Question

I own a Paint gelding (13 years old; 1,200 lb [545 kg]) that is a bit overweight (body condition score of 7). He is fed a diet of three flakes of alfalfa hay, 1.5 lb (0.7 kg) all-purpose feed, 1.5 lb (0.7 kg) oats, powdered vitamin/mineral supplement, and scant pasture grass. While his weight is fine with me, my primary concern is whether he has gastric ulcers. Though he has sound hooves and a glossy coat, he is sometimes unpredictable when I ride him—tossing his head, jigging, attempting airs above the ground. I ride once or twice a week on trails. I can afford to manipulate his diet if you think that’ll help, but I cannot justify the expense of gastric endoscopy. Your thoughts?

Answer

A veterinarian is the best source of advice for diagnosing gastric ulcers and recommending a treatment plan.

Diet modification may help his behavior somewhat and would include reducing the amount of concentrate fed (both the all-purpose feed and the oats), as these are high in starch and may exacerbate gastric ulcers and cause high-strung behavior in some horses.

Because you describe your gelding as fleshy, I would suggest changing the source of his vitamin and mineral supplementation to a balancer pellet. This type of feed provides more complete nutrition at a lower feeding rate of 1-2 lb (0.45-0.9 kg) per day and is ideal for horses that may be sensitive to starch and sugar.

Replacing the alfalfa hay with a good-quality grass hay would also help eliminate unnecessary calories from his diet. Be sure to feed about 2% of his body weight per day in hay, considering the low-quality pasture you mentioned. For your gelding, this would be 24 lb (11 kg) of hay each day. Providing this in a way that draws out the time it takes him to consume it would be ideal. Many companies have devised different containers, bags and haynets that slow consumption.

Maintaining your gelding at a body condition score of 5 or 6 is preferred, and this can be helped by removing the feeds mentioned. All changes to your gelding’s diet should be made slowly, over the course of several days.

Implementing a more consistent riding or training schedule may help with behavior as well as improved fitness and strength. The additional exercise would also help him achieve a more desirable body condition, which is beneficial for long-term health. If the behavior continues or in any way becomes dangerous, consult with a professional trainer who possesses horsemanship principles that appeal you.

After consulting with your veterinarian, you may want to try a digestive health supplement.