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.
Minerals
Feeding
Additional minerals healthy for many horses
Minerals are of great importance for all horses. And when a horse sweats a lot, exercises, grows, or has a foal at its side, additional minerals are often needed. Dutch roughage has become increasingly poor in minerals over the last few decades. A horse that only gets hay or hay and a little concentrated feed can therefore develop a deficiency in essential minerals.. Minerals Are Important for Horses Minerals are crucial for the skeleton, nervous system, and digestion of horses. All mammals require various minerals, even if sometimes only in tiny amounts. Sport horses that use their bodies more intensively and sweat more have a higher mineral requirement than horses that only perform light work. They especially need more sodium, chloride, and often potassium. These minerals can be found in electrolyte products. Growing horses and lactating mares also have ab...
Minerals
Feeding
Pasture
Copper and zinc deficiencies in pasture and roughage
Today, it is often heard that some soils have insufficient levels of copper and zinc. This could have implications for the nutritional value of grass and hay. Does the shortage of minerals in Dutch soil have consequences for our horses? And what can you do about it?. According to Pavo's roughage monitor, grass and roughage in the Netherlands almost always have low concentrations of the trace elements zinc and copper. These minerals are involved in important bodily functions. They do not need to be present in large quantities in the diet, but it is important that your horse gets a little of both. Since Dutch soil is often rich in iron and manganese, horses rarely have a deficiency in those elements. Peat Soil and Sandy Soil On soils with high phosphorus, high...
Nettle
Minerals
Dandelion
Rosehip
Four tips to prevent a dip in immunity in your horse
In the cold, wet, and dark days of winter, many horses experience a dip in their immune system. The shedding of their winter coat, when the days start getting longer, can also have a negative impact on their immune system. Is there a way to prevent such a resistance dip? We provide you with four tips. Tip 1 - Ensure sufficient exercise even in winter Horses are animals that require movement. However, during winter, it can be less appealing - and sometimes even impossible - to go out with your horse. If you only have access to an outdoor arena, or have to work during the day, this may mean that your horse gets less exercise in winter. Make sure your horse has as much free movement as possible daily, even if you don't find it appealing to be outside. Generally, horses tolerate cold weather much...
Minerals
Others
Feeding
Uhm... my horse suddenly doesn't use the mineral buffet anymore ?!
You must have been very enthusiastic about setting up a mineral buffet for your horse. You found the right method for hanging or placing the buckets, purchased all products, and filled the buckets with enthusiasm. The horses were also very excited and the buckets are quickly empty. Until after a few weeks, you see that the horses are no longer interested and the water in the buckets becomes dirty. What now? Was it not a good idea after all, did the horses only find it fun for a while? And most importantly, what should you do now?. The first time choosing can cause confusion Often, when a mineral buffet is placed for the first time for horses who are not familiar with it, it can go two ways. Either they don't understand what to do with it and completely ignore it, or out of enthusiasm, the buckets are immediately emptied. But both are a sign that horses are not consciously choosing to drink a specific water. And that's quite logical because our current horses are far from their natural state of being. They are fed and give...
Electrolytes
Minerals
What electrolytes are most natural for your horse?
It's hot and that means horses lose a lot of salts and minerals through their sweat. To replenish these electrolytes, you can use different types of supplements. Which electrolytes are the most natural and when does your horse need them?. Electrolytes are important for the functioning of the horse's body. These substances help the body with nerve and muscle function, acid-base balance (pH), and fluid balance. Which electrolytes? The main electrolytes lost when sweating are: calcium, magnesium, chloride, sodium, and potassium. Calcium helps muscle contraction, while magnesium helps the muscles relax. Magnesium also plays a role in the nervous system and energy metabolism. Potassium regulates water uptake by organs, bones, and musc...
Minerals
Vitamin E
Feeding
# Why roughage alone is not enough for horses
If you ask non-horse people: 'what does a horse eat?' then the chances are high that they will answer 'grass'. But that certainly does not apply to all of our horses! Especially not in a cold winter, or a dry summer. What is true, however, is that horses mainly eat roughage, from grass to hay. But unfortunately, roughage alone is not sufficient to keep your horse healthy.. Roughage is obviously the basis for a healthy horse. Horses depend on fibers for their digestion and energy supply. Cellulose, the building material of plant cell walls, is present in fibers. For humans, this stuff is indigestible, but horses derive their energy from it, with the help of fungi, bacteria, and yeasts that live in the large intestine. In English, scientists say that horses are 'hind-gut fermenters'. In other words: they digest the majority of their food with the hind part of their...
Electrolytes
Minerals
Feeding
Extra minerals for your horse: When is that necessary?
Minerals are essential building blocks for bones, muscle tissue, organs, and the nervous system. Therefore, your horse needs to be able to absorb enough minerals with its food and water. But minerals are complex, sometimes work together, and occasionally interfere with each other. How do you know if your horse is getting enough minerals or needs extra?. Minerals are important for the skeleton, nervous system, and digestion. Horses require a large number of minerals, sometimes in very small amounts. Minerals are usually divided into minerals and trace elements. Minerals should be given in grams per day, trace elements in milligrams. Some of the 'major' minerals include: calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, sodium, chloride, and potassium. Trace elements include: zinc, copper, iron, manganese, iodine, selenium, cobalt, molybdenum, and sulfur. Compound...
Skin
Minerals
Seven tips to keep your black horse black this summer
Many black and black-brown horses become significantly lighter in the summer, sometimes even turning truly brown. This is a natural process and the horse is not bothered by it at all. But as an owner, you might prefer your horse to stay black. For example, if you have a Friesian going to a show. If you prefer to keep your horse black without using paint, we have seven tips for you.. The brown color is caused by the sun. The hair of your horse fades under the influence of UV radiation. This process is accelerated if a lot of sweat salts remain on your horse's skin. Tip 1: Rinse your horse after work Ensure your horse goes into the sun clean, not covered in dried sweat. This will slow down the discoloration process. It is also more pleasant for your horse to cool off after working on a hot day. A win-win situation. Tip 2: Use a UV-protective fly sheet The less sun exposure, t...
Hooves
Minerals
Silicon
No hoof, no horse! What to do in cases of hoof cancer, thrush, and crumbling hooves?
The expression 'No foot, no horse' is old. And a cliché. But yes, healthy and strong hooves are indeed vital for your horse. We list the most important ailments and give you tips to keep your horse's hooves healthy.. The most common 'problem' with horse hooves is crumbling. Especially in dry conditions, many horses have crumbling hooves. Pieces of hoof break off and it doesn't look very nice. Fortunately, it's usually not a very big problem and a visit from the farrier usually resolves it. Sometimes crumbling is (partly) caused by a mineral deficiency. To prevent hooves from crumbling, it is important for you to: Give your horse enough minerals and nutrients Provide enough (free) exercise Not constantly keep...
Nettle
Minerals
Dandelion
Rosehip
A mineral buffet: can horses still choose for the good themselves?
Regularly we are asked whether horses can really choose in a mineral buffet or if they will always choose the tastiest option. Because is the modern horse still close enough to nature to be able to make "healthy" choices? And what about mineral buffets, are they healthy for horses or not? And how do you offer a mineral buffet?. Genetically, horses are close to nature All present-day horses are still genetically very close to the primal horse. While humans no longer resemble the ancient humans at all, horses have always remained true to themselves. Their digestion has hardly changed, and their needs have also remained the same. In terms of nutritional needs, the modern (sport) horse is still the same as the wild horse. This means that the instinct to search for the right nutrients is still present. Horses grow up one-si...
Minerals
Feeding
If your horse does not have access to pasture, then what?
In the Netherlands, space is limited. Therefore, it is not always possible to provide your horse with pasture access. How do you deal with this? What should you keep in mind when your horse doesn't have pasture access?*. In the wild, a horse spends many hours and kilometers per day foraging for food alongside herd mates. Even our modern horses are still designed for this "grazing-walking" lifestyle. To keep your horse healthy, you want to mimic this way of life as much as possible, even if it requires some creativity. Free movement and social interaction Free movement is essential for the physical and mental well-being of your horse. The joints, tendons, ligaments, and muscles of horses stay in better...
Minerals
Rosehip
Vitamin E
Keep broodmare resistance high for childbirth!
Did you know that foals are born with virtually no immune system? Only a small part of the necessary antibodies is already present before birth via the placenta to the foal. All other antibodies they need to be able to deal with viruses and bacteria are obtained from the mare's colostrum. That is the first milk produced immediately after birth.. So colostrum is incredibly important for the foal! A foal that does not receive enough colostrum is very vulnerable and can deteriorate quickly. But the foal not only needs to drink enough colostrum, the quality of that colostrum is also very essential. The mare can only produce good colostrum when her own immune system is in good shape. And as an owner, you can help her with that. Vitamins and minerals for resistance broodmare A growing foal in the womb requires a lot of minerals, vitamins, as...