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.
Feeding
Salmon oil
Which oils are suitable for horses?
Our customer service regularly receives questions about which oil is best to give to their horse. There are many different types of oils such as linseed oil, olive oil, salmon oil, and sunflower oil. But do you know which oil is best to choose in which situation for your horse? Unfortunately, we still often hear that sunflower oil is recommended for horses, but this form is very unsuitable as you could read in our previous blog. But which oils are healthy for a horse? Read more about this in this blog. Oil for horses only healthy in small amounts In nature, horses do not consume large amounts of oil. There is a small amount of oil in plant material, but it is very minimal. A horse is not built to process large amounts of oil. Bile is needed to digest fat. But a horse does not have a gall bladder, so bile is not readily available in large quantities for the digestion process. In horses, bile comes directly from the liver, but in small amounts. That's why large amounts of oil cannot be well dige...
First Aid
Hooves
6 Tips to Prevent Thrush in Your Horse
In the autumn and winter, many horses suffer from thrush. It is often thought that this is only caused by wet pastures and paddocks. But how is it possible that there are also horses that stand all day in the mud without any problems? The resistance of the horse is also very decisive in whether your horse gets thrush. In this blog, we give you some useful tips to prevent thrush in your horse.. Tip 1: Treat internally with silicon Silicon mineral has a positive effect on hoof quality. However, it takes a minimum of 4-6 months for it to work properly and before you start seeing results. Therefore, start giving silicon in a timely manner, always choose a well-absorbable form of silicon. Preferably in liquid, hydrolyzed form. This has very small molecules that can pass through the intestinal wall and can be utilized. Silicon is a product that you use preventively and start on time. In the...
Nettle
Feeding
Which vegetables, fruits, and plants can I give my horse as a treat?
Variety is healthy and tasty! This applies not only to us humans but also to our horses. Especially horses that spend more time in the stable during winter will appreciate a healthy treat now and then. It doesn't have to be difficult or expensive, often you can just feed them some vegetable scraps from your own kitchen. Or pick from the local roadside.. Variety is not the only reason to give your horse some vegetables occasionally. Vegetables - and the leafy parts of them - often contain lots of fiber. Super healthy for your horse! Therefore, give the vegetables with stems and leaves, because horses eat that in the winter too. But be careful: not all types of vegetables and fruits are suitable, and some types are better given in small quantities. Healthy vegetables for your horse What vegetables can your horse eat? Of course winter carrots, but...
Weight
Feeding
My horse is losing weight in the winter - where does that come from?
Summer is over, horses are growing their winter coats again, and the first rain blankets are being put on. Many horses spend more time in the stable during the autumn and winter months, especially horses that are kept outside a lot, will lose some weight in the coming months. How does a horse stay warm in the winter? Do you need to feed them extra to prevent this weight loss? Or is that weight loss not actually a bad thing?. Horses do not hibernate like squirrels or hedgehogs, but they do have a metabolism that is adapted to the seasons. Research shows that the body temperature and heart rate of horses drop in the winter, especially when there is less food available. When it's cold, horses that are kept outdoors also move less to conserve energy. Summer metabolism and winter metabolism All our horses still have a seasonal clock, inherited from the time when they lived in the wild. In the summer, the 'summer metaboli...
Others
Feeding
8 DIY tips for a livery horse
Is your horse kept on a pension where the horses are stabled at night? Horses do not sleep through the night like humans do. They stand a lot and like to eat small amounts throughout the night with the occasional nap. Many horses spend a long time standing in their stall. That's why we have put together eight tips to make stall time more enjoyable for your horse. Which tips will you apply? Keep reading!. Tip 1: Prune! Many bushes and trees are very healthy and tasty for horses. Go out and prune the trees and bushes in your garden or at friends/family. Weave these branches through the bars of your horse's stall or hang them in the box in a different way. Your horse can then enjoy eating the leaves and gnawing on the branches. A healthy, time-consuming treat for your horse. Healthy bushes and trees include: Willow Black/White Alder Birch Beech Rosehip Blackberries Raspberry Tip 2: Hide food A few...
Detox
Feeding
Why you don't need to feed your horse extra in the winter
Most horses have been able to graze on the pasture this past summer. A period where they had access to plenty of food. In nature, every period of abundance is followed by a period of scarcity. This is a very natural process and allows horses, for example, to release fat tissue with accumulated waste products. This principle applies to our horses in the Netherlands as well. Our horses also naturally require a difference in diet between summer and winter. As owners, we are tempted to feed extra during the winter. But did you know that the body then cannot switch to its 'winter mode'? Read in this blog how this works exactly!. Summer and winter metabolism of horses Horses have a winter mode and a summer mode, also known as summer and winter metabolism. From their genes, horses know that summer means plenty of food and nutrients. The summer is the period to build up fat reserves, which can then be used up in the winter. This metabolism process is controlled by hormones that are also involved in the growth of winter/summer coats. But even in the winter, the horse's system works differently. There is scarcity, periods wh...
Mites
**Note! The mite season is starting with horses**
Although we hope for many nice late summer days, autumn is becoming inevitable. And autumn means: mites! Those nasty little insects that live in your horse's socks, bite, drink blood, and cause a lot of discomfort and itching... Act in time and limit the discomfort for your horse.. Mites are very persistent. This is because the eggs remain viable for a long time and due to the life cycle of the mites. Did your horse itch last winter? Then there is a good chance that there are still eggs somewhere on his body. Those eggs hatch as soon as the temperatures start to drop. When autumn comes, that is. The larvae of the mite live close to your horse's skin, under the hairs. They eat skin flakes. Over time, the larvae turn into adult mites. And those mites, which look like small s...
Vitamin E
Feeding
Pasture
# '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...
Magnesium
Horse often jumps wrong or crosses over? Support with magnesium! (+experience story)
It is widely known that magnesium is good for the muscles and nervous system of horses. But what many people do not know is that magnesium can contribute to the canter departure. This is because magnesium helps relax the muscles. A deficiency in magnesium can result in a horse having muscle tremors, showing stiffness, and acidifying faster during training. Do you notice that your horse often jumps wrong or crosses over? Then keep reading!. Relationship between magnesium and canter Magnesium is a mineral necessary for bone formation, transmission of impulses in the nervous system, and signaling to the muscles. It also aids in muscle relaxation. For the canter departure, signaling to the muscles is very important. But did you know that a horse cannot store magnesium in its body? When a horse is deficient, the body can extract magnesium from bone tissue. Cells in bones are regularly replaced with new cells. In this process, calcium a...
Insulin resistance
Vitamin E
Feeding
Sweet itch
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...
Magnesium
Magnesium for horses: why magnesium synergizes with B-vitamins and tryptophan
Many people give their horse some extra magnesium. For the muscles and the nervous system, or because their horse is nervous. Because a horse does not always absorb enough magnesium from its food, a supplement can definitely be a good idea. However, there are a few things to consider. Such as the absorbability and the function of magnesium in the horse's body. Is there really a deficiency? What is the best way to supplement magnesium, solid form or liquid? And are there any other important substances such as B-vitamins and tryptophan?. Magnesium is an important mineral. In horses, it is important for energy transfer in muscle cells. The nervous system and immune system also need magnesium. The amount of magnesium a horse needs depends on factors such as the horse's age and the amount of work the animal does. For example, a sport horse needs more magnesium than a recreational horse, and a mare with a foal at foot needs more than an adult gelding. Magnesium deficiency in horses Sick horses often have a magnesium deficiency, espe...
Guest blog
Digestion
Guest blog Janneke from Worm&Co: 'A horse's body is never completely free of worms'
Proper worm management is important for keeping your horse healthy. But what does that involve and how can you use fecal testing to monitor your horse as effectively as possible? And why can a horse never actually be completely free of worms? We discuss this with Janneke van der Wal from Worm&Co: "It's not a problem if you occasionally see a worm in your horse's manure.. Janneke van der Wal founded Worm & Co in 2016. "I noticed that many horse owners were still choosing to deworm their horses routinely. This was often not out of ignorance, but due to a lack of information." Why fecal testing? "Until 13 years ago, you could simply get a dewormer for your horse anywhere. The legislation changed because research showed that gastrointestinal worms were starting to become resistant to the existing active ingredients in those dewormers. Since no new...