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.
Algae
Salmon oil
DHA operation horses: how does it really work?
Omega-3 fatty acids, including DHA, are very important for your horse. To ensure an adequate intake of these healthy fats, your horse needs to find them in its diet. This is because the main omega-3 fatty acids are often not sufficiently produced by your horse itself. What exactly is the situation? And what is the difference between EPA, DHA, and ALA?. You have probably heard that there are healthy and unhealthy fats. This applies to both humans and horses. Omega-3 fatty acids are essential for the health of our horses and have numerous health-promoting properties. They play a role in eye function, heart function, blood circulation, blood pressure, fat metabolism, vein function, and the triglyceride level (amount of fat in the blood) of horses. The most well-known omega-3 fatty acids are alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA),...
Weight
Vitamin E
Why vitamin E is important for overweight horses
Overweight in horses is more common than we realize, especially during the summer period it is difficult to keep horses at a healthy weight. There are horse owners who choose not to let horses and ponies graze, or only very limited. But grass also contains very important nutrients, including vitamin E. And did you know that vitamin E is an important vitamin for overweight horses? Let's delve into this in this blog!. Vitamin E important for overweight horses Horses with overweight have an extra need for vitamin E. Firstly, vitamin E is important for all horses to eliminate waste products (free radicals) that are released during exercise. This is to prevent muscle pain, stiffness, and prolonged recovery after intensive training. But with overweight, there is more to it! Fat is a major source of inflammation. Therefore, horses with overweight experience more inflammatory reactions in the body than normal. Ther...
Insulin resistance
Vitamin E
Feeding
Sweet itch
Horse not on the grass? Provide extra vitamin E.
Under natural circumstances, horses obtain their required vitamin E from fresh grass. Vitamin E is a fat-soluble vitamin. It is crucial for muscles, prevents stiffness, and supports a healthy nervous system. Sport horses have a higher need for vitamin E, but this also applies to horses sensitive to sugar and horses with PSSM. If your horse doesn't have access to fresh grass, you need to ensure a good supplementation!. Horses that are sensitive to sugars, such as horses that gain weight quickly, have had laminitis, or horses that suffer from sweet itch], cannot graze unlimited. Therefore, these horses are often kept in a paddock and given hay as roughage along with a mineral and vitamin pellet. This is wise and healthy for these horses. But you need to pay close attention. Vitamin E in case of insulin resistance There is a lot of vitamin E in fresh grass, so you don't have to worry about vitamin E for horses t...
Hooves
Silicon
What the mineral silicon does for crumbling hooves
Crumbling hooves, or actually crumbled hooves, are common in the summer. Regular trimming can already be a good solution, but did you know that the mineral silicon can also contribute? One of the properties of this mineral is that it is the building material for hooves. Want to know how the mineral silicon can contribute to crumbling hooves? Then keep reading!. Cause of crumbling hooves in summer We always call it crumbling hooves when pieces of hoof wall break off due to drought. But actually, this is a incorrect way of naming it. In the summer, during drought, it is more like crumbled hooves. Pieces of the hoof break off due to drought/ standing on uneven ground, etc. The causes of crumbling hooves in the summer are: Period of drought Mineral deficiency Lack of movement Shortage of building materials for the hoof Lack of moisture in the hooves Harder...
Hooves
Minerals
Silicon
Salmon oil
Seven useful tips against dry hooves in the summer
Many horses have dry hooves in the summer. This is annoying because dry hooves can crumble or split. Cracked hooves are not solved immediately, but there are things you can do to improve hoof quality and reduce the risk of dry hooves.. Hooves grow slowly. Once they are damaged, they also recover slowly. The key is to prevent hooves from crumbling as much as possible. This means taking a number of measures both externally and internally to keep the hooves healthy. Just applying a bit of oil to the hoof is really not enough! Unfortunately... Tip 1: Timely visit to the farrier Make sure your horse is trimmed regularly. This prevents little chips and cracks from getting worse and prevents the hooves from wearing unevenly. Regular...
Nettle
Respiratory
Horse with pollen allergy? Nettle helps!
You have probably heard that nettle is healthy for horses. This prickly plant contains a lot of minerals and vitamins. But what you may not know is that nettle is also a natural remedy for hay fever and pollen allergies! To find out exactly how, read this article.. Nettle is a well-known herb for horses. You can pick the young tips (with gloves!) and let them dry to remove the sting. Or you can use a ready-made supplement. A liquid extract of nettle is the most effective: highly dosed and easily absorbed by your horse. Nettle contains many minerals, such as silicon. What is pollen allergy in horses? An allergic reaction occurs when the immune system overreacts to a foreign substance. For example, pollen from a plant. The so-called ‘mast cells’ play an impo...
Electrolytes
Minerals
Electrolytes and minerals: what do you give to your horse and when?
You often hear that your horse needs to get enough minerals in its diet. Also, electrolytes are a good idea during strenuous exercise or high temperatures. But what is the difference? Is there an overlap between these two things? And when do you actually give what?. The five most important minerals that horses need are: Sodium Chloride Potassium Magnesium Calcium In addition, there are a number of so-called 'trace elements', which horses need only in very small quantities. All these minerals are important for regulating fluid balance, muscle function, nervous system, and energy provision. Therefore, it is essential that a horse receives sufficient minerals in its diet every day. Preferably through a mineral pellet, without grains. What is the difference bet...
Electrolytes
Insulin resistance
Minerals
Sweet itch
Which electrolytes are ideal for sugar-sensitive horses?
Warm weather and more sweating, a typical summer for both humans and horses. Horses that are sensitive to sugars also sweat and lose electrolytes in that way. It is therefore important to provide horses with insulin resistance with extra sodium, potassium, magnesium, calcium, and chloride. These minerals, known as electrolytes, are often only available with the addition of a form of sugar. In this blog, you can read how to provide electrolytes to sugar-sensitive horses without sugar.. What are electrolytes and what do they do? Electrolytes are necessary for the functioning of the nervous system, for smooth muscles, and for recovery after exercise. They prevent the "cramping" feeling and acidosis after training. Electrolytes are a number of minerals: Sodium, chloride, potassium, magnesium, and calcium. Each of these minerals has its own function in the body. But in hot weather, a horse can lose about 10-15 liters of sweat and therefore a large amount of electrolytes....
Others
# Why do mushrooms grow on the manure heap of horses?
Have you ever spotted mushrooms on the manure heap of your horses? This is not a problem at all and very normal. It means that your manure heap is full of nutrients for growth. Horse manure is not for nothing a popular fertilizer used by mushroom growers. Did you know that there are mushroom species that only grow in manure? These species mainly or exclusively grow on manure and do not occur in other places. But how is this possible and why do mushrooms like to grow on the manure heap? Read more about that in this blog.. Mushrooms are fungi A mushroom is a fruiting body of a fungus. And did you know that they contribute to the decomposition of organic residues? With their fungal threads they clean up organic material. For every type of waste, there is a mushroom. They are very picky, so there are mushrooms that only grow on a specific tree species but also mushrooms that grow on the manure heap. But why mushrooms on the manure pile? In the forest, you often come across mushrooms on moist, warm ground. On the dec...
Others
Pasture
Less flies and odor at the manure heap
Where there are horses, there is manure. And where there is manure, you almost always have a manure heap. The disadvantage of this is that such a heap can smell and cause flies. Do you need a manure heap? What are the rules? And how can you prevent a fly outbreak or odor nuisance?. If you only have a few horses that are not in stables, you can make a compost heap with the dry manure from your pasture and paddocks. This involves some trial and error, you also use, for example, garden waste, and you have to turn over the compost. The advantage is that you can eventually use this compost for your (vegetable) garden and you do not have to dispose of the manure. Permit required for the manure heap? When cleaning your stables, there is bedding and urine in your manure. In that c...
Behaviour
Hormones
Stress
Stress and hormones in your horse: What can chaste tree do?
Chaste tree is well known among many horse lovers. It is mainly used as a supplement for mares who suffer greatly from their heat. However, this herb, and its extracts, can be used more broadly. Chaste tree acts on the hormonal balance and the regulation of stress in *all* horses. It can make your horse more stable and ensure that he or she has enough energy to work properly.. Chaste tree (Vitex agnus-castus), also known as chaste tree, originates from the Mediterranean region. Chaste tree is a medicinal plant. It has traditionally been used to regulate women's menstrual cycles and alleviate symptoms. Mares that become very heated and also show signs of pain, behavioral changes, or even lameness often benefit from chaste tree. But this herb can also help geldings and stallions manage (extreme) hormonal reactions. Hormones and stress An imbalanced hormonal system cause...
Guest blog
Feeding
7 top tips for enriching your horse paddock
In the wild, horses cover long distances daily, eat a variety of plants, and move through diverse terrain. Naturally, you also want to offer your horse(s) as much variety and challenge as possible. This can be achieved by 'enriching' your pasture or paddock (paradise). Marloes Vogel from Ukie's Paddock Paradise gives us her six top tips and we added one more ourselves.. "By enrichment, we mean: improving the quality of life for animals that do not live in the wild. Enrichment helps stimulate natural behavior," explains Marloes. By making your horse's living environment as natural and interesting as possible, you prevent boredom and encourage movement. Enrichment can also be done if you don't have a paddock paradise, but another form of housing. Tip 1 - Hide treats "One way to keep your horse busy and get them moving in the paddock is by hiding he...