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.
Hooves
Silicon
Silicon as Internal Support for Thrush and Laminitis
Hoof problems are common in horses. For example, thrush can be a persistent issue in wet weather or when horses spend many hours in the stable. Many people treat hoof problems from the outside with sprays, pastes, or oils. However, it is often also wise to support your horse from the inside. This is especially true for thrush and brittle hooves, as well as for laminitis.. Laminitis is a metabolic disease that can have a severe impact on the quality of the hooves. The laminae in the hoof wall can detach, which is very painful for the horse. In the early stages of laminitis, the horse may be slightly sensitive or stumble, and if it progresses, you often see the typical stance with extended front legs to relieve the hooves. Hoof Health from Within For healthy hooves, building materials are necessary. Your horse obtains the building materials for all hoof tissue from...
Hooves
Skin
Tendons
Silicon
In Which Conditions Should You Provide Extra Silicon?
Silicon is one of the essential minerals for your horse's health. This mineral is important for a wide range of bodily processes, from bone formation to skin health and from tendon repair to joint lubrication. In which conditions and problems do we recommend a silicon supplement?. The mineral silicon is a sort of jack-of-all-trades. This can sometimes make it a bit confusing to determine when to use silicon for your horse. In principle, silicon is a basic necessity for your horse, meaning it is always needed. However, the question is whether you need to supplement it, or if your horse is already getting enough from its diet. Silicon is found in various plants, such as nettles. In this article, we briefly outline the conditions in which silicon can be an effective suppleme...
Hooves
Minerals
Silicon
No hoof, no horse! What to do in cases of hoof cancer, thrush, and crumbling hooves?
The expression 'No foot, no horse' is old. And a cliché. But yes, healthy and strong hooves are indeed vital for your horse. We list the most important ailments and give you tips to keep your horse's hooves healthy.. The most common 'problem' with horse hooves is crumbling. Especially in dry conditions, many horses have crumbling hooves. Pieces of hoof break off and it doesn't look very nice. Fortunately, it's usually not a very big problem and a visit from the farrier usually resolves it. Sometimes crumbling is (partly) caused by a mineral deficiency. To prevent hooves from crumbling, it is important for you to: Give your horse enough minerals and nutrients Provide enough (free) exercise Not constantly keep...
Weight
Hooves
Insulin resistance
Organs
Digestion
Feeding
Why can horses get laminitis from grass?
In spring, at the beginning of the grazing season, it is always advisable to start slowly with grazing. Your horse's intestines and digestion need to adapt to eating grass before your horse can spend whole days in the pasture. In addition, there is the risk of laminitis. For some horses, this danger remains present throughout the entire grazing season. How does this actually happen? What does grass do in your horse's body? And which horses are at increased risk of laminitis?. Grass is the most delicious thing for most horses. 'Nibble-step' all day through the pasture; there is no greater pleasure for them. However, it is not always healthy. This is due to the way in which sugars from grass are processed in the horse's body. Sugar metabolism: fast and complex carbohydrates During the grazing season, grass is the main source of carbohydrates for many horses. Carbohydrates can be divided into complex carbohydrates and water-soluble carbohydrates. The latter are the 'fas...
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...
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...
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...
Cannabinoids
Hooves
Clove
Laminitis in horses: how cannabinoids can contribute
Laminitis is a painful condition in horses that unfortunately occurs quite frequently. Inflammations in the horse's hoof wall cause swelling, fever, and pain. Various measures are necessary to prevent and treat laminitis. Did you know that cannabinoids can also help your horse with laminitis? These natural substances have pain-relieving and anti-inflammatory effects and also support your horse's immune system, reducing the chance of recurrence.. That's why in this blog we would like to explain how cannabidiol can contribute to addressing laminitis. How does laminitis develop? The University of Utrecht names three causes for the development of laminitis. Firstly, a disease or inflammation elsewhere in the body. Such inflammation or disease causes an accumulation of toxins in the blood. These toxins will lead to changes in blood flow in the hoof, resulting in laminitis. The second reason is overloading of the foot, for example due to an i...