to the palatability and tolerance of the horse in question. First of all, boiling water is poured onto oatmeal and beet slices. The oatmeal / beet ratio may vary, depending on the horse. Frequently, these two ingredients are used in a 1:1 or 1:2 ratio, usually about 100 g oatmeal per day, distributed over two to three meals. The mush consisting of beet slices, oatmeal and water, once cooled down, is laced with oil, usually linseed oil. This oil, together with the oatmeal, forms a ß-glucan-containing slime covering the inner wall of the horse’s stomach and thus protecting it from gastric acid. Besides, this oil also prevents flatulation. In case of acceptance problems, the beet slices may, for instance, be replaced by hay cobs (which may also be fed in addition to the beet slices). Stomach herbs such as fennel, aniseed and/or caraway seed are frequently added. An additional beneficial effect is achieved with linseed, due to its excellent slime-forming effect, which is thus beneficial for the irritated gastric mucosa.

Schlonzi is a good, low-cost alternative for supporting your stomach patient. However, the effort of preparing this recipe in view of multiple feeding times each day is not to be underestimated, especially if the horse does not live close to your home, but in a remote riding stable.