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.
Behaviour
Hormones
Feeding
Why we do not have supplements for heat cycles in our assortment
Mares and heat cycles, some have no problems with it while others may struggle with it extensively. It is common for us to receive inquiries about whether we have anything to offer for mares experiencing heat cycles. And our answer is simple and straightforward: 'No!'. In this blog, we will explain why we are not fans of supplements for mares in heat. Heat cycles in mares are natural! Every mare is expected to go through heat cycles if she is not pregnant. Heat cycles typically occur from around March to October. If the fall season is long, heat cycles may start a bit later, while a long summer may extend the duration. Generally, there are no heat cycles during the winter months. A mare's cycle lasts an average of 21 days, meaning you will witness heat cycles...
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...
Skin
Silicon
Salmon oil
What to do with a horse with a dull coat?
A beautiful shiny coat with little apples... that's what we all want for our horse! But the reality is sometimes a lot duller. What can you do about it?. In spring, horses shed their old winter coat and a shiny, soft summer coat emerges. At least, in the ideal case. Sometimes horses come out of their coat poorly or the new coat is not as beautiful and shiny as hoped. Shampoos? Although it can be handy to wash your horse or use an anti-tangle product in the mane or tail, shampoos and gloss sprays are not the real solution if you want your horse to shine. The proverb says: 'True beauty comes from within.' And that applies to the horse's coat too! U...
Cannabinoids
Clove
Triphala
Black cumin
Can you prevent strangles and influenza in your horse?
Strangles and influenza are well-known equine diseases. Both are highly contagious and can make your horse very ill, with high fever. What can you do to protect your horse against strangles and influenza?. While the symptoms may sometimes be a bit similar, there is a very important difference between strangles and influenza. Strangles is caused by a bacterium and influenza by a virus. So, they are actually two very different conditions. However, strangles sometimes gets a chance when a horse's immune system is already weakened after infection with a virus, such as influenza or a cold virus. In such cases, your horse can have both of these diseases at the same time! What is strangles? Strangles is...
Behaviour
Others
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...
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...
Nettle
Weight
Insulin resistance
Triphala
How to support your horse's sugar metabolism?
The grazing season is in full swing and for many horses, this means days spent on grass. For horses sensitive to sugars, this can sometimes be a challenge. How can you ensure that your horse doesn't react strongly to sugars? How can you prevent itching, laminitis, and other sugar-related issues? In this blog, we will explain how you can support your horse's sugar metabolism.. Living sugar-free is impossible In the world of horses, there is often a lot of panic about sugar, but it is good to realize that your horse consumes sugars throughout the day. On average, hay contains about 10% sugar, so a horse that eats 10 kg of hay per day already consumes a kilo of sugar. The sugar content in grass may be lower, but it can also be much higher. This is very weather-dependent and also depends on the type of grass you have. However, horses often eat more grass, increasing the...
Behaviour
Organs
Digestion
Feeding
How to prevent stomach ulcers in sport horses?
Unfortunately, many horses suffer from stomach ulcers. This problem occurs in recreational horses, but many sport horses also experience it. It is often thought that sport horses are "different" and should be kept and fed differently. But is that really the case? And how can you prevent stomach ulcers in sport horses?. What are stomach ulcers? A stomach ulcer is an irritation or wound in the stomach caused by damage to the stomach lining. This results in inflammatory reactions to the stomach wall. The stomach of a horse has a capacity of about 10 liters and can be seen as a bag. The lower part continuously produces stomach acid, and the lining in the lower part is more resistant to this acid. The upper part of the stomach has a different lining and is less tolerant to stomach acid. Due to various circumstances...
Feeding
Pasture
What herbs can you sow in your horse pasture?
That a horse pasture is different from a cow pasture is well known to most people by now. For example, dairy cows need a protein-rich pasture while horses cannot use this. Horses benefit more from a pasture where they can enjoy different herbs. Read in this blog why herbs in the pasture are so important for horses and which herbs every horse can use in a horse pasture.. Why a horse needs herbs Herbivores (plant eaters) are top herbivores. This is because herbivores have alkaline stomach acid and herbs are alkaline. Alkaline is the opposite of acid. Stomach acid must have a certain acid-base balance in order to function optimally. This balance also directly affects the intestinal flora and therefore the overall resistance of the horse. In addition, herbs are rich in various minerals, vitamins and other nutrients. By offering herbs to horses, you give them a much...
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...
Nettle
Dandelion
Pasture
Weeds or actually healthy for horses?
In your horse's pasture, there is often more than just grass. This is not a problem, in fact, it is often a good thing. In the wild, horses do not only eat grass. Herbs, bushes, and trees are also on the menu.. Each plant offers something different and diversity is healthy. But of course, you don't want your horse to eat toxic plants. That's why it's good to know which plants belong in your pasture and which ones don't. 'Green desert' In the Netherlands, many pastures are very monotonous. They mainly consist of English ryegrass or sometimes grass clover, a mixture of ryegrass and clover. This type of grass is good for cows that need to produce a lot of milk. But these pastures are too rich for horses,...
Pasture
Fertilizing horse pasture? Preferably no artificial fertilizers!
Dutch farmers regularly use artificial fertilizers on their fields and pastures. However, artificial fertilizers are less suitable for fertilizing a horse pasture. The grass becomes 'too rich', which can lead to all sorts of issues for horses. Horses do better on 'poorer' grass.. Artificial fertilizers emerged in the previous century. They are used to increase production in agriculture by adding high concentrations of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium to the soil. Artificial fertilizers are made using a lot of energy from natural gas and are therefore not very sustainable. However, they are relatively cheap and nutrients can be dosed very precisely. You also see results faster than when using animal manure on your pasture. That is why many farmers prefer to work with a...