In addition to providing honest advice, we at AskHELTIE believe it's important to have a wealth of information available for horse owners. This way, you can expand your knowledge and help your horse to the best of your ability. Together, we ensure that horses come a little closer to nature.
Others
Leeches – what is the function of these creatures?
Leeches: the word often brings to mind images of medieval quackery, from a time before modern medicine was invented. And if you’ve ever walked through a rainforest, you may have developed a strong aversion to these creatures. Nowadays, however, medicinal leeches are making a comeback in therapy – even for horses. But how does it work?. Leech therapy, also known as hirudotherapy, involves placing several leeches on a strategic location – for example, the fetlock. They bite the horse and remain attached for about one to one and a half hours, drawing blood. Afterward, the leeches detach themselves, and the wound continues to bleed for a while. When they bite, leeches release a range of substances through their saliva, some of which have pain-relieving effects. Their saliva also contains anticoagulants, which is why the wound cont...
Digestion
Diseases
Mycotoxins: Toxic Substances from Molds That Can Harm Horses
In the global food supply for both humans and animals, molds pose a significant threat. Molds produce so-called mycotoxins—poisonous metabolic waste products. When horses ingest too many of these mycotoxins, they may develop liver problems, a weakened immune system, and digestive issues.. Mycotoxins can proliferate due to poor storage or moist harvests of horse feed such as hay, grass, and concentrates. The toxic waste products from molds—found for example in silage—are usually invisible and odorless, but they can still negatively impact your horse’s health. Corn, Grains, Grass One of the most common groups of mycotoxins is fumonisins, which can be found on corn. But other molds, such as Aspergillus, can also produce toxins. Molds are especially likely to develop in corn and grai...
Minerals
Others
Vitamin E
Diseases
Breeding
Mare Retains Afterbirth: Causes and Solutions
When a foal is born, breeders naturally pay close attention – especially to the foal: It must stand, drink, urinate, and defecate within a few hours. But don’t forget to monitor the mare as well! It’s very important that the afterbirth (placenta) is expelled within a few hours. Good nutrition for the mare significantly reduces the risk of retained placenta.. The placenta surrounds and nourishes the foal while it's in the womb. After the foal is born, the placenta also needs to be “born”. No remnants should be left behind in the uterus, as they can cause infection and fever. One to three hours after birth, the mare will usually experience new contractions to push out the placenta. Often, she’ll lie down again during this process. As an owner, you must check whether the entire placenta has been expelled – or ask the vet to do this when they examine th...
Feeding
The Importance of Protein in Horse Nutrition
Every horse needs protein in its diet, alongside carbohydrates and fats. Proteins are made up of amino acids, some of which horses can produce themselves. However, it’s especially important to ensure that the essential amino acids—which horses cannot produce—are present in the diet.. Proteins are the building blocks of all tissues in the horse’s body and are involved in nearly all vital bodily processes. A protein consists of different amino acids. After being broken down by gut flora, these amino acids can be absorbed through the intestines into the bloodstream. From there, they are transported to the parts of the horse’s body where they are needed—for example, for muscle development or cell repair. Essential Amino Acids The proteins in a horse’s body are made up of twenty...
Feeding
Are all grains unhealthy for horses?
These days, many people feed their horses grain-free. But do you really need to avoid all grains? We’ll explain the differences and tell you which grains can sometimes be fed. Because not all grains are always bad.. Most grains contain a lot of starch. A horse’s digestive system can only process limited amounts of starch at a time. Other mammals, such as humans or pigs, can get part of their energy from grains. The enzyme amylase in their saliva helps digest the starch, and absorption mainly takes place in the small intestine. The starch granules from grains are broken down into glucose (an energy source) in the small intestine and absorbed through the intestinal wall into the bloodstream. Horses digest the...
Guest blog
Breeding
Floxely is expecting a foal! Are you following along? Part 5
This will be the last part before Floxely gives birth. Since the last part, which ended in March of this year, a lot has changed with Floxely. And yet, not really… Everything has progressed so gradually, that it just feels normal. But now it's time to start preparing for the birth!. Read, heard and researched a lot I saw Flox being born at the time, but I’ve never been involved in a horse’s delivery otherwise. So, it’s all new and exciting for me! That’s why I’ve been reading a lot about pregnancy, how the birth should go, and what’s important to pay attention to during labor. I also attended a lecture at an equine clinic on the subject, followed an online course, etc. I think I’ve read every bit of info I could get. And honestly, it’s terrifying, because most of what you r...
Feeding
Welfare
Soy: is it healthy or unhealthy for horses?
Some horses need extra protein in their rations. For example, because they need to build muscle or because they have a foal at foot. There are many different ways to supplement protein, of which soy is one. But is soy actually healthy for horses?. A horse’s protein requirement is expressed in the unit Digestible Crude Protein for horses (DCP-h, or in Dutch: VREp). The amount of DCP-h a horse needs differs between mares/geldings and stallions and depends on the horse’s body weight. Sometimes, horses require more protein — for example, to produce milk or to build muscle mass. The standard requirement for a mare or gelding weighing 600 kg is 365 grams of DCP-h. If your horse has poor muscle development, is still growing, is in the last three...
Feeding
Pasture
Guest blog
Breeding
Floxely is expecting a foal! Are you following along? Part 4
Soooooo happy!!! After nearly two years, it finally worked out — Floxely is pregnant! I could hardly believe it actually happened, especially since I had already started letting go of the idea. Everything happened so fast, my head could barely keep up. And I don’t think Floxely could either.. Truly a bit confused The heat Flox showed before insemination was intense — the strongest she’d had in a long time. And I could tell the hormones really threw her off. And now with the pregnancy, new and different hormones came into play again, which clearly affected Floxely. I noticed she was mentally a bit confused. She really needed some time to process all the internal changes. She seemed distant, more inward-focused. And physically, especially in her pelvis, she struggled with the looseness...
Electrolytes
Minerals
Why Is There Dextrose in Electrolytes for Horses?
Electrolytes are essential for a horse's recovery and hydration after exercise, hot weather, or diarrhea. But if you take a closer look at the ingredients of many electrolyte products, you’ll often find dextrose (grape sugar) listed as well. This raises questions: why include sugar in a supplement meant to replenish fluids and salts? Does dextrose have a specific role, or is it just a cheap filler? In this blog, we’ll explain exactly what dextrose does in an electrolyte supplement and why it plays an important role in the absorption of minerals.. What Are Electrolytes? Let’s start with the basics! Electrolytes are minerals that are crucial for muscle function, nerve activity, and fluid balance. For horses, the most important ones are sodium, potassium, chloride, calcium, and magnesium. When a horse sweats, it loses large amounts of these minerals—especially sodium and chloride. If these are not replenished, fatigue, muscle issues, and even dehydration can occur. The Role of Dextrose in Electrolyte Products Dextrose is often seen as a sug...
Stress
What influence do you have on your horse's competition stress?
When we go to competition with our horse, we go out of our comfort zone. Not only the comfort zone of the horse, who suddenly has to perform in a strange ring with strange noises and other horses, but also out of our own comfort zone. How does your stress affect your horse's stress level?. A story from the practice of a physiotherapist who works with the Flexchair: “I once had a row of Flexchairs set up during a demonstration, with a group of focused riders doing exercises to improve their balance and mobility.” A Flexchair is a type of saddle connected to a computer. On the screen, you see a ball that you have to keep within a specific shape – for example, moving it left to right along a horizontal bar. You do this by shifting the saddle using your seat. The physiotherapist: “I q...
Welfare
Did you know that social interaction improves horses' overall health?
One of the basic requirements for horse welfare is the freedom to express natural behaviour. Contact with conspecifics is part of this. A horse is a herd animal and needs other horses to function properly.. Contact with other horses includes behaviors like sniffing, playing, and mutual grooming (scratching each other). A lack of, or very limited, social contact can lead to (chronic) stress in horses, which results in elevated cortisol levels in the blood. Cortisol is a stress hormone. When this naturally occurring substance remains at high levels in the bloodstream for too long, it can lead to various (serious) health issues. Cortisol Spending time with other horses and engaging in activities like...