Why ulcer support matters

For horses, stress and ulcers go hoof-in-hoof. And sadly, many rescues - especially the older ones like brave Madjick - carry a lifetime of both.

Horses are evolved to be trickle-feeders, grazing slowly through the day and night. Their stomachs are always producing acid, so if there’s no forage coming in to soak it up, that acid doesn’t stop - it builds, and burns.

Without regular fibre and saliva (nature’s antacid), eventually, that acid starts to scald the gut wall, leading to painful ulcers.

When stress takes hold

On top of this, the stress of empty haynets and the pain of the ulcers themselves, triggers cortisol, the body’s stress ‘fight or flight’ hormone. But when cortisol stays switched on too long, it does more harm than good: it floods the body with acid, disrupts digestion, suppresses immunity, and puts pressure on blood sugar balance.

The result? A stomach under siege - especially in horses with a history of neglect, anxiety, or disrupted feeding patterns.

Two types of ulcers, one root cause

• Squamous ulcers form in the upper stomach when forage is lacking and acid sloshes on the unprotected stomach wall.
• Glandular (pyloric) ulcers develop deeper in the gut, triggered by emotional stress and chronic cortisol exposure.

Both types hurt, and that’s where UlsaTonic comes in - a gentle, stomach-supporting blend designed to help support a healthy stomach lining, especially for Legends who’ve known hardship, hunger, or anxiety.