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| (c) Abby Thoriaty Dreamstime |
Gastric ulcers are often believed to be the cause of a wide range of behavioural and performance issues in horses. Studies suggest that between 60% and 80% of horses across various disciplines experience gastric ulceration. However, a definitive diagnosis requires gastroscopy.
Are there specific behavioural indicators that reliably suggest gastric ulceration? Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine’s New Bolton Center believe so.
In research published in Animals, Catherine Torcivia and Sue M. McDonnell explored this question. As part of their clinical assessments, they regularly analyse 24-hour video recordings of hospitalised horses to detect subtle signs of discomfort, or intermittent signs caused by heart or neurological problems, which might otherwise go unnoticed. Over the years, they suspected that certain behaviours were associated with gastric disease.
Their findings suggest that specific discomfort behaviours are strongly linked to gastric disease. These behaviours include frequent attention to the cranial abdomen—such as nuzzling, swatting, nipping, and/or a focused gaze on the abdomen caudal to the elbow—as well as deep abdominal stretching. These signs were often observed while horses were eating, drinking, or anticipating feeding.
To investigate this further, they conducted a study to evaluate how reliably these behaviours correlated with gastric disease. They reviewed clinical records of 30 cases where 24-hour video behaviour evaluations had been conducted alongside gastroscopic examinations.
Of the 30 horses studied, 26 were diagnosed with gastric disease—either gastric ulcers or gastric impaction. Gastric discomfort behaviours were observed in 24 of these 26 horses but were absent in all four horses without gastric disease. Among the six horses that did not display these behaviours, four had no abnormalities on gastroscopy, while two exhibited only mild lesions.
The researchers conclude that, although a larger study is needed to accurately estimate the sensitivity and specificity of these behavioural associations with gastric disease, the findings support their long-held clinical impression that gastric discomfort in horses has a recognisable behavioural signature.
For more details, see:
Torcivia, Catherine, and Sue M. McDonnell. 2025.
Behavioral Signature of Equine Gastric Discomfort? Preliminary Retrospective Clinical Observations
Animals (2025) 15, no. 1: 88.
https://doi.org/10.3390/ani15010088
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