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.
Mites
Feeding
Good horse nutrition is important for mites
When your horse is bothered by mites, it is useful to tackle that problem through multiple routes at the same time. The brushes, blankets, and environment of your horse need to be clean, your horse needs to be treated for mites, skin and resistance can use support, and it is important that your horse eats as healthily as possible. You can read about that in this article.. The health of a horse is largely dependent on the health of its gastrointestinal system. Digestion is one of the most important bodily processes for horses, and they are therefore very sensitive to disruptions in the digestive tract. A healthy bacteria population in the small intestine, cecum, and most importantly the colon of your horse is essential. Microbiome The bacteria, fungi, and yeasts in a horse's intestines are called the microbiome. That name indicates that it is actually a whole ecos...
Weight
Feeding
How to keep a thin horse at a healthy weight in the winter?
Usually we receive questions about overweight horses and the best way to help them lose weight. But there is also a group of horses that easily lose weight and become thin quickly, especially in the winter season. And helping a horse gain weight, in a healthy way, may be even more challenging than helping a horse lose weight.. In this blog, we want to give you tips on how to keep a thin horse at a healthy weight! Losing weight in the winter is okay! Remember that it is normal for horses to lose weight in the winter, it is part of nature and actually very desirable! In nature, horses become overweight in the summer due to the rich nutrients in the grass, but in the winter they lose weight because there is less food available. This is also a natural detox for horses and is actually beautiful when it happens! As horse ow...
Digestion
Feeding
How do you keep the pH value of the horse's stomach balanced?
Horses have much more stomach problems than people. Stress, heavy work, and a less adequate feed policy can contribute to this. But also, for example, after a move or illness, stomach problems can occur. What can you do about this and how do you keep the pH of the horse's stomach under control?. In the lower part of the horse's stomach, gastric juice is released, which contains a lot of hydrochloric acid. This acid kills harmful bacteria, fungi, and yeasts that may be present in the feed. If the stomach is too empty or if there are other disruptions, the acid can 'splash' up to the upper half of the stomach and damage the gastric mucosa there. Many stomach problems A 2000 American study showed that about 60% of the horses in the study had stomach problems. This increased to as much as 9...
Others
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...
Digestion
Feeding
Why you should always give roughage before concentrate
Traditionally, it has always been said: first give roughage and then concentrate to a horse. But why is this actually the case? What is the effect if you give your horse concentrate first? We are happy to tell you in this blog!. Ideal horse never without roughage In the ideal scenario, this issue would not even be a concern, because we prefer to see horses have roughage available 24/7 and never have an empty stomach. However, this is not possible for all horses and on all farms. In many boarding stables, there are still separate times for roughage and concentrate feeding. In this case, it is important to give the roughage first. Roughage stimulates saliva production While we humans produce saliva continuously, it works...
Guest blog
Feeding
Guest blog Vitalbix: How to choose a good balancer?
A balancer is meant to restore the balance in your horse's diet. This means: replenishing the vitamins and minerals that are not present in the roughage or grass, tailored to your horse's needs. Madelief from Vitalbix tells AskHeltie how to make a good choice for your horse.. “If you feed your horse exclusively roughage, there's a high chance of deficiencies,” says Madelief. “The soil is poor in minerals such as copper, zinc, and selenium. Horses that don’t graze often don't get enough vitamins A, D, and E either. These mineral and vitamin deficiencies are often not immediately apparent but can surface in the long term. This leads to various problems, such as a weakened immune system, poor hooves or coat, and weaker muscles, tendons, and bones. It can take years for...
Dandelion
Feeding
Dandelion as an addition to a mineral buffet
The mineral buffet is becoming more and more popular in the horse world, and it's no wonder. It's ideal to provide your horse with an extra choice in the nutrients it wants/can take in, and it stimulates their self-selection ability. Of course, it's important that we help our horses a bit and not continuously give them the same options, but vary them. This way, we can ensure that we continue to stimulate the intuition of the horse, as not every plant is available all year round.. Dandelion is one of those plants that is mainly seen in spring, but has many benefits. A tincture of it is ideal to add to your mineral buffet. Not only in spring, but also in autumn. What is dandelion? We all know the little yellow flower that takes over the meadows in spring. After a while, the yellow flower turns into a puffball. It is a rich plant that contains a lot of minerals, but also a lot of vitamin A. Vitamin A is important for the quality of eyes, embryo development, skin protection,...
Guest blog
Feeding
What nutrition and supplements does Floxely, the horse of our colleague Marjolijn, receive?
At HELTIE horse, we are all horse girls and each have our own horse. Talking about horses, horse health, and horse nutrition fits perfectly within our interests. We always discuss healthy food, natural food, grain-free, low in sugar, etc. But how do we apply this to our own horses? What do we feed them? In this section, Marjolijn will explain what she feeds her mare, Floxely.. Getting to know Floxely You may have already seen Floxely in photos on social media and blogs. Floxely is an 11-year-old mare, a crossbreed of Friesian and Tinker. She stands at 1.67m tall and recently weighed over 770 kg. Floxely has been my horse since day 1, so she has been my companion for 11 years and I know her like the back of my hand. She's a true mare, so her nicknames are Milady and Tuthola. Floxely is always honest, caring, and has a great sense of humor. When it comes to nutrition, F...
Digestion
Feeding
Why a horse's health starts with the intestinal flora
Horses are very sensitive to digestive problems. The gastrointestinal tract of an adult horse can be as long as 40 meters, with a capacity of up to 200 liters! Along this entire tract, various problems can arise. The health of a horse is therefore largely dependent on the health of its digestive system. Especially in winter.. One of the most important ways to maintain your horse's immunity is to ensure a well-functioning gastrointestinal tract. This is literally the foundation of your horse's health. Of course, this primarily means that there should be sufficient high-fiber roughage of good quality available for your horse. This is essential for the health of the intestinal flora. Your horse's intestinal flora The intestinal flora (or microbiome) is a complete ecosystem of bacteria and fungi that assist in digesting...
Digestion
Feeding
What is the difference between pro- and prebiotics? And does it have an effect on the gut health of horses?
Probably you have not previously considered the difference between pro- and prebiotics. Often pro- and prebiotics are mentioned together, but the difference between the two is significant. It is good to know exactly what this difference is and how both work on the gut flora of horses (but also humans).. What is the difference between pre- and probiotics A probiotic is officially defined as a living microbiological food supplement that can influence the microbial balance in the gut. Probiotics can be used when the gut flora is disturbed. With a disturbed gut flora, harmful microorganisms get a chance to expand in the intestines and this can cause various diseases. Probiotics are also used preventively to avoid a possible disturbance of the gut flora, for example, due to antibiotic use. Prebiotic...
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...
Others
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...