Question

We have a mare that has recurrent mild colic when stressed. She is on a low-starch diet with alfalfa (lucerne) hay and no supplements, and unless we are hauling her somewhere, she is out 24/7. The colic happens when the weather turns from cold to warm or when we are at a show and she gets too warm. She is ulcer-free, though I understand ulcers can form quickly, almost overnight. Do ulcers go away as quickly? We are thinking of trying a supplement called Oxy-Max. Have you evaluated this supplement? We are experienced horsemen, and she has us perplexed.

Answer

We have not evaluated Oxy-Max and cannot attest to its effectiveness. However, we have seen the supplement EquiShure help in many cases like this.

When horses are stressed, sometimes the pH of the hindgut can change. This seems especially true of horses that lose their appetite with even the slightest amount of stress. A hindgut buffer, like EquiShure, can raise the pH to a normal level, making the horse more comfortable.

Ulcers can develop quickly, more like over a 48-hour period than overnight, but it takes longer than that for them to heal. Gastroscopic examination can pinpoint ulcers in the stomach and upper duodenum (the portion of the small intestine that joins the stomach), but if they occur lower in the digestive tract, gastroscopy will not find them. We have seen horses with colonic ulcers get relief from discomfort with the use of EquiShure as well.