What else can cause ulcers in a low-risk horse?

Can they have a genetic predisposition? Or is there something else that not many people think of?

I would guess like everything else medical, some horses are more prone to ulcers than others.

Add that varied personalities. A life that one horse might find stressful another might find to be no big deal.

If it's in a low risk situation, I would assume it's more personality. Some are just anxious animals and stress themselves out about nothing. That's what my vet attributed my mare's ulcers too because she was never stalled and fed free-choice hay and generally had no reason to have ulcers.

Do you think horses with more stress-prone personalities always show it?


The horse in question has a very laid-back, dog-like personality.

Not always. In the pasture, Abby looks entirely calm and fine. It's only when I separate her and then I walk away while she's tied inside. She paws and her eyes get big. She just looks very anxious. Though, she's a Paint/QH and inherited sclera from her overo dam, so she always looks a great deal fearful, but it's more when she's not sure what to do. She doesn't like to be alone. She's not very herdbound anymore like she used to be though; I can take her for walks down the road without her turning and ear back to her friends.

Why do you ask, if you don't mind me asking?

Well... my horse doesn't get anxious ever. She doesn't spook, isn't barn sour, isn't buddy sour, leads on the trail, etc. She's always calm and collected, but lively at the same time.


I'm just trying to figure out why she has them. I adjusted a few things, but there isn't a whole lot I can do to stop them from coming back. It seems like it's inevitable unless I can figure out why she got them in the first place.

Did you look into food allergies?

Did you actually have her scoped to determine that the ulcers were there?

No, I didn't. Can they cause ulcers? What foods are normally the cause?

Have you put her on any type of supplement to keep them at bay? Like U-Gard or SmartGut?

Yeah, I have her on TractGard.