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.
Insulin resistance
Diseases
What is the difference between IR and EMS in horses?
Insulin resistance (IR) and Equine Metabolic Syndrome (EMS) are two related, but different, conditions in horses. Both diseases involve a disturbed metabolism and excess weight. To help your horse properly, it is important to know exactly what is going on.. What is Insulin Resistance (IR)? Insulin resistance is a condition in which a horse's cells become less sensitive to the hormone insulin. This means that the body becomes less efficient at absorbing glucose from the blood. Since the glucose is no longer properly removed from the blood, blood sugar levels increase. As a result, the horse has more difficulty maintaining balanced blood sugar levels. The primary cause of insulin resistance is overweight. When a horse receives more feed or a diet hig...
Breeding
What is colostrum and why is it so important for the foal?
A newborn foal must drink enough colostrum from its mother within 24 hours. This is hugely important for a young foal's resistance and health. Why is this so? And why should it be so soon?. Colostrum is the first milk a mare produces. It is also known as first milk and is thicker and more yellow in color than the milk the mare will produce later. Colostrum is rich in essential nutrients such as fats, proteins, vitamins, and minerals. In addition, colostrum contains important antibodies and immunoglobulins that support the foal’s immune system. These antibodies help protect the foal from diseases and infections during its early life. Low Immunity Foals receive very few antibodies fr...
Feeding
Why fewer ingredients in supplements is better: Less is more!
In the world of supplements, it often seems: the more ingredients, the better. But is that actually true? At AskHELTIE, we believe in the power of simplicity and effectiveness. In this blog, we explain why it is better to choose supplements with only a few, well-chosen ingredients.`. The Power of Targeted Dosage Many supplements contain a long list of herbs and other additives. This may seem appealing, but the problem is that the dosage per ingredient is often very low. If a product contains, for example, twenty different herbs, your horse will only receive a tiny amount of each. This is often too little to have a real effect. By choosing supplements with only a few key ingredients, you ensure that each component is present in an effective dosage. This makes the supplement m...
Breeding
Do's and don'ts when giving birth to a foal
Your mare is pregnant and the birth of the foal is approaching. An exciting and special event, even if you have experienced it before. Fortunately, most births go well, but if not, you need to act very quickly. We list the do's and don'ts of giving birth.. In general, a pregnancy duration of 11 months is usually assumed, but on average, mares carry for 340 days. That is a good week longer than eleven months. A foal is viable from 320 days but can also remain in the womb until 360 or even 365 days. Some mares always carry over by a few weeks. Inducing labor in these mares is not a good idea and is almost never necessary. Do: Keep an eye on your mare Labor progresses quickly, and sometimes you will see little to no signs in your mare in the hours le...
Breeding
Vitamin E
Feeding
Why vitamin E is so important for your horse at the end of winter
Winter is drawing to a close and the first signs of spring are becoming visible. For horses, this means that grazing is back in sight, but this transition period in particular is a time when extra attention is needed for your horse's vitamin E status. In this blog, we explain why it is important to supplement vitamin E at the end of winter and how this will benefit your horse's health.. Vitamin E is an essential antioxidant that helps protect body cells from damage caused by free radicals. It supports muscle function, the immune system, and the overall health of the horse. Horses normally obtain a large portion of their vitamin E from fresh grass, but in the winter months, this source is limited or unavailable, making it necessary to supplement their intake in other ways. Deficiencies After Winter During the winter months, many horses rely on hay as their primary feed, but hay...
Guest blog
Breeding
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Floxely is expecting a foal! Are you following along? Part 1
It is now March 2025 and that means that in about 3.5 months Marjolijn's mare (Floxely) will have a foal. Super cool of course and very special to witness! But how did this whole process go? How was the stallion choice made, what changes were made and what else has changed since Floxely got pregnant? In this blog series, Marjolijn takes you through this whole process!.
Breeding
Preparing your mare for the birth of the foal
If your mare is expecting a foal, it is an exciting time. Preparing for the birth starts well before the due date. What do you need to think about and what do you need to have in the house?. The most important thing you can do to prepare for the birth as best as possible is to keep your mare in good health and condition. Giving birth is like top-level sports, so you want your mare to be optimally prepared. Growing the foal in the womb and nursing it afterward are also intensive processes. Sufficient Exercise Make sure your mare continues to get enough exercise, even in the final phase of pregnancy. Plenty of free movement with social contact is essential, but riding, lunging, or gro...
Feeding
Senior
What if your (older) horse can no longer eat so easily?
You know the drill: you put down the feed bowl, and normally it is empty in no time. But suddenly you notice that your horse takes longer to eat, leaves food on the table or maybe even spills or crams it. Maybe at first you thought he was just having a lesser appetite for once, but when it happens more often, a light bulb goes on. What is going on?. Older horses can struggle with eating for various reasons. One of the most common causes is their teeth. After years of chewing, their teeth wear down, sharp edges or hooks may develop, or they may even lose teeth. It’s understandable that eating becomes more difficult! Another factor is digestion. As a horse ages, its ability to absorb nutrients decreases. Even if it can still chew reasonably well, it may still lose weight or have less energy. Painful joints can also play a role—bending down to...
Minerals
Feeding
The role of trace elements in the equine body
A horse needs daily vitamins, minerals as well as trace elements in its ration. Trace elements are also known as microminerals; they are important in small quantities. This is in contrast to macrominerals such as calcium, phosphorus and magnesium, of which a horse needs quite a lot every day. What do trace elements do?. The most important trace elements for horses are: iron, zinc, copper, manganese, iodine, selenium, cobalt, molybdenum, and sulfur. These minerals are needed in small amounts for the proper functioning of a horse. Long-term Considerations Trace elements are not always sufficiently present in roughage or grass. This usually doesn’t lead to an immediate problem, but in the long term, deficiencies can arise that affect your horse’s health. Trace elements must also be present in your horse's diet. Fo...
Minerals
Feeding
What happens in the horse's body when there are deficiencies?
If your horse is fed a ration that does not meet all its needs, various problems can arise. Sometimes you can see this quite quickly, but in other cases, the body masks deficiencies of certain nutrients until it really can't. And then you can ‘suddenly’ have a bigger problem.. A horse needs energy, building blocks, vitamins, and minerals for its daily functioning. If an animal does not get enough energy, this is usually quite easy to see: the horse will lose weight. You can easily solve this by providing more roughage or adding some oil to the diet. Of course, weight loss can also be caused by certain diseases, dental problems, or a worm infestation. If adding energy to the diet does not help, consult your veterinarian. Self-produced or from feed? Your horse produces...
Minerals
Feeding
Does horse hay contain enough minerals and vitamins?
Hay is the basic ration for horses. Hay is dried grass and what it contains is determined by the type of soil, fertilisation and growing conditions of that grass. The length and conditions of storage also affect the substances contained in hay. The question is therefore: is your horse getting enough vitamins and minerals from its hay?. Fresh grass contains many important nutrients for horses, including a variety of vitamins. However, when grass is dried and stored, some of these vitamins gradually diminish. Vitamin E, which is essential for muscles, starts to break down fairly quickly after harvesting. If your horse does not eat fresh grass, you should supplement this vitamin. Vitamin A also disappears relatively fast. This is why many horse owners feed their horses carrots in winter, as they are rich in vitamin A. Additionall...