Ridecamp: RE: [RC] Ulcer Research/USA Druggies?

Fair enough, I've deactivated the trigger on my portable nuclear device.

I'm willing to speak for myself.  I've been competing on a horse for 6
years, who, being an off-track arab, started with serious physical issues
(including the bowed tendon).  During that time, not a single vet - either
at an event or during all of the zillions of vet visits - ever suggested the
horse had an ulcer.

He eats fine always, maintains weight well, and, during events, always has
good vet scores except for gut sounds, which tend to diminish during the
event even though he tends to eat very well. We've never been pulled for
metabolic (if I remember right), just for lameness.  And yet, he clearly has
extremely high risk factors for having an ulcer.

Perhaps his refusal of EnduraMax elytes was because it further irritated his
ulcer.  Ditto on his low gut sounds during an event.  In my case, it is
worth the effort to find out.  Had the research come back with "10% of
performance horses have ulcers", this horse would still be a likely
candidate.  In his case, the overt symptoms are fairly subtle, so it becomes
an experiment - will going through a treatment program reduce those subtle
symptoms, or even perhaps increase his performance and stamina because he's
no longer running in pain?

This is why I'm pursuing it.  He's a wonderful horse and deserves the best I
can do for him.

Mike Sofen



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