Preventing Digestive Issues in Your Horse is Easier Than You Think

Equine gastric ulcers are a big problem for horses and their owners. According to the American Association of Equine Practitioners, up to 90 percent of racehorses and 60 percent of show horses are affected by equine gastric ulcers. Non-performance horses and even foals can experience them, too. But there’s a highly palatable, natural solution to this problem that’s one-tenth the cost of competing prescription drugs. It even comes highly recommended by top trainers and veterinarians. It’s called U-7 Gastric Aid Horse Supplement from Finish Line Horse Products, and here’s everything you need to know about how it works and why you should consider it for your horse.

Gastric Ulcers in Horses

Ulcers are sores that form in the stomach lining. There are many factors that can predispose horses to gastric ulcers. First, they have smaller stomachs (compared to other animals) and these are built for grazing with smaller meals that take longer periods of time. A horse’s stomach produces up to 9 gallons of acidic fluid per day, which is necessary to digest after grazing, but for boarded animals who eat twice a day, they don’t have grass in their belly to neutralize the constant acid. Long-term use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) or environmental stress from traveling/trailering and stall confinement can also trigger ulcers. While any horse at any age can develop ulcers, they are most prevalent in those with strenuous training regimens for racing, endurance, and showing.

How Can I Improve My Horse’s Digestion?

Many products on the market act as antacids by supplying alkaline salts (calcium, magnesium, and aluminum) to neutralize stomach acid. However, long term use or abrupt withdrawal of antacids could potentially result in a rebound of excess acid. Omeprazole is the only FDA-approved pharmacological therapy for the treatment of gastric ulcers. Omeprazole is a proton pump inhibitor and works by blocking the production of stomach acid. The potential side effects of omeprazole can adversely affect ealth and include bone loss, liver/kidney dysfunction, and poor absorption of nutrients.

U-7 Gastric Aid is a palatable vitamin/mineral/herbal blend that helps promote a healthy equine digestive system including the foregut and hindgut. U-7 contains naturally occurring prebiotics, probiotics, and antioxidants which support the horse’s gut lining for improved digestion and absorption of nutrients. It’s not a prescription drug and does not block stomach acid production but does avoid causing additional acid production. U-7 has no known side effects and is safe for use in all horses (including broodmares and foals).

The all-natural active ingredients are very palatable with a tasty sour apple flavor that horses love. A few of the notable ingredients include:

• Ascorbic acid (vitamin C): a powerful antioxidant that supports immune health
• Brewer’s yeast: a natural source of B vitamins, prebiotics, and probiotics to help improve the gut flora
• Grape seed extract: a strong antioxidant and supports good bacteria in the gut
• Zinc: naturally bacteriostatic and is an important mineral needed for overall health

Dosing U-7 to your horse is simple, too. For a 1,000-pound animal for the first 30 days, give 2 fluid ounces (with oral syringe) twice a day (first in the morning, second in the evening). After 30 days, change the 2 ounces to 1 and maintain the twice a day rhythm. You can top dress U-7 on your horse's feed as well.

U-7 Gastric Aid is Veterinarian Tested and Recommended

Dr. Mark Phillips, DVM is a Hall of Fame veterinarian with more than 40 years of equine experience who independently studied the U-7 Gastric Aid product in 12 horses with active bleeding ulcers. He put each horse on U-7 at double the recommended dose for 30 days and re-scoped the horses. “I found that 90% of all the horses’ ulcers were healed,” said Dr. Phillips. “At the end of 6 weeks, 100% of the ulcers were healed.” Dr. Phillips continued his testing over a period of 8 years and scoped over 1,200 horses and found that 98% of the horses given U-7 Gastric Aid became healthy after 30 to 45 days.

U-7 Gastric Aid was also studied in a clinical setting by Dr. Scott McClure, DVM, PhD, DACVS, who is well known for the original study he completed on omeprazole. Dr. McClure’s randomized, double-blind, placebo controlled clinical study on U-7 Gastric Aid liquid found that the treated horses did not get worse. The control group did get significantly worse. “For prevention, in this model, the product was effective,” said Dr. McClure.

U-7 Endorsements from Top Trainers

“I’ve seen U-7 be very helpful for my horses. My horses do good and put weight back on. I can’t say enough good things about U-7.”
–Richard Mandella, Hall of Fame thoroughbred trainer

“I keep all my horses on U-7 as a preventative. The horse's attitude, hotness, being uptight, is taken care of when you care for the gut, they feel like a new horse! I have seen this time and time again with U-7. I use it on my show horses, hunters, and jumpers whose performance and character will change because their stomach is much happier and healthier.”
–Anne Kursinski, Show Jumping Hall of Fame, Olympic medalist, American Gold Cup Winner

Help Your Horse Feel and Perform its Best with Finish Line’s U-7 Gastric Aid

Don’t take their word for it. Try Finish Line’s U-7 Gastric Aid Horse Supplement for your horse and see the difference for yourself. You’ll see why the product has been on the market for more than 20 years with more than 20 million servings. And your horse(s) will thank you!

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