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

Vitamin E

Feeding

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.

# 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...

Minerals

Rosehip

Vitamin E

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.

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...

Vitamin E

Just like broodmares, breeding stallions may sometimes need some extra support. Especially if they are also used in sports or do a lot of breeding. Of course, not everyone has a KWPN breeding stallion in the stable, but there are quite a few people in the Netherlands and Belgium who breed with, for example, Shetland ponies or their own crosses. What should you look out for in the nutrition for optimal fertility of a breeding stallion?

What feed and supplements for optimal fertility of breeding stallions?

Just like broodmares, breeding stallions may sometimes need some extra support. Especially if they are also used in sports or do a lot of breeding. Of course, not everyone has a KWPN breeding stallion in the stable, but there are quite a few people in the Netherlands and Belgium who breed with, for example, Shetland ponies or their own crosses. What should you look out for in the nutrition for optimal fertility of a breeding stallion?. While stallions do not carry the foal and therefore do not need to receive the building blocks for, for example, the skeleton of a foal like broodmares, they still have special nutritional needs. These are mainly related to fertility. Optimal fertility of breeding stallions You want a breeding stallion to be as fertile as possible. This is to prevent disappointments and a lot of effort, energy, and costs for veterinarians and travel for both the stallion owner and the mare owner. In some breeds,...

Vitamin E

Vitamin E plays an important role in improving fertility in mares. This has been known for humans for some time. But this vitamin also has a positive effect on horses. Vitamin E is often used together with other antioxidants. It increases the fertility of mares and stallions and ensures better resistance in breeding mares and their newborn foals.

Better fertility of mares and healthy foals thanks to vitamin E

Vitamin E plays an important role in improving fertility in mares. This has been known for humans for some time. But this vitamin also has a positive effect on horses. Vitamin E is often used together with other antioxidants. It increases the fertility of mares and stallions and ensures better resistance in breeding mares and their newborn foals.. The effectiveness of vitamin E in people with fertility problems has been well researched. There have also been a number of scientific studies done in horses. Vitamin E deficiency Vitamin E is an incredibly important vitamin. Not only for fertility, but also for your horse's muscles and nervous system. It is a powerful antioxidant. Because horses do not produce vitamin E themselves, it must come from their diet. Grass contains a lot of easily absorbable vitamin E, so horses that spend all day in...

Magnesium

Silicon

Vitamin E

Many horse owners would like to help their horse build muscle. For example, with young horses or animals that have been out of training for a while. Others are mainly looking to prevent muscle breakdown. This is more common with older horses or horses that have a condition or injury. How do you support your horse's muscles?

Which supplement is suitable for muscle building in horses?

Many horse owners would like to help their horse build muscle. For example, with young horses or animals that have been out of training for a while. Others are mainly looking to prevent muscle breakdown. This is more common with older horses or horses that have a condition or injury. How do you support your horse's muscles?. Muscles consist of muscle fibers, which are fed and maintained by the body. You can build and grow muscles through targeted training and providing the right nutrition and supplements. Both of these factors are important! One cannot do without the other. Vitamins and minerals Some vitamins and minerals are essential for healthy muscle tissue. If your horse doesn't get enough of these minerals and vitamins, it can lead to stiffness or a less effective training effect. Magnesium ensures a good tran...

Magnesium

Silicon

Vitamin E

Muscle binding, also called 'tying up' or Monday disease, is a disease. It is not just a bit of stiffness. The muscle metabolism of the horse is out of control with muscle binding. You must treat muscle binding immediately. How do you recognize muscle binding, what can you do about it, and how do you prevent this serious condition?

How do you support a horse with muscle binding?

Muscle binding, also called 'tying up' or Monday disease, is a disease. It is not just a bit of stiffness. The muscle metabolism of the horse is out of control with muscle binding. You must treat muscle binding immediately. How do you recognize muscle binding, what can you do about it, and how do you prevent this serious condition?. Muscle binding usually occurs about ten to fifteen minutes after a horse has been in motion. It is a total acidification of the muscles, especially the muscles of the topline (back, loins, buttocks). The symptoms sometimes resemble colic. Muscle binding is not always easy to recognize. An important indication is that muscle binding mainly occurs after a heavy effort, preceded by several days of rest during which the same feed was given. Muscle binding starts with stiffness, hard muscles, and not...

Joints

Magnesium

Vitamin E

A healthy horse, without problems in the joints, tendons, muscles, and ligaments, moves rhythmically, regularly, smoothly, and with body usage. If you let such a horse move freely or lunge it, you will see ample steps of equal size, a pulsating rhythm in the movement, and swaying muscles throughout the body, including the topline. Unfortunately, this is not always the reality and horses are sometimes stiff, short in movement, irregular, or lock up their back. The question then is: why?

Why is my horse stiff?

A healthy horse, without problems in the joints, tendons, muscles, and ligaments, moves rhythmically, regularly, smoothly, and with body usage. If you let such a horse move freely or lunge it, you will see ample steps of equal size, a pulsating rhythm in the movement, and swaying muscles throughout the body, including the topline. Unfortunately, this is not always the reality and horses are sometimes stiff, short in movement, irregular, or lock up their back. The question then is: why?. There are many possible causes of stiffness in horses. Older horses often take a little longer to get going, and a heavy training session and the accompanying muscle soreness from the day before can result in it taking a while before your horse warms up. This type of stiffness is relatively easy to remedy by warming up properly, providing some extra supplements, or adjusting your training schedule a bit. It becomes more troublesome if the cause of the stiffness is not so easily determined. Evalu...

Behaviour

Magnesium

Stress

Vitamin E

When a horse comes out of rearing and starts working, it brings a lot of changes. Not only because suddenly everything is expected of him, but also because the circumstances in which the animal lives change. The horse often spends fewer hours in the herd, sometimes in a stall at night, and comes into contact with people and 'strange' situations much more than before.

How do you prevent mental overload in a young horse in training?

When a horse comes out of rearing and starts working, it brings a lot of changes. Not only because suddenly everything is expected of him, but also because the circumstances in which the animal lives change. The horse often spends fewer hours in the herd, sometimes in a stall at night, and comes into contact with people and 'strange' situations much more than before.. Most people know that in the training of a young horse, you should take it easy to allow the tendons, muscles, ligaments, and joints to adapt to the work. Short training sessions and sufficient (active) rest days in between are important to start a horse in work properly. Mental burden Training a young horse is not only about physical challenges. There is also a lot happening mentally. It's like a toddler going to school for the first time, they receive a lot of impressions which can be exhausti...

Cannabinoids

Joints

Clove

Silicon

Vitamin E

Black cumin

Osteoarthritis and dental problems: support your horse as it ages

The age at which a horse becomes a "senior" can vary depending on the breed and the individual horse. In general, we are talking about horses around 18 to 20 years old. This is when the first signs of aging start to appear. Joints: Stiffness and Osteoarthritis Older horses often experience joint wear and tear. The production of cartilage slows down in older horses, leading to the gradual thinning of the 'cushioning' cartilage between joints. Cartilage and synovial fluid work together t...

Vitamin E

Feeding

Horses that spend many hours in the pasture get enough vitamin E from fresh grass. But in the winter, most horses are hardly on the pasture anymore, or the pasture is bare. They mainly eat dry forage, such as hay. There is much less vitamin E in hay, especially when it has been sitting for a while. In storage, vitamin E disappears from the hay.

How much vitamin E is in hay?

Horses that spend many hours in the pasture get enough vitamin E from fresh grass. But in the winter, most horses are hardly on the pasture anymore, or the pasture is bare. They mainly eat dry forage, such as hay. There is much less vitamin E in hay, especially when it has been sitting for a while. In storage, vitamin E disappears from the hay.. The degradation of vitamin E from drying hay is very rapid. Often half of it has disappeared after two weeks. You can imagine that the vitamin E content has become very low by the end of winter. Your horse cannot meet its vitamin E needs in that period with just hay. Why is vitamin E important for horses? Horses need vitamin E as an antioxidant, for the proper function of their muscles, and for the immune system. Vitamin E is also important for the nervous system. All horses need daily vitamin E...

Vitamin E

Feeding

Pasture

If your horse has plenty of grazing in the summer and is stabled in the winter, you may be familiar with this old wisdom: "You can't go against the pasture." A horse is almost never as shiny, vital, and energetic as when he is in the pasture. Why is that? What nutrients are present in grass but not in hay? And how can you - even in the winter - get as close as possible to the fantastic effects of grass with your feeding policy?

# 'You can't go against the pasture': These nutrients are found in grass, but not in hay

If your horse has plenty of grazing in the summer and is stabled in the winter, you may be familiar with this old wisdom: "You can't go against the pasture." A horse is almost never as shiny, vital, and energetic as when he is in the pasture. Why is that? What nutrients are present in grass but not in hay? And how can you - even in the winter - get as close as possible to the fantastic effects of grass with your feeding policy?. Hay is nothing more than dried grass, but unfortunately, during the drying process, some things are lost. Especially vitamins and fatty acids. If your horse is on pasture for less than four hours a day, or wears a grazing mask, it is necessary to supplement with some nutrients. For example, with a supplement or a balancer. Hay alone is really not enough, not even for hardy breeds! Vitamin A for the eyes, growth and fertility Vitamin A and vitamin E are the most important vitamins to consider whe...

Insulin resistance

Vitamin E

Feeding

Sweet itch

Not all horses are able to be on pasture every day throughout the year. Sometimes because of the horse's health, sometimes because of limitations in stabling, space, or type of ground. Especially in the winter period, many horses are kept in a paddock because the grass is gone or the fields are too wet. But what should you take into account in the nutrition of horses that are not on grass? Not all the nutrients found in fresh grass are also present in hay. That's why we have put together five tips for you. Keep reading!

5 nutrition tips for horses without access to pasture (fresh grass)

Not all horses are able to be on pasture every day throughout the year. Sometimes because of the horse's health, sometimes because of limitations in stabling, space, or type of ground. Especially in the winter period, many horses are kept in a paddock because the grass is gone or the fields are too wet. But what should you take into account in the nutrition of horses that are not on grass? Not all the nutrients found in fresh grass are also present in hay. That's why we have put together five tips for you. Keep reading!. Horses primarily get Vitamin E from fresh greens Vitamin E is essential in a horse's diet, you could say it is one of the most important vitamins. Vitamin E is a very powerful antioxidant and essential for muscles and the nervous system. Vitamin E helps repair damage to muscles and remove waste products from the muscles. This helps keep muscles supple and promotes faster recovery after training. A deficiency in vitamin E can make horses stiff, increase the risk of tying-up and lead to muscle lo...

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