Influence of exercise in the occurrence of gastric ulcers in jumping horses

Abstract

The most common causes of gastric ulcers in horses that have been reported in the literature are fasting, type of feed and management, and the administration of some drugs. More recently, physical exercise has also been pointed out as an important factor in the development of gastric lesions in athletic horses. The objectives of this study are to quantify the occurrence of gastric ulcers in jumping horses, and to analyze the possible influence of physical activity in this incidence. Two groups of animals will be evaluated: experimental group, made up of jumping horses that are being trained and taking part in national and international competitions; and control group, jumping horses that underwent intense training and took part in competitions during the year, but will be in a rest period at the moment of the evaluation. All animals will be submitted to gastroscopic examination and blood tests for gastrin, cholesterol and acute phase plasma proteins. (AU)