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.
Minerals
Silicon
Feeding
Does giving silicon have any benefit if I am not with my yearling every day?
Silicon is an important mineral for building bones, tendons, cartilage, ligaments, and muscles. Especially in winter, when horses have limited access to fresh grass, it is advisable to give your horse a supplement of liquid silicon. This is especially important when your horse is still growing. However, many people do not visit their young horse in the rearing facility every day. Does giving silicon still make sense?. A young horse needs good nutrition and plenty of exercise to grow big and strong. Silicon is essential for this. This important mineral contributes to collagen formation and bone formation. Often, young horses in the rearing facility receive additional foal feed or other supplementary feed in winter, but giving liquid silicon is not yet a common practice everywhere. Giving silicon a few times a week is also useful Many young horses are in the rearing facility and it is not always close to their...
Joints
Others
Silicon
Feeding
From what age can a young horse start working?
There are few topics that spark as much debate among horse lovers as starting with young horses. From what age can a horse start working? How do you actually define work? And how can you ensure a healthy start to the 'working life' of your young horse in general?. As an owner and trainer of a young horse, your most important task is to ensure that the animal is physically and mentally prepared for its life as a riding horse. You want to give the horse a solid foundation and ensure that it develops trust in humans. The horse should be physically capable of functioning as a riding horse in the future, and it should continue to enjoy the work and be mentally capable of handling it. That's quite a laundry list and a responsible task, indeed. When do horses' g...
Joints
Magnesium
Minerals
Silicon
Feeding
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How can you strengthen the physique of your young horse?
Horse owners are always looking for what is best for their horse. Often this concerns adult horses or even seniors. The young horse is often "forgotten", while with the right guidance it can make an extra good start. Therefore, read in this blog how you can support the physique of your young horse.. What is a young horse? Actually, horses are late bloomers, all growth plates are only fully closed around the age of 6/8 years. Therefore, you can say that up to the age of 7 years, the horse can be considered young. Especially the first 5 years are important for the development of the physique. The horse then goes through many growth spurts, which challenges the skeleton. But even after this age, horses continue to grow. Many horses are only fully grown around their 7th year. Movement, movement...
Behaviour
Minerals
Silicon
Do horses lick sand because of the mineral silicon it contains?
Especially in the autumn and winter, you see it regularly: horses licking sand and sometimes even digging pits in the paddock. Often this is a sign of a mineral deficiency, especially the mineral silicon. Could it be that horses lick sand because of the mineral silicon in it? Why is silicon so important for horses? And what can you do to stop the sand licking?. The main cause of sand eating in horses is a mineral deficiency. Sand consists largely of silicon, a mineral that plays a major role in the building of tendons, ligaments, cartilage, collagen, joint fluid, and even in bone formation. Silicon is an essential mineral for horses and other mammals. Horses try to intake this important substance by licking sand. Eating sand is dangerous But… eating sand is of course not good for your horse. The sand can accumulate in the cecum and colon and cause coli...
Behaviour
Minerals
Silicon
Digestion
Feeding
6 causes why horses lick sand
Mainly in the winter you see more horses licking sand. The shortage of the mineral silicon is one of the most common causes, but of course there are more. We have listed six causes of sand eating in horses. If you see your horse licking sand, do not ignore this, because licking sand provides information that something is not right in the diet or management. In addition, too much sand in the intestines can have unpleasant consequences such as colic. Read the six reasons below!. Sand eating is part of nature Naturally, horses also eat sand, or at least soil. Black soil is rich in various minerals and also contains the roots of many plants. Actually a very nutritious addition to the diet if you purely look at the minerals in black soil. It is therefore not strange that horses lick/eat soil, it is a natural need. Often you see that this need increases during the shedding period, in this period horses have an increased need for minerals to be able to make the new coat. Of...
Skin
Silicon
Feeding
A shiny coat says nothing about the health of the horse
'My horse is perfectly healthy because he shines' you have probably heard a horse lover say. But is that true? Is a horse that shines always healthy? We as horse owners like to see a horse that shines like a mirror. But making a horse shine is not an art, it says less about the actual health of the horse than is thought. Read on below!. Oil and silicon make a horse shine Did you know that when horses shine from being given oil, it is because their body cannot get rid of the excess fat and it will secrete it through the skin as a temporary solution? Therefore, never give more than 50-75 ml of oil per day, divided into multiple portions. Horses that are fed oil will automatically shine more. The fats ensure a more oily skin, which makes the coat slightly oilier and shiny. The shine a horse gets from being fed oil does not come fr...
Silicon
Which form of silicon is the best choice: hydrolyzed, orthosilicic acid, or diatomaceous earth?
Silicon is a mineral that is becoming increasingly well-known. It is essential for maintaining collagen and for bone formation, among other things. Silicon also helps prevent eating sand. Unfortunately, not all forms of silicon are easily absorbed by horses. There is a difference in absorbability between orthosilicic acid, diatomaceous earth, and hydrolyzed silicon. The most effective form of silicon for horses is in hydrolyzed form: liquid and with tiny molecules. Only very small molecules can pass through the intestinal wall.. Almost all naturally occurring silicon in nature is 'locked' in very stable mineral compounds such as silicates and silicon oxide (sand). These minerals are so stable that they can hardly dissolve into a form that is absorbable in the digestive system of mammals. The silicon in these minerals is therefore not available as a supplement for humans and animals. Before it can be absorbed, the molecule must first be detached from these compounds. Difficult to obtain There are few minerals or metals 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...
Others
Silicon
Young horses in rearing: growing up strong with silicon
A young horse in rearing needs lots of free movement and the right nutrition. Only then can it develop into a powerful (sports) horse with a strong physique. A horse that is ready in its body to gradually start working and then sustain health for many years. Sufficient silicon in the daily ration of young horses supports the formation of strong bones, tendons, ligaments, and joints.. Bone formation Absorbable silicon in the diet of horses (and humans) stimulates bone-making cells called osteoblasts. Additionally, bone-resorbing cells, called osteoclasts, are inhibited by silicon. Silicon promotes better bone density, increased collagen formation, and reduces bone and collagen breakdown. Silicon builds the musculoskeletal system The main component for cartilage, joint fluid, tendons, and ligaments is glucosamine, which is produced by the body itself. Studies show that supplem...
Joints
Silicon
The differences between biotin and silicon in horses
To improve the quality of your horse's hooves and coat, you can choose from several supplements. At Ask HELTIE, we received the question about the difference in effectiveness between biotin and silicon. Both products improve your horse's hooves in the long term. But there are also important differences between silicon and biotin. Let's break it down for you.. Both biotin and hydrolyzed silicon should be given for the long term. Studies on biotin indicate that it takes between eight and ten months before you see a real effect on the hooves. Silicon also needs some time, although you may expect a clear effect on hooves and coat a bit earlier, around four to five months. Silicon: essential mineral for skin and coat Silicon is an important mineral for your horse. It allows the body to produce the necessary building blocks for hair, hooves, tendons, ligam...
Cannabinoids
Joints
Clove
Silicon
Joint Problems in Horses: Which Supplements for Which Problem?
Joint problems in horses: Which supplements for which problems? If your horse is suffering from joint problems, there is a range of supplements available. But which product does exactly what? What are the mechanisms of action? And how do you make the right choice for your horse? Broadly speaking, there are three types of joint supplements for joint problems. The supplement - or combination of supplements - you choose depends on your horse's symptoms. You can choose from herbs, silicon, and canna...