Not all horse ulcers are the same so not all horse ulcer treatments should be the same. I treat a lot of horses with ulcers, and one of the most misunderstood kinds of ulcers are those that occur in nervous horses.

While many researchers deny that nervous tension can cause ulcers, I disagree. Of the four kinds of horse ulcers that occur, nervous horses are most likely to develop ulcers in the duodenum, which is the upper part of the small intestine.

While they may also be prone to the other three kinds of ulcers, in the upper and lower stomach as well as the colon, their nervous disposition makes them prime candidates for duodenal ulcers.

In terms of horse personality types, Fire and Water horses are more likely to be anxious and develop these kinds of ulcers (learn more about horse personality types here).

How to Treat Duodenal Horse Ulcers
To treat these kinds of ulcers, my goal is to get the horse into a relaxed state so that proper digestion can take place. To that end, I feed both pre- and probiotics because probiotics (the friendly bacteria that live in the horse’s intestine) produce B vitamins, which help the horse to relax. Prebiotics both nourish the friendly bacteria and convert an acidic environment into an alkaline one. Effective products in the probiotic category include Fastrack, KLPP, and packets of bluegreen algae, probiotics and enzymes.

I also like to feed additional digestive enzymes to support digestion. SUCCEED has some effect, probably because it contains both beta glucan, which speeds the healing of ulcers, and theanine, which aids in relaxation. Another product that works well in healing horse ulcers in the duodenum is the KAM Ulcer Formula, which contains a combination of aloe, slippery elm, and other demulcents.

To learn more about treating horse ulcers or to purchase natural ulcer treatment products, visit the links below.

Holistic Horsekeeping Online Store (digestive and ulcer treatment products)
Horse Ulcers: Not the Same for Every Horse
Horse Ulcers: Holistic Treatments for Each Type of Ulcer
Natural Ulcer Relief for Horses Part I
Natural Ulcer Relief for Horses Part II

If you liked this post, please leave a comment or get more great holistic horse info at Holistic Horsekeeping, Horse Harmony Test, Horse Harmony.