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.
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Are you already taking into account the VAT increase in the Netherlands in 2025?
What a strange topic for us, isn't it? But we still want to pay some attention to this as it will affect many horse owners. Starting January 1, 2025, the reduced VAT rate (9%) on agricultural products not intended for human consumption will be abolished. There is little mention of this in the media, but for us as horse owners, this means a significant increase starting January 1, 2025! Therefore, in this article, we want to draw your attention to the upcoming change.. Still a low VAT rate Currently, the low VAT rate is still applied to agricultural products, which means that bedding, roughage, concentrated feed, and supplements for horses have a VAT rate of 9%. But unfortunately, this is going to change in the Netherlands! Increase of 12%! All roughage, all concentrated feed, all bedding, and all supplements will see a 12% increase! Currently, these products have a VAT rate of 9%, but from January 1, 2025, this rate will go up to 21%. As a result, keeping hor...
Minerals
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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...
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Horse in a draft - problem or not?
It is often said that horses should not stand in a draft. But when do you actually speak of a draft? And how bad is a draft really? We'll give you the facts.. With the word 'draft' we indicate that there is a draft in an indoor space. Sometimes it's a light breeze, sometimes there is quite a bit of 'draft'. The line between ventilation with fresh air and annoying draft is actually difficult to determine and often also personal. There is no strict definition for a draft. Viruses primary cause of disease Draft is often seen as the cause of illness, especially colds. This is not entirely correct. Illness and colds are caused by viruses, not by air circul...
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Digestion
Feeding
# The ideal feeding schedule for horses with limited hay
Giving limited or unlimited roughage to your horse is still a topic of much debate. Some horses do fine on unlimited roughage, but there are also horses that become way too fat. Often, this is not due to the amount of roughage, but to the nutritional value of the roughage. As a horse owner, you cannot always change this and have to deal with the feed that is available (at the boarding stable).. Hay high in sugars In recent years, we are seeing more and more issues with feeding unlimited roughage. The hay in the Netherlands is very high in sugar due to the dry/warm summers, with percentages around 15% becoming almost normal, whereas it is preferred to have them under 8% and even under 5% for horses sensitive to sugars. Due to the high sugar percentages, horses easily gain weight, develop health issues, and unlimited feeding becomes a risk. Of course, roughage is more than just hay! Roug...
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The annual dental check-up: important for a healthy horse
Your horse's health starts with good digestion. And good digestion starts with good chewing. Good chewing can only be done with a good set of teeth. Therefore, it is important to have your horse's teeth checked annually. But... there are a few more reasons why a check-up is wise.. Chewing food finely with the molars and mixing it with abundant saliva is the first - important - step in digestion in horses. A horse that can chew well and has a healthy set of teeth will be less likely to have problems with the gastrointestinal tract. And when digestion is in order, the chances of your horse staying healthy are higher. Continued wear Horses in the wild eat for as much as 16 to 18 hours a day. A true wear and tear on the teeth and molars. But that's exactly the point because a...
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Feeding
Do you need to give pellets, or are loose herbs sufficient for your horse?
Many people are afraid that their horse will lack something if they don't give pellets. Is that justified? Or can your horse also get by with only roughage and loose herbs? That is quite a difficult question and very much dependent on your horse and the circumstances under which he is kept.. To start with: it depends on what you mean by 'pellets'. Regular pellets or feed, grains or muesli, are usually not necessary. Many types of concentrate feeds contain all sorts of sugars and fillers that your horse does not need and that overload the horse's body. For many horses, these concentrates also contain far too much energy that they do not need. Start with the basics To put together a good diet (= nutrition package) for your horse, you need to start with the basics. And for horses, that...
Behaviour
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Should a sports horse be kept differently than a recreational horse?
Regularly the question arises whether a certain advice also applies to a sports horse. Because a sports horse is different, right? Or not? Are there things you should think about extra when it comes to a sports horse, or can you keep a sports horse the same as a recreational horse?. What is a sports horse? Horses are natural athletes with good fitness levels and they cover an average of 15-18 km per day. And they also graze in the meantime, which means they have to cover large distances at a trot/canter to achieve these distances. Many horses are labeled as sports horses, while in reality they are trained for 4-5 times a week for an hour or two. But to be honest, this is not very intensive for a horse. A sports horse is seen as a horse that is trained/performed at a high le...
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Tendons
The effect of substrate on the tendons of horses
During a lameness examination, attention is always paid to how the horse moves on a hard surface and on a soft surface. Sometimes, a horse may limp on a hard surface but not on a soft one. This can provide a lot of valuable information for a veterinarian! The surface on which a horse walks has an impact on its body and also affects it.. Susceptible to injury Horses are prone to injury, especially when it comes to their legs. It is not uncommon for a horse to stumble (during training), land incorrectly after a jump, bump itself, slip, overstretch, or experience chronic overloading. This can lead to injuries, especially to the tendons of the horse. In addition to their legs, and tendons in particular, being injury-prone, the surface on which a horse walks also has a certain influence on the tendons. Therefore, it is important to...
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The best start for your foal
After eleven months of waiting, the time has finally come, your foal is born! Of course, we all want our foals to grow up into strong, healthy, and happy horses. How do you ensure that your foal gets the best possible start in life?. First day When your foal is just born, the most important thing is for it to receive enough colostrum. In the first six to eight hours, your foal should ideally have ingested one to two liters of this thick milk full of antibodies. It's difficult to see if your foal has actually consumed enough colostrum. Even seemingly active and playful foals sometimes lack enough antibodies. Therefore, have your veterinarian perform a quick test, preferably between 12 and 24 hours after birth. This can be don...
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How to read a label of a horse supplement?
Etiketten, what a drama sometimes to clearly understand what exactly is in there. It's full of legal obligations and with that the "sales pitch". But even that sales pitch is sometimes very cryptically described. So how should you actually read a label?. Labels of horse feed and supplements are different! We always emphasize that you should carefully read the labels of a feed bag so you know exactly what the ingredients are and also review the analysis. Because that information says a lot about how good this feed is for horses. For horse feed, for example, you don't want it to be full of just grains and you want the sugar and starch percentage to be nice and low. Unfortunately, this knowledge about labels of horse feed is not completely applicab...
Behaviour
Magnesium
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Silicon
Is rearing the best place for foals to grow up?
Most foals go to a special place for rearing after weaning. Here they usually spend about two to two and a half years. But does a foal actually have to be in rearing? What does good rearing look like? And what are the alternatives?. Because we don't have a lot of space everywhere in the Netherlands, you often find affordable rearing locations for foals in the more rural provinces, or even abroad. As the owner of a young horse, you usually don't have daily visibility. This makes choosing a good rearing location quite difficult. Important aspects to consider in your choice are herd composition, feeding policy, and exercise. Behavior specialist chooses mixed herd Dr. Machteld van Dierendonck of the Faculty of Veterinary Medici...
Hormones
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# Why there are so many 'early' foals
In recent years, it is becoming more common to see foals born in March, February, or even January. For some breeders, it seems like a competition. In nature, the period between April and June is the best time for a foal to be born. It is warmer and there is plenty of spring grass for the mare to make nutrient-rich milk. So why are there so many early foals?. As the days get longer and the grass starts to grow, the mare's hormone system kicks in. Although the first heat cycle often occurs in February, there is usually a higher chance of conception in April, May, and June. This is the natural breeding season. The horses have shed their winter coat, their immune system is in order, and there is plenty of nutritious grass available. Shift A mare is usually pregnant for over 11 months. After the foal is born, it takes about a week for the first heat cycl...