Study tracks gastric disease risk in Iceland’s pasture-managed horses
A new prospective longitudinal study in Equine Veterinary Journal found that gastric disease remained common in extensively pasture-managed Icelandic horses across all four seasons studied, challenging the assumption that these lesions are mainly a problem in intensively trained or high-concentrate-fed horses. Researchers followed 80 horses from four farms in three Icelandic regions and performed gastroscopy in May, August, November, and the following February. Across the year, gastroscopically significant equine squamous gastric disease (ESGD) was present in 48% to 72% of horses, while significant equine glandular gastric disease (EGGD) was present in 33% to 45%. Reduced grass availability without added forage, region, higher body condition score, older age, dental abnormalities, and the presence of ESGD were among the factors associated with higher odds of disease. (pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)
Why it matters: For equine veterinarians, the findings reinforce that pasture access alone doesn't rule out clinically relevant gastric disease. The study is especially notable because these horses were extensively managed and not being intensively exercised or fed high starch or sugar-rich diets, yet they still showed moderate to high ESGD prevalence and moderate EGGD prevalence. That adds weight to the idea that forage continuity, seasonal pasture quality, age-related factors, dental health, and farm- or region-level management variables may matter as much as traditional performance-horse risk profiles in some populations. Prior consensus guidance has linked gastric ulcers with signs such as poor body condition, appetite changes, abdominal discomfort, and some colic presentations, though clinical signs remain nonspecific. (pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)
What to watch: Watch for follow-up work that tests whether adjusting forage provision during periods of low grass growth, and closer attention to dental status in older horses, can reduce lesion prevalence in extensively kept herds. (pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)