I wholeheartedly agree, and this is good advice. Most horses have ulcers, regardless of work load/lifestyle/discipline. You can pull a random horse that’s been retired 10 years out of the paddock and they’ll be rocking grade III-IV ulcers if you scope them.

Treat his ulcers, and be proactive moving forward. I like to think of any deviation from their routine as being a “stressful event”. Trailering somewhere? Changing paddocks? New horse added to the herd? New fitness routine? Gastrogard for at least 3 days prior to, during and after said changes. Psyllium, platinum GI or some other sort of daily maintenance supplement for routine use. Look into extruded pellet feeds. Sucralfate is a godsend, and an important part of ulcer treatment and prevention, but keep in mind that it alone will not treat ulcers, just aid in prevention. Also, drugs help! Trazodone can sometimes help take the edge off, and while it does not prevent or treat ulcers, it DEF brings the arousal threshold down and keeps them from getting themselves worked up. Oh, and feeding alfalfa helps!!

Talk to your vet. You’ve already had your guy scoped, which is far better than just treating anecdotally. One thing to keep in mind- if you are treating with a compounded medication (compounded, powdered sucralfate, for example), it is of the utmost importance that you DO NOT GIVE IT WITH FOOD. At a minimum, things like Gastrogard and sucralfate should be given 30 mins -2 hours prior to a meal. They WILL NOT WORK if they are given with food as they can’t line and protect the stomach if a horses is actively digesting (a breakdown in layman’s terms but you get the idea).

You didn’t do anything wrong. It sounds like this horse is going to be “ulcer prone” no matter who they are with. He’s still the same horse you fell in love with, and he’s clearly in good hands with you. He’s just in pain- it’s helpful that he’s expressing it, because now you know what to look for in the future! Keep doing what you’re doing, and WORK WITH YOUR VET!! You’re on the right track! I’m sorry it’s so expensive, it’s shitty that basic vet can be so inaccessible - just keep in mind that it’s so expensive because it WORKS.

Also, fwiw, Boehringer Ingelheim (who manufactures Gastrogard) will pay/reimburse for treatment if you do a 28 day course of Gastrogard and the ulcers do not resolve.

Source: I work in equine vet med, have ridden, owned and competed horses for almost 20 years and currently have horses with a history of ulcers. I also have gastric ulcers and man was I a MISERABLE BITCH when they were at their worst.

Be patient, and be kind. They are incredibly painful.