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
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 reali...
Nettle
Weight
Insulin resistance
Triphala
Feeding
Supporting Your Horse in Losing or Gaining Weight
Naturally, a horse's weight fluctuates with the seasons. At the end of summer, they tend to be a bit thicker, and at the end of winter, when the reserves have been used to keep their body warm, a bit thinner. Our domesticated horses usually have enough food all year round and ideally should not fluctuate too much in weight. They should not be too thin or too fat. How do you regulate your horse's weight? A horse that receives enough high-quality roughage and is provided with its daily vitamin and...
Weight
Insulin resistance
Digestion
Triphala
Ancient herb Triphala supports weight loss and metabolism of horses
Triphala is an herbal mixture that has been used in India for centuries as a natural medicine. It is used for digestive complaints, stress, and to stabilize blood sugar levels. Research has shown that Triphala has strong medicinal properties in humans and rodents. This traditional supplement can also be used in horses, especially for insulin resistance.. What is Triphala? Triphala is a powder made from three different (dried) fruits from the Himalayan region. It is a well-known herbal medicine from the Aryuvedic tradition. The fruits in Triphala are: Amalaki or Indian gooseberry (Emblica officinalis), Bibhitaki (Terminalia bellirica), and Haritaki (Terminalia chebula). Research in recent years has shown that Triphala is effective in treating various conditions. Indian gooseberry stimulates digestion, acts as a laxative, and has anti-inflammatory...
Weight
Insulin resistance
Stress
Triphala
Which conditions can triphala be used for in horses?
Triphala is a "herbal mixture" of 3 dried fruits from the Himalayan region. It has been used in India for centuries due to its great healing properties. In this blog, we will explain the conditions in horses where triphala can be used.. Insulin resistance Triphala has a beneficial effect on blood sugar levels. It helps lower and balance blood sugar levels. Triphala is therefore very suitable for horses with insulin resistance. In addition, triphala is anti-inflammatory and horses with insulin resistance usually have an increased inflammatory value in their body, leading to itching. Triphala also supports in this area, reducing itching. Gastric ulcers Mucous membranes are supported by triphala. It helps restore mucous membranes,...
Insulin resistance
Feeding
My horse has insulin resistance (IR) - can he still safely graze?
Horses with insulin resistance (IR) are at greater risk of laminitis than horses with optimally healthy sugar metabolism. A horse with IR, recognizable by a hard crest and fat cushions near the tail, should not graze unlimited on sugar-rich grass. But can you never put such a horse or pony in the pasture again? Or are there still possibilities? Many horses are indeed super happy with pasture turnout.... We as owners like to make our horses happy. But unfortunately, unlimited access to the pasture is not suitable for every horse. Especially draft horses, ponies, and horses that have previously had laminitis are at greater risk of the painful condition of laminitis. Does my horse have IR? A horse that is insulin resistant cannot process sugars from food (such as grass and concentrate) well. This leads to fat storage, infections, and loss of energy. Also, the pancreas becomes overloaded. Prolonged...
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...
Cannabinoids
Skin
Insulin resistance
Clove
Sweet itch
Summer Itching: Why does my horse have itch?
The sun is shining, the grass is green, and the evenings are long. A delightful time. But spring and summer are also the time when some horses get a lot of itching. Often this is immediately thought of as sweet itch: an allergic reaction to the bite of small midges. But there can also be other causes for itching. Why does your horse have itching? And what can you do about it?. During the transition from winter to spring and summer, many horses spend more time outside. Typically, the diet also changes from hay to (partially) fresh grass. With the higher temperatures, insects also become active again: flies, mosquitoes, midges, horseflies, and ticks can be troublesome for your horse. Not all itching is sweet itch! It is important to find out why your horse is scratching in the summer months. The reason is not always sweet itch. A horse can also get itchy as a reaction t...
Weight
Insulin resistance
Minerals
Feeding
# How can you keep your horse at a healthy weight in the summer
Many horse owners find themselves in a dilemma every summer. How do you keep your horse or pony at a healthy weight during the grazing season? How can you allow your horse to enjoy a bit of grass without it having adverse effects on its health? Read on in this blog, we are happy to give you some tips!. Depending on the stable Not everyone has their horse/pony at home and the ability to take various measures regarding grazing. Most horses are kept at a boarding stable where there is a certain policy in place. This makes it difficult for many horse owners to make the right adjustments for their horse. We understand that as a horse owner, you may sometimes feel frustrated because the stable's policy does not benefit the health of your pony/horse. In some cases, you are unfortunately dependent on...
Insulin resistance
Vitamin E
Feeding
Sweet itch
5 nutrition tips for horses without access to pasture (fresh grass)
Not all horses are able to be on pasture every day throughout the year. Sometimes because of the horse's health, sometimes because of limitations in stabling, space, or type of ground. Especially in the winter period, many horses are kept in a paddock because the grass is gone or the fields are too wet. But what should you take into account in the nutrition of horses that are not on grass? Not all the nutrients found in fresh grass are also present in hay. That's why we have put together five tips for you. Keep reading!. Horses primarily get Vitamin E from fresh greens Vitamin E is essential in a horse's diet, you could say it is one of the most important vitamins. Vitamin E is a very powerful antioxidant and essential for muscles and the nervous system. Vitamin E helps repair damage to muscles and remove waste products from the muscles. This helps keep muscles supple and promotes faster recovery after training. A deficiency in vitamin E can make horses stiff, increase the risk of tying-up and lead to muscle lo...
Insulin resistance
Sweet itch
Did you know that a horse with summer eczema receives less vitamin D?
Full summer, nice sunshine. For most horses, lovely weather, but for horses with summer eczema, unfortunately, this is the moment when they have to be fully covered to avoid itching. But did you know that the blanket influences the amount of vitamin D the horse receives? Read more about this in this blog.. Two forms of vitamin D Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin that occurs in 2 forms. There is a plant-based form (D2 - ergocalciferol) and an animal-based form (D3 - cholecalciferol). The plant-based form D2 is obtained by the horse from roughage (grass, hay, and straw). The animal-based form D3 can be produced by the horse itself, but for that, the horse needs UV radiation (sunlight) on its skin. Horses need both forms to meet their vitamin D requirements. Functions of vitamin D in horses Vitamin...
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...
Electrolytes
Insulin resistance
Minerals
Sweet itch
Which electrolytes are ideal for sugar-sensitive horses?
Warm weather and more sweating, a typical summer for both humans and horses. Horses that are sensitive to sugars also sweat and lose electrolytes in that way. It is therefore important to provide horses with insulin resistance with extra sodium, potassium, magnesium, calcium, and chloride. These minerals, known as electrolytes, are often only available with the addition of a form of sugar. In this blog, you can read how to provide electrolytes to sugar-sensitive horses without sugar.. What are electrolytes and what do they do? Electrolytes are necessary for the functioning of the nervous system, for smooth muscles, and for recovery after exercise. They prevent the "cramping" feeling and acidosis after training. Electrolytes are a number of minerals: Sodium, chloride, potassium, magnesium, and calcium. Each of these minerals has its own function in the body. But in hot weather, a horse can lose about 10-15 liters of sweat and therefore a large amount of electrolytes....