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
# Why we recommend feeding a mineral balancer to horses
In our mission to bring horses closer to nature, nutrition naturally plays a role. In a consultation, we often ask about the horse's diet, as this is often a piece of the puzzle. In almost all of our advice, we emphasize the importance of feeding sufficient quality vitamins and minerals and to critically evaluate the current concentrate feed. But why do we do that? And what is the difference between a balancer and, for example, a basic pellet? Read more about this in this blog.. What is a balancer for horses? A balancer is a concentrated pellet, containing a lot of vitamins and minerals, and you only need to feed a small amount. Often, you only need to feed a maximum of 350 grams per horse (600 kg) per day to provide all the necessary vitamins, minerals, and trace elements that the horse needs daily. For comparison; with concentrate feed, you often have to feed a minimum of 2 kilos to achieve the same levels of vitamins and minerals. The advantage of this is that you pr...
Others
Feeding
How about vitamin D in horses?
Not much is heard about vitamin D in horses. Usually it is assumed that horses can produce this vitamin themselves under the influence of sunlight. But what about horses that always wear a blanket? Or horses that spend a lot of time in the stable? What not everyone knows is that many horses have an extra need for vitamin D. For example, due to heavy training, old age, or summer eczema. We will give you an overview of everything about vitamin D in horses.. Vitamin D is important for: Bone formation and bone strength (a deficiency can lead to bone loss and rickets) Liver function and liver health Insulin sensitivity and preventing metabolic syndrome (EMS) A strong immune system Energy in muscles (a deficiency can lead to muscle weakness) Problems in the body - of people and horses - often result in an increased use of vitamin D. In those cases, a horse also needs more vitamin D. Your horse has a higher need for vitamin D when: Allergies and immune...
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...
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...
Feeding
Go on a snack walk with your horse and stimulate his natural instinct
From their genes, horses know very well which foods are good for them and which plants are toxic. Each season, there are certain plants available, each with their own healing properties. However, the monotonous diet that horses receive nowadays no longer allows horses to truly follow this instinct. Natural detoxing therefore occurs much less. But there is a solution! Go on a fun snack walk with your horse!. Why go on a snack walk with your horse? Many plants, herbs, and trees are incredibly healthy for horses. In nature, horses don't just eat grass, they also eat herbs, leaves, twigs, bushes, and even a bit of soil from time to time. And from their genes, a horse still knows all of this, but as humans, we have pressed the pause button by bringing the food to the horse. Often, a very monotonous diet of mainly English ryegrass and sometimes a bit of other grasses. But did you know that eating differe...
Hormones
Stress
Feeding
Horse isolates itself: stress at the cellular level?
Stress at the cellular level is not a well-known phenomenon, but all horses (and humans) actually deal with it. It is a natural defense mechanism. The cells in the body respond to threats from the environment, with the goal of restoring balance as quickly as possible. However, if the cause of stress persists, these biological reactions can become chronic. A horse will often withdraw into itself and isolate itself from people and stimuli. It may seem like a bombproof animal, very calm, but often it is a sign of discomfort.. The balance in the body can be disrupted by factors such as nutrition, contaminants, or molds, but also by danger, improper training, or stable management that does not suit a horse's nature. The cells of a horse respond to such disruptions, often with a general response that is the same for any type of disturbance, and also a specific response to each type of disruption. This 'cellular stress' is a universal defense mechanism that is very important for the psychological and physical health of a...
Others
Feeding
How to prevent algae growth in your horse's drinking water
Temperatures are rising, the sun is shining more often. Lovely! But.. the algae are also growing rapidly, causing your horse's water troughs to turn green in no time. Even if you change the water daily, sometimes green residue still appears. Read in this blog how you can prevent this.. Why does the drinking trough turn green? Algae thrive best in stagnant water. Algae naturally occur in water, but especially when using rainwater/groundwater, the quantity is higher. Due to the relatively small surface area of a drinking trough, the water heats up quickly and receives a large amount of sunlight, allowing the algae to grow well. But how do you prevent algae? There are a few things you can do to prevent your horse's water trough from getting covered in algae residue in a day or pr...
Nettle
Minerals
Feeding
Healthy horse? Don't forget water quality!
We all want the best for our horses. That's why most horse owners ensure that their horses are kept in good conditions, have plenty of exercise, and are fed well with enough fiber, minerals, and vitamins. Sometimes we forget that water quality is also important. It needs to be safe, tasty, clean, and sufficient to keep your horse healthy and fit.. Horses drink an average of about 30 liters of water per day, and in warm periods this can even increase to 50 liters per day. Water therefore makes up a large part of the horse's total nutrition. Be critical about the water you provide to your horse. If a horse drinks too little, various problems can arise. It can develop stomach problems, dry manure, or even eat too little. If a horse doesn't consume enough water, it also has a negative impact on its athletic performance. Therefore, your horse...
Weight
Hormones
Insulin resistance
Feeding
Sweet itch
My horse is already getting fat from a single blade of grass! How is that possible?
Many horses quickly become overweight when put in the pasture. It seems like they gain weight from just a single blade of grass. These horses are often referred to as 'easy keepers' because they don't require much feed. However, managing these types of horses is often not easy for owners. How is it possible that your horse gains weight so quickly? And what can you do about it?. The answer is not so much in the grass itself, but in your horse. Many horses consume too many sugars, for example in the form of concentrate or rich hay. Due to the dry summers of the past year, the hay is much higher in sugars than usual. Concentrate feed often contains a lot of sugar and starch, which are easily absorbed and lead to a higher blood sugar level. Not designed for fast sugars In the wild, horses eat a lot more cellulose from coarse plant stems. This cellulose is converted by the...
Feeding
What building blocks does a mare need for a foal?
When breeding a foal, you obviously choose a fantastic stallion that matches your mare perfectly. However, whether those fantastic genes also result in the perfect foal largely depends on the mare and the conditions during gestation. The right housing, nutrition, and supplements for your mare are crucial for the development of a healthy and strong foal.. Without the right building blocks, it is impossible to create a quality foal. Even if you have chosen a fantastic mare and the most beautiful stallion from the book. It is in the womb where it is determined whether a healthy, strong, and vital quality foal will come out of your mare. No matter how good the stallion's lineage is, if the mare does not receive the proper nutrition and exercise during gestation, then your foal is already at a disadvantage that can never be overcome. Is mare feed nec...
Feeding
5 Tips for optimizing biodiversity in your horse's pasture
Unfortunately, biodiversity has drastically decreased in the Dutch meadows. There is very little variation in grass species, herbs, and other plants. This not only provides a more one-sided food source for your horse, but also leads to a decrease in insects such as bees and bumblebees, which are important for pollinating plants. It's a shame! Because the balance in all of this is important for a healthy environment and therefore a healthy horse.. Read in this blog how you can optimize biodiversity yourself with these five tips! Tip 1: Mow later Insects like to live in taller grass, but birds and other small animals also seek shelter in tall grass. By mowing your pasture later, you help increase the population of insects which then serve as food for birds and other animals. And for example, mow the side of the ditch less often! Another advantage of mowing later: more structured hay for your horse! Tip 2: Natural fertilization instead of c...
Guest blog
Feeding
Good idea: A nice herbal field for your horse!
Did you know that horses in the wild eat a wide variety of plants, herbs, and trees? In a study of Konik horses in Belgium, researchers counted as many as 80 different species of plants on the horse's menu. Variety in roughage is very important for your horse. It is tasty and healthy.. Unfortunately, many pastures do not have as many different types of grass and herbs. The biodiversity of the average horse pasture has decreased significantly in recent years. While all these different plants are so healthy. A wild horse chooses the herbs that it needs, for example because they contain many vitamins or minerals. Create your own herbal field for your horse A fun way to offer your horse some more variety in roughage is by creating an herb garden. It can be done in or next to the p...