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.
Nettle
Minerals
Dandelion
Rosehip
A mineral buffet: can horses still choose for the good themselves?
Regularly we are asked whether horses can really choose in a mineral buffet or if they will always choose the tastiest option. Because is the modern horse still close enough to nature to be able to make "healthy" choices? And what about mineral buffets, are they healthy for horses or not? And how do you offer a mineral buffet?. Genetically, horses are close to nature All present-day horses are still genetically very close to the primal horse. While humans no longer resemble the ancient humans at all, horses have always remained true to themselves. Their digestion has hardly changed, and their needs have also remained the same. In terms of nutritional needs, the modern (sport) horse is still the same as the wild horse. This means that the instinct to search for the right nutrients is still present. Horses grow up one-si...
Nettle
Weight
Insulin resistance
Triphala
How to support your horse's sugar metabolism?
The grazing season is in full swing and for many horses, this means days spent on grass. For horses sensitive to sugars, this can sometimes be a challenge. How can you ensure that your horse doesn't react strongly to sugars? How can you prevent itching, laminitis, and other sugar-related issues? In this blog, we will explain how you can support your horse's sugar metabolism.. Living sugar-free is impossible In the world of horses, there is often a lot of panic about sugar, but it is good to realize that your horse consumes sugars throughout the day. On average, hay contains about 10% sugar, so a horse that eats 10 kg of hay per day already consumes a kilo of sugar. The sugar content in grass may be lower, but it can also be much higher. This is very weather-dependent and also depends on the type of grass you have. However, horses often eat more grass, increasing the...
Behaviour
Organs
Digestion
Feeding
How to prevent stomach ulcers in sport horses?
Unfortunately, many horses suffer from stomach ulcers. This problem occurs in recreational horses, but many sport horses also experience it. It is often thought that sport horses are "different" and should be kept and fed differently. But is that really the case? And how can you prevent stomach ulcers in sport horses?. What are stomach ulcers? A stomach ulcer is an irritation or wound in the stomach caused by damage to the stomach lining. This results in inflammatory reactions to the stomach wall. The stomach of a horse has a capacity of about 10 liters and can be seen as a bag. The lower part continuously produces stomach acid, and the lining in the lower part is more resistant to this acid. The upper part of the stomach has a different lining and is less tolerant to stomach acid. Due to various circumstances...
Feeding
Pasture
What herbs can you sow in your horse pasture?
That a horse pasture is different from a cow pasture is well known to most people by now. For example, dairy cows need a protein-rich pasture while horses cannot use this. Horses benefit more from a pasture where they can enjoy different herbs. Read in this blog why herbs in the pasture are so important for horses and which herbs every horse can use in a horse pasture.. Why a horse needs herbs Herbivores (plant eaters) are top herbivores. This is because herbivores have alkaline stomach acid and herbs are alkaline. Alkaline is the opposite of acid. Stomach acid must have a certain acid-base balance in order to function optimally. This balance also directly affects the intestinal flora and therefore the overall resistance of the horse. In addition, herbs are rich in various minerals, vitamins and other nutrients. By offering herbs to horses, you give them a much...
Minerals
Feeding
If your horse does not have access to pasture, then what?
In the Netherlands, space is limited. Therefore, it is not always possible to provide your horse with pasture access. How do you deal with this? What should you keep in mind when your horse doesn't have pasture access?*. In the wild, a horse spends many hours and kilometers per day foraging for food alongside herd mates. Even our modern horses are still designed for this "grazing-walking" lifestyle. To keep your horse healthy, you want to mimic this way of life as much as possible, even if it requires some creativity. Free movement and social interaction Free movement is essential for the physical and mental well-being of your horse. The joints, tendons, ligaments, and muscles of horses stay in better...
Nettle
Dandelion
Pasture
Weeds or actually healthy for horses?
In your horse's pasture, there is often more than just grass. This is not a problem, in fact, it is often a good thing. In the wild, horses do not only eat grass. Herbs, bushes, and trees are also on the menu.. Each plant offers something different and diversity is healthy. But of course, you don't want your horse to eat toxic plants. That's why it's good to know which plants belong in your pasture and which ones don't. 'Green desert' In the Netherlands, many pastures are very monotonous. They mainly consist of English ryegrass or sometimes grass clover, a mixture of ryegrass and clover. This type of grass is good for cows that need to produce a lot of milk. But these pastures are too rich for horses,...
Pasture
Fertilizing horse pasture? Preferably no artificial fertilizers!
Dutch farmers regularly use artificial fertilizers on their fields and pastures. However, artificial fertilizers are less suitable for fertilizing a horse pasture. The grass becomes 'too rich', which can lead to all sorts of issues for horses. Horses do better on 'poorer' grass.. Artificial fertilizers emerged in the previous century. They are used to increase production in agriculture by adding high concentrations of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium to the soil. Artificial fertilizers are made using a lot of energy from natural gas and are therefore not very sustainable. However, they are relatively cheap and nutrients can be dosed very precisely. You also see results faster than when using animal manure on your pasture. That is why many farmers prefer to work with a...
Others
Tendons
The effect of substrate on the tendons of horses
During a lameness examination, attention is always paid to how the horse moves on a hard surface and on a soft surface. Sometimes, a horse may limp on a hard surface but not on a soft one. This can provide a lot of valuable information for a veterinarian! The surface on which a horse walks has an impact on its body and also affects it.. Susceptible to injury Horses are prone to injury, especially when it comes to their legs. It is not uncommon for a horse to stumble (during training), land incorrectly after a jump, bump itself, slip, overstretch, or experience chronic overloading. This can lead to injuries, especially to the tendons of the horse. In addition to their legs, and tendons in particular, being injury-prone, the surface on which a horse walks also has a certain influence on the tendons. Therefore, it is important to...
Feeding
Pasture
How do you get your horse used to grass?
Spring is on its way! As the ground warms up again, the grass starts growing. And when the grass has grown strong enough, your horse can go back to the pasture. Naturally wonderful. But how do you ensure the transition to pasture grazing goes as smoothly as possible so that your horse can get used to the grass?. Grass starts to grow when the soil temperature is between 5°C and 8°C. Grass growth is optimal between a soil temperature of 12°C and 20°C. When the soil temperature exceeds 25°C, the grass temporarily stops growing. So, a soft and moist spring is optimal for grass growth. Transitioning Diet If your horse has not been on grass during the winter, the switch to pasture grazing can be quite drastic for the digestive system. Going from a diet of dry hay to juicy and sugary grass is a big change for...
Guest blog
Pasture
# Guest blog Horse & Habitat: everything about sowing your pasture
Spring is a good time to start sowing. Sowing has several advantages. You can fill in bare spots with plants you want to have there, which inhibits the growth of unwanted plants such as ragwort. You can also improve the composition of your pasture by sowing grass species that are lower in sugar than English ryegrass.. When sowing, you naturally want the germination of your seed mixture to be as good as possible. You have invested money and time in the seed mixture and sowing. The success of the germination of a seeded grass mixture depends not only on the quality of the seeds. In fact, seeds must meet certain quality requirements and actually only deteriorate if stored for a long time (longer than a year). The success of the germination of a seed mixture mainly depends on the type and conditions of your soil....
Guest blog
Feeding
Guest blog Bart van Heesbeen: Prevailing beliefs about nutrition in equestrian sports
In my previous article for HELTIE horse® I wrote about natural nutrition in sports. In this sequel, I would like to discuss prevailing beliefs in the equestrian world and whether they are accurate. In equestrian sports, there are often many different beliefs regarding nutrition. 'He needs a lot of energy' or 'he will gain weight from too much concentrate.' Maybe you can think of more. What's interesting for me is that I can understand these opinions very well, as I also come from the world of sports. Therefore, I want to start with my own belief; 'Everyone always does it with good intentions.' Within his/her knowledge, everyone has the best interest of their horse in mind. As long as we hold on to this belief, we can have a respectful conversation with each other.. To get a good context, we need to understand where certain beliefs come from. In the past, horses were used for work in the fields. Initially, they were fed generous amounts of grain. Primarily oats were used for this, and sometimes barley as well. These are the two grains that were originally the easiest for horses to digest. The horses had to work all day in the fields, which naturally had a huge impact. Concentrate feed was needed to endure this. Due to the work, the negative effects of grain...
Others
The best start for your foal
After eleven months of waiting, the time has finally come, your foal is born! Of course, we all want our foals to grow up into strong, healthy, and happy horses. How do you ensure that your foal gets the best possible start in life?. First day When your foal is just born, the most important thing is for it to receive enough colostrum. In the first six to eight hours, your foal should ideally have ingested one to two liters of this thick milk full of antibodies. It's difficult to see if your foal has actually consumed enough colostrum. Even seemingly active and playful foals sometimes lack enough antibodies. Therefore, have your veterinarian perform a quick test, preferably between 12 and 24 hours after birth. This can be don...