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
Others
Feeding
Natural horse keeping is the goal, but look at your horse!
Our goal is to bring horses closer to nature. Therefore, our aim is that horses are kept as naturally as possible. Of course, it is important to consider your horse and its specific needs. Not all horses thrive on being outside 24/7, just like not all horses can handle being in a stall for a few hours. So, don't focus solely on the idea that your horse must live naturally, but pay close attention to your horse. Here are some tips to keep your horse natural. Tip 1: Thin/poor quality roughage to a...
First Aid
Others
Feeding
What are the basic values of your horse?
How well do you know your horse? Every horse has its own 'normal' values. For example, how much he eats and how much he defecates, but also what his body temperature, resting heart rate, and respiration rate are. As an owner, it is useful to know these basic values. This way, you can more easily determine if something is wrong. Because horses cannot speak, as owners, we sometimes have to guess if something is wrong with them, if they are sick or experiencing discomfort. It is important not to di...
Others
Feeding
Am I giving my horse too many supplements?
Am I not giving my horse too many supplements? If I add this or that, is that okay, or will it be too much? These are questions that we regularly receive from horse owners, and understandably so! We have customers who give only 1 product, but sometimes we also hear that a large number of products are being given. Sometimes the question is indeed; are you perhaps giving your horse too many supplements? In this blog, we will explain what you need to consider. If it's not beneficial? Then it can be...
Skin
Others
Why we are not anti-blanket with horses
Rain blankets and winter blankets for horses are a much-discussed topic in the horse world. There are people staunchly against blankets because they believe that every horse should be able to be in the Netherlands without a blanket. That every horse naturally grows enough coat and that the winters in the Netherlands are not so extremely cold that a blanket is not necessary. To some extent, that is true, but it is a bit more nuanced. Here is our view on blankets! Point 1: every horse is different...
Others
Stress
Feeding
# A happy horse: what do we, as owners, need to take care of?
A happy horse: what do we, as owners, need to take care of? Horse welfare is very important to many horse owners and fortunately also to more and more institutions. We at HELTIE horse believe that a happy horse is extremely important! It is therefore our goal to bring horses closer to nature, with optimal health and well-being for all horses. But as a horse owner, what should we actually pay attention to and take care of? Good and proper nutrition Many horse owners depend on their boarding stabl...
Organs
Others
Stress
What do the eyes of your horse say?
As horse owners, we would like to know if our horses are feeling good. And if they might want to tell us something. One of the ways to 'listen' to horses is by looking closely at their eyes. Do you know what each look of your horse says? And what should you pay attention to? The eyes of horses are located on the sides of their heads. This allows a horse to see almost all around itself; it can't see directly behind itself. Such wide vision is very useful for a flight animal, as it can scan the en...
Others
Stress
Why social contact is so important for horses
Horses are herd animals. They are naturally made to live in groups and need social contact to remain physically and mentally healthy. In densely populated Netherlands, it is not always possible to meet all the needs of your horse. How important is social contact actually for your horse, what exactly is social contact, and how can you help your horse when (temporarily) less social contact is possible? Over the years, the thinking on animal welfare has changed. For a long time, the 'five freedoms'...
Others
# The benefits of training your horse on a trail ride
When training horses, there is a lot to consider. Whether you are working on basic exercises or training at the highest level. All levels have their challenges. In addition to those challenges, you can also choose different forms of training and decide whether to do this indoors, outdoors, in an arena, or maybe even during a trail ride.. Despite the preference of most riders still going to a closed arena, training your horse on a trail ride is extremely valuable. Why train in an arena? When you actually start training with your horse and focus on improvement or learning something new, it is important to choose where you will train. An enclosed space is ideal when you want to train your horse loose for the first time, for example. In addition, a closed arena often gives a "safe" feeling, allowing many people, and theref...
Others
Feeding
Seven tips to make your horse drink on unfamiliar terrain
If you are competing in shows, going on a multi-day trek, doing endurance, or planning long trail rides, it's important to keep your horse hydrated. A horse that doesn't drink enough not only loses fluids, but also a lot of energy. Moreover, the risk of colic increases when a horse doesn't drink enough. That's why we give you seven tips to make your horse drink when you are on the go.. You can lead a horse to water, but you cannot make him drink is a well-known English proverb. Figuratively, it means that you can't force someone to do something they don't want to do, but as a horse owner, you can also take this proverb quite literally. However, there are some things you can do to make your horse drink (better) when you are away from home. When should a horse drink? Just like people, some horses drink more than others. Horses can also go without water for a few hours. But when...
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...
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...
Others
Teeth grinding in horses, can EOTRH be the cause?
When your horse suddenly starts grinding its teeth, you naturally wonder why. One of the causes may be a painful dental disease called EOTRH. What is this condition and how do you recognize it? And what other reasons for teeth grinding are there. EOTRH stands for Equine Odontoclastic Tooth Resorption and Hypercementosis. Quite a mouthful. The name means that it is a horse disease involving bone-resorbing cells. The teeth dissolve, and too much cement (tartar) is formed. EOTRH usually begins with the outer incisors, which are often the most affected. The disease occurs most often in horses over 15 years old. We see it more frequently in geldings and stallions than in mares. Also, certain breeds (such as Icelandic horses) seem to be more s...