5.0★ FROM 3+ VERIFIED RIDERS
Stop Ulcers Before They Start: FDA-Approved Prevention for Your Horse
UlcerGard® (omeprazole) is the only non-prescription formula proven to prevent Equine Gastric Ulcer Syndrome — trusted by horse owners from the trail to the show ring. Starting at $42.99 per tube, with four daily doses per syringe.
The Problem
Your Horse Can't Tell You When Something Hurts
It’s before dawn on haul-out day, and you’re making one last pass down the barn aisle. Your horse has picked through breakfast instead of cleaning up, and you’re wondering whether it is nerves, an ordinary change in appetite, or something that deserves a closer look. The trailer is hooked up, the stalls are booked, and your schedule says go—but your horse cannot explain what feels different.
Every attentive rider knows how unsettling that uncertainty can be. Decreased appetite, recurrent colic, intermittent loose stools, a dull coat, poor body condition, and slipping performance can be associated with gastric ulcers, but those signs can also point to other conditions. Even when your horse looks generally healthy, travel, stall confinement, training, racing, showing, and competition can introduce changes in routine that deserve thoughtful gastric-health planning.
The cost is not limited to an entry fee or a missed ride. You may spend the weekend watching every manure pile, checking the water bucket, and questioning each change in expression instead of focusing on your horse’s comfort and the work you prepared to do together. If the signs continue, guessing can also delay the veterinary evaluation needed to identify whether ulcers—or another health problem—are responsible.
That is what makes prevention a separate decision from treatment. UlcerGard® is intended only to prevent gastric ulcers in healthy horses; it is not a substitute for diagnosing a horse that is already showing concerning signs. The challenge is recognizing when your horse is entering a stressful period and putting a prevention plan in place before discomfort becomes the question hanging over every ride.
Every attentive rider knows how unsettling that uncertainty can be. Decreased appetite, recurrent colic, intermittent loose stools, a dull coat, poor body condition, and slipping performance can be associated with gastric ulcers, but those signs can also point to other conditions. Even when your horse looks generally healthy, travel, stall confinement, training, racing, showing, and competition can introduce changes in routine that deserve thoughtful gastric-health planning.
The cost is not limited to an entry fee or a missed ride. You may spend the weekend watching every manure pile, checking the water bucket, and questioning each change in expression instead of focusing on your horse’s comfort and the work you prepared to do together. If the signs continue, guessing can also delay the veterinary evaluation needed to identify whether ulcers—or another health problem—are responsible.
That is what makes prevention a separate decision from treatment. UlcerGard® is intended only to prevent gastric ulcers in healthy horses; it is not a substitute for diagnosing a horse that is already showing concerning signs. The challenge is recognizing when your horse is entering a stressful period and putting a prevention plan in place before discomfort becomes the question hanging over every ride.
Why It Keeps Happening
Every Stress Event Is a Risk — and Your Horse's Stomach Never Stops Producing Acid
The problem is not that you have failed to manage your horse carefully. Your horse’s stomach secretes acid continuously, including during periods without feed, while the upper portion of the stomach is comparatively sensitive to acid exposure. A demanding schedule can make an already complicated system harder to manage.
Travel, intensive exercise, stall confinement, altered feeding routines, and unfamiliar surroundings can coincide during the same show or clinic weekend. Forage and the saliva produced through chewing help buffer stomach acid, but hauling schedules and barn routines do not always resemble the frequent grazing pattern your horse’s digestive system was built around. Exercise can also bring acidic stomach contents into contact with the more vulnerable upper stomach. Good management matters, yet management alone may not remove every risk factor.
The uncertainty gets worse when subtle signs appear. A horse that leaves part of breakfast, loses condition, develops intermittent loose stools, or performs below expectations may need veterinary attention, because those signs are not specific to ulcers. Reaching automatically for a preventive product after signs begin can blur an important distinction: prevention products are for healthy horses at risk, while suspected or existing ulcers require diagnosis and an appropriate treatment plan from your veterinarian.
That leaves you balancing two responsibilities at once. You want to protect your healthy horse through predictable stress without treating blindly, and you do not want to dismiss a real health change as attitude, travel nerves, or a difficult day. A useful answer has to fit that narrow space: clearly labeled prevention before the stressful period, paired with prompt veterinary guidance whenever your horse is already telling you something may be wrong.
Travel, intensive exercise, stall confinement, altered feeding routines, and unfamiliar surroundings can coincide during the same show or clinic weekend. Forage and the saliva produced through chewing help buffer stomach acid, but hauling schedules and barn routines do not always resemble the frequent grazing pattern your horse’s digestive system was built around. Exercise can also bring acidic stomach contents into contact with the more vulnerable upper stomach. Good management matters, yet management alone may not remove every risk factor.
The uncertainty gets worse when subtle signs appear. A horse that leaves part of breakfast, loses condition, develops intermittent loose stools, or performs below expectations may need veterinary attention, because those signs are not specific to ulcers. Reaching automatically for a preventive product after signs begin can blur an important distinction: prevention products are for healthy horses at risk, while suspected or existing ulcers require diagnosis and an appropriate treatment plan from your veterinarian.
That leaves you balancing two responsibilities at once. You want to protect your healthy horse through predictable stress without treating blindly, and you do not want to dismiss a real health change as attitude, travel nerves, or a difficult day. A useful answer has to fit that narrow space: clearly labeled prevention before the stressful period, paired with prompt veterinary guidance whenever your horse is already telling you something may be wrong.
- ✗Girthiness and resistance at mounting or tacking up
- ✗Unexplained weight loss or poor coat condition
- ✗Recurring soft stools or intermittent low-grade colic
- ✗Performance decline with no obvious lameness or illness
The Solution
UlcerGard® — The Only OTC Formula With a Proven Prevention Claim
UlcerGard® is an FDA-approved omeprazole oral paste labeled for the prevention of gastric ulcers in healthy horses. Omeprazole is a proton pump inhibitor that reduces acid production in your horse’s stomach by acting on the acid-secreting pumps in the stomach lining. That mechanism separates it from products marketed only for general gastric support: UlcerGard® carries a specific drug indication for prevention and is available over the counter, without a veterinary prescription.
The dosing system is built for once-daily oral administration during stressful conditions such as training, racing, showing, traveling, stall confinement, and competition. Each syringe contains four marked daily doses for horses weighing 600 to 1,200 pounds. Horses in that range receive one marked dose once daily, while horses over 1,200 pounds receive two marked doses once daily. For a horse under 600 pounds, the label directs you to consult a veterinarian.
Administration is straightforward but should still be deliberate. Set and lock the dose ring, place the paste on the back of your horse’s tongue or deep in the cheek pouch, and watch briefly to confirm the full dose was swallowed. If any paste is lost or rejected, the label recommends re-dosing. Replace the cap when doses remain. UlcerGard® may be used in breeding stallions, but safety in pregnant mares has not been determined, so your veterinarian should guide use in that situation.
Most importantly, UlcerGard® keeps prevention and treatment clearly separated. It is intended for healthy horses before and during ulcer-associated stress, not for a horse already showing decreased appetite, recurrent colic, loose stools, poor coat, declining condition, or poor performance. Those signs warrant veterinary diagnosis because they may be associated with ulcers or another disease. With the right management plan, UlcerGard® gives you a labeled, horse-specific prevention option for demanding stretches of the calendar—backed by FDA-reviewed directions instead of guesswork. From Schneiders, it also comes with guidance from a family-owned equestrian retailer Trusted since 1948.
The dosing system is built for once-daily oral administration during stressful conditions such as training, racing, showing, traveling, stall confinement, and competition. Each syringe contains four marked daily doses for horses weighing 600 to 1,200 pounds. Horses in that range receive one marked dose once daily, while horses over 1,200 pounds receive two marked doses once daily. For a horse under 600 pounds, the label directs you to consult a veterinarian.
Administration is straightforward but should still be deliberate. Set and lock the dose ring, place the paste on the back of your horse’s tongue or deep in the cheek pouch, and watch briefly to confirm the full dose was swallowed. If any paste is lost or rejected, the label recommends re-dosing. Replace the cap when doses remain. UlcerGard® may be used in breeding stallions, but safety in pregnant mares has not been determined, so your veterinarian should guide use in that situation.
Most importantly, UlcerGard® keeps prevention and treatment clearly separated. It is intended for healthy horses before and during ulcer-associated stress, not for a horse already showing decreased appetite, recurrent colic, loose stools, poor coat, declining condition, or poor performance. Those signs warrant veterinary diagnosis because they may be associated with ulcers or another disease. With the right management plan, UlcerGard® gives you a labeled, horse-specific prevention option for demanding stretches of the calendar—backed by FDA-reviewed directions instead of guesswork. From Schneiders, it also comes with guidance from a family-owned equestrian retailer Trusted since 1948.
✓
FDA Approved for Prevention
The only OTC omeprazole paste approved to prevent Equine Gastric Ulcer Syndrome — not just manage symptoms.
✓
4 Doses Per Tube
Each syringe covers four days for horses 600–1,200 lbs, making it economical across a full show weekend or trail trip.
✓
Easy to Administer
Cinnamon-flavored paste applied to the back of the tongue or cheek pouch — no mixing, no supplements to hide in feed.
✓
Stress-Event Ready
Recommended during trailering, showing, training, racing, and injury rehabilitation — whenever your horse faces elevated acid risk.
Quick self-check
Is UlcerGard® Right for Your Horse?
What Riders Are Saying
★★★★★
"I use it for trailering and camping on all my horses, one is ulcer prone and so far no more ulcers"
✓ Verified Buyer
★★★★★
"Shipped quickly when I needed it."
✓ Verified Buyer
★★★★★
"This works and is a must have at the shows."
✓ Verified Buyer
Side by Side
How UlcerGard® Fits Among Equine Omeprazole Products
These FDA-approved omeprazole pastes have different labeled purposes. UlcerGard® is an over-the-counter preventive for healthy horses, while GastroGard® and Gastrobim® are prescription products labeled for treating diagnosed gastric ulcers and preventing recurrence. Consult your veterinarian when your horse shows possible clinical signs.
| Feature | Schneiders UlcerGard® (omeprazole) | GastroGard® (omeprazole) Oral Paste | Gastrobim® (omeprazole) Oral Paste |
|---|---|---|---|
| FDA regulatory status | FDA-approved animal drug under NADA 141-227 | FDA-approved animal drug | FDA-approved generic animal drug under ANADA 200-842 |
| How dispensed | Over the counter | Prescription required | Prescription required |
| Labeled indication | Prevention of gastric ulcers in healthy horses | Treatment of gastric ulcers and prevention of recurrence in horses and foals at least 4 weeks old | Treatment of gastric ulcers and prevention of recurrence in horses and foals at least 4 weeks old |
| Active ingredient and dosage form | Omeprazole oral paste | Omeprazole oral paste | Omeprazole oral paste |
| Labeled treatment regimen for existing ulcers | Not labeled for treatment; consult a veterinarian when clinical signs are present | 4 mg/kg orally once daily for 4 weeks | 4 mg/kg orally once daily for 4 weeks |
| Labeled regimen for preventing ulcer recurrence after treatment | Not listed as an indication | 2 mg/kg orally once daily for at least 4 additional weeks | 2 mg/kg orally once daily for at least 4 additional weeks |
| Labeled primary-prevention dosing | At least 1 mg/kg once daily; one marked dose for horses 600–1,200 lb and two marked doses for horses over 1,200 lb | Primary prevention in healthy, ulcer-free horses is not listed as an indication | Primary prevention in healthy, ulcer-free horses is not listed as an indication |
| Published age or weight boundary | For horses at least 600 lb; consult a veterinarian below 600 lb, and effectiveness in foals and weanlings has not been evaluated | For horses and foals at least 4 weeks old | For horses and foals at least 4 weeks old |
FDA-Approved Prevention, Ready When Your Horse Needs It
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The Takeaway
If your horse faces stress events, UlcerGard® is the one preventive that's actually been proven to work.
It carries the only FDA-approved prevention claim available over the counter — not treatment, not management, prevention. Keep a tube in your trailer and your show kit, and your horse's gut has real protection even when the schedule is demanding.
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Protect Your Horse Before the Next Haul
UlcerGard® starts at $42.99 per tube — keep one in your trailer, one in your show kit, and one in the barn. Free shipping on orders $99+. Backed by Schneiders' Perfect Fit Guarantee and our family-owned promise since 1948.
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