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.
Skin
Ticks in horses: how does that work?
Ticks occur in the summer, when it is warm and dry. They are mainly found in tall grass and bushes. A tick can survive for up to a year without food and will simply wait until a cow, horse or human passes by. The tick then bites and starts sucking blood, up to 600 times its own weight! Some ticks can transmit diseases. Protecting your horse from ticks can be quite challenging. It is wise to regularly check your horse for ticks. In addition, you can add herbs and essential oils to your horse's feed to make the blood unappetizing for these annoying pests.. What is a tick? Ticks are spider-like creatures with eight legs. The sheep tick (Ixodus ricinus) is most common in our area. This tick bites humans, sheep, cows, and horses. Ticks bite to suck blood, as they need that blood to grow. Ticks go through several moults or metamorphoses, during which they become a little bigger each time. They need the proteins from blood for each moult. Adult females also need blood to lay eggs. The sheep tick can transmit diseases while feeding. This mainly happens...
Skin
Triphala
Black cumin
Horse with melanoma? Combine triphala with black cumin!
Unfortunately, some horses deal with melanomas. These are tumors that mostly occur in fungi around the tail/anus. Some melanomas can cause a lot of problems and discomfort for the horse. But did you know that a combination of triphala and black cumin can support melanomas?. What are melanomas? Melanomas are skin tumors that arise from excessive production of pigment cells (melanocytes). This excessive cell division results in a bump/tumor called a melanoma. The skin of fungi and piebald horses contain more melanocytes, which is why these horses are more sensitive to melanomas, but melanomas can occur in horses of all colors and breeds. The growths are most common around the anus, on the base of the tail, genitals, and head. Some melanomas are visible on the outside...
Weight
Insulin resistance
Digestion
Triphala
Ancient herb Triphala supports weight loss and metabolism of horses
Triphala is an herbal mixture that has been used in India for centuries as a natural medicine. It is used for digestive complaints, stress, and to stabilize blood sugar levels. Research has shown that Triphala has strong medicinal properties in humans and rodents. This traditional supplement can also be used in horses, especially for insulin resistance.. What is Triphala? Triphala is a powder made from three different (dried) fruits from the Himalayan region. It is a well-known herbal medicine from the Aryuvedic tradition. The fruits in Triphala are: Amalaki or Indian gooseberry (Emblica officinalis), Bibhitaki (Terminalia bellirica), and Haritaki (Terminalia chebula). Research in recent years has shown that Triphala is effective in treating various conditions. Indian gooseberry stimulates digestion, acts as a laxative, and has anti-inflammatory...
Weight
Insulin resistance
Stress
Triphala
Which conditions can triphala be used for in horses?
Triphala is a "herbal mixture" of 3 dried fruits from the Himalayan region. It has been used in India for centuries due to its great healing properties. In this blog, we will explain the conditions in horses where triphala can be used.. Insulin resistance Triphala has a beneficial effect on blood sugar levels. It helps lower and balance blood sugar levels. Triphala is therefore very suitable for horses with insulin resistance. In addition, triphala is anti-inflammatory and horses with insulin resistance usually have an increased inflammatory value in their body, leading to itching. Triphala also supports in this area, reducing itching. Gastric ulcers Mucous membranes are supported by triphala. It helps restore mucous membranes,...
Nettle
Skin
Sweet itch
How do I support my horse with sweet itch?
When your horse has sweet itch, it is important to constantly monitor the itching in the summer months to prevent it from getting out of hand. A total approach works best in this situation, which means combining multiple measures. You may have already put a rug on your horse and applied soothing cream to the affected areas. What else can you do to support your itchy horse and prevent it from rubbing its mane and tail raw?. First of all, it is important to make sure that your horse indeed has sweet itch, as horses can experience itching in the summer months due to other causes as well. For example, excessive sugars in their diet or allergies can also cause itching. Overweight horses are more prone to itchiness, and some horses may itch if their pasture has been spread with fertilizers. Total approach important Sweet itch is a challenging issue. The best way to combat it is by implementing a range of measures. This...
Insulin resistance
Feeding
My horse has insulin resistance (IR) - can he still safely graze?
Horses with insulin resistance (IR) are at greater risk of laminitis than horses with optimally healthy sugar metabolism. A horse with IR, recognizable by a hard crest and fat cushions near the tail, should not graze unlimited on sugar-rich grass. But can you never put such a horse or pony in the pasture again? Or are there still possibilities? Many horses are indeed super happy with pasture turnout.... We as owners like to make our horses happy. But unfortunately, unlimited access to the pasture is not suitable for every horse. Especially draft horses, ponies, and horses that have previously had laminitis are at greater risk of the painful condition of laminitis. Does my horse have IR? A horse that is insulin resistant cannot process sugars from food (such as grass and concentrate) well. This leads to fat storage, infections, and loss of energy. Also, the pancreas becomes overloaded. Prolonged...
Weight
Hooves
Insulin resistance
Organs
Digestion
Feeding
Why can horses get laminitis from grass?
In spring, at the beginning of the grazing season, it is always advisable to start slowly with grazing. Your horse's intestines and digestion need to adapt to eating grass before your horse can spend whole days in the pasture. In addition, there is the risk of laminitis. For some horses, this danger remains present throughout the entire grazing season. How does this actually happen? What does grass do in your horse's body? And which horses are at increased risk of laminitis?. Grass is the most delicious thing for most horses. 'Nibble-step' all day through the pasture; there is no greater pleasure for them. However, it is not always healthy. This is due to the way in which sugars from grass are processed in the horse's body. Sugar metabolism: fast and complex carbohydrates During the grazing season, grass is the main source of carbohydrates for many horses. Carbohydrates can be divided into complex carbohydrates and water-soluble carbohydrates. The latter are the 'fas...
Respiratory
Sneeze! The 5 differences between pollen allergy and dust allergy in horses
Tickle in the nose, snot, coughing, and even shaking the head... sometimes your horse suddenly experiences respiratory problems. And it's not pleasant to ride a horse with an itchy nose or phlegm in its throat. But where does this come from? Is it a pollen allergy? Or is it due to dust? And what can you do about it?. We list the 5 differences between pollen allergy and dust allergy in horses: Difference 1 - summer or winter? If your horse sniffs, coughs, throws its head, or constantly wants to rub its nose, the first question is: what season is it? In autumn and winter, when horses are indoors more often, a dust allergy is more likely. But in spring and summer, when the trees and grass bloom, you should think more about a pollen allergy if your horse suddenly develops symptoms. Difference 2 - hay or grass? D...
Others
Tendon Protectors and Heat? Is that a correct combination?
Leg wraps, you can get them in the cutest colors, patterns, sizes, and all with different underlying techniques to protect your horse's tendons. But are leg wraps really a protection for tendons? And what about warm weather? In this blog, we provide more background on the sensitivity of tendons in combination with heat!. What are the tendons in the lower legs? The tendons in the lower legs consist of tendon tissue, which are all individual cells that lie in line with each other and are held together by small bands. This provides the strength and elasticity of tendons. Tendons are located on the surface, are not surrounded by muscle tissue, and are always "on". The horse uses these tendons both at rest and in motion. They have a function of stretching and pulling, which actually means that they can stre...
Electrolytes
Minerals
How do you support your horse in warm weather?
The warm months are approaching and some horses really thrive in that weather! They soak up the sun's warmth and truly enjoy it. But there are also horses that don't handle the heat as well, sweating and panting at the first ray of sunshine. How can you best support these horses during the warm periods?. Shade!! ALL horses need to have access to shade during the summer months. Whether your horse can handle the heat well or not, there should always be shade available. This can be provided by trees, a shelter, or by hanging a shade cloth. Horses should have the choice to escape the sun if they want to. A horse can also overheat or suffer from heatstroke (resulting in death). Always make sure your horse has a place to stand in the shade. Does your stable not provide this option? Then put your horse...
Electrolytes
Minerals
Feeding
Replenishing Minerals: Balancer, Electrolytes, or Mineral Supplement?
When it's hot, your horse loses a lot of salts and minerals through sweat. But how do you best replenish them? Aren't minerals also present in hay, grass, concentrate feed, and balancer pellets? Is an electrolyte supplement really necessary? What about horses that need to eat a low-sugar diet, for example, due to laminitis, sweet itch, or EMS?. Horses need a wide range of minerals to function properly. Some of these minerals are required in larger quantities (macro-elements), while others are needed in very small amounts (trace elements). Minerals cannot be stored as reserves in the horse's body for long periods. This means that these important substances must be supplied through food. Whether it is through grass, hay, concentrate feed, balancer pellets, or supplements. What are the most important minerals? The most important minerals,...
Skin
Others
Three tips to quickly and safely cool down your horse
Summer has begun! Wonderful of course, but it also means that your horse can get quite hot during training. Horses heat up faster than humans and have a harder time getting rid of that heat. Properly cooling down after work is therefore very important. How do you do this best? We give you three tips.. Tip 1: Cool water over the entire body The most important way to quickly and effectively cool down your horse is with cool or cold water. Eventers/endurance riders throw buckets of ice water over their horses when they come out of the cross-country/ride, but you don't have to go that far. You can start by spraying cool water over the entire body. In the second round you can maybe continue with cold water. It is important to make as much of your horse wet as possible. This gives the fastest resul...