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.
First Aid
Others
Feeding
What are the basic values of your horse?
How well do you know your horse? Every horse has its own 'normal' values. For example, how much he eats and how much he defecates, but also what his body temperature, resting heart rate, and respiration rate are. As an owner, it is useful to know these basic values. This way, you can more easily determine if something is wrong. Because horses cannot speak, as owners, we sometimes have to guess if something is wrong with them, if they are sick or experiencing discomfort. It is important not to dismiss abnormal behavior as 'trying it out', 'not in the mood', 'rebellious' or 'messing around'. A horse does not make plans to annoy you. If it exhibits abnormal behavior, there is probably something wrong somewhere. In its body, its head, or its environment. Measuring and writing down basic values To get to know the basic valu...
First Aid
Tendons
Silicon
Black cumin
Recognizing, treating, and preventing tendon injuries in horses
Many horse owners have to deal with them: tendon injuries. Difficult, unpleasant, and sometimes even the end of your horse's sporting career. How does a tendon injury occur? What should you do if you think your horse has a tendon injury? How can you support an injured horse? And how can you reduce the risk of a tendon injury?. Horses have relatively thin legs, with tendons close to the surface. An injury to the tendons is therefore always looming. Tendon injuries come in many different forms. Sometimes a horse is very lame, sometimes not at all. Sometimes it is a very serious problem, in other cases, the horse only needs to train a little less intensively. How does a tendon injury occur? There can be several causes for tendon injuries: Too intense training Too much of the same / repetitive training Training on poor su...
First Aid
Skin
Why an EM skin spray belongs in the first aid kit
A scratch or wound is quickly incurred by a horse. Even with the wet weather of recent times, a mud spot can quickly develop. A spray with effective Micro-organisms (EM) is therefore indispensable in your horse's first aid kit!. Not disinfecting, but supporting! Many wound sprays and products against mud are made to kill bacteria, fungi, and other micro-organisms. These products have a disinfecting function, but unfortunately, they also kill the good bacteria/micro-organisms. The good micro-organisms are extremely important for the skin. They support the healing process and drive away the bad micro-organisms. For wound healing, it is therefore better to choose a skin spray with these good organisms! The effective micro-...
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...
First Aid
Hooves
Frogshoe horse? Use frog gel with EM (effective microorganisms)!
Frogshoe is a well-known problem for many horse owners. In frogshoe, the frog grooves in the soft part of the hoof rot. This smells immensely. Frogshoe is caused by fungi and anaerobic bacteria. A gel with effective microorganisms helps strengthen and maintain the hoof microflora healthy by 'happy bacteria'. The rotting process is then stopped by the good bacteria that become dominant over the unfavorable bacteria.. Although frogshoe occurs quite often, you should not underestimate it. The infection can penetrate deep into the hoof and cause temporary or even permanent lameness. You need to treat frogshoe both externally and internally. Good hygiene and prevention are important to keep the condition at bay. But what can you do if your horse already has frogshoe? Effective microorganisms or 'happy bacteria' Microorganisms are everywhere and play an important role in many biological processes. There are favor...
First Aid
Skin
Wounds in horses close quickly with Effective Microorganisms (EM) spray
Every horse occasionally gets a small wound. A nip in the paddock, a bump, or an annoying insect often lead to minor skin damage. Unfortunately, horses can be very sensitive to this and such a wound can lead to unpleasant infections. Sometimes even resulting in blood poisoning or a swollen leg (Einschuss). So you want wounds to be cleaned and closed as quickly as possible!. On the skin of your horse (and yours!), there is a wide biodiversity of microorganisms. It is a whole web of microscopic life. An interesting way to support the natural healing process of the skin is by using Effective Microorganisms. These are 'happy' or 'good' bacteria and other microorganisms that initiate the healing process and help prevent infections. What are Effective Microorganisms? The term 'Effective Microorganisms' refers to a mixture of active bacteria, fungi, and yeasts. These tiny...
First Aid
Salmon oil
Salmon oil stimulates wound healing in horses.
There are many types of wound ointments for horses available on the market that contribute effectively to wound healing. Especially with relatively small wounds, these ointments work well. But did you know that omega 3 fatty acids also stimulate wound healing? You can also stimulate a wound to heal from the inside. Therefore, salmon oil is also very effective for (large) wounds. Read more about this in this blog.. Omega 3 fatty acids reduce inflammation With (large) wounds, there is always a risk of infections. It is very difficult to keep wounds clean in horses. Especially on the legs, the risk of inflammation is high. Salmon oil is rich in omega 3 fatty acids, and these fatty acids are known for their anti-inflammatory properties. By adding omega 3 fatty acids to the diet, you reduce the risk of infections. How do omega 3 fatty acids help in wound healing? Wound healing is a complex system in the body,...