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.
Joints
Magnesium
Silicon
Supporting Joints: continuous supplementation or as a short course?
Supporting Joints: continuous supplementation or short course? When your horse comes out of a heavy competition season or has just been broken in, you may want to provide some extra support for his joints. Even if your horse is a bit older and sometimes stiffer, it can be a good idea. When do you use which supplement and do you continue to give it or opt for a short course? We will explain it to you! To combat stiffness and joint pain in a horse, there are various supplements available. It depen...
Cannabinoids
Joints
Clove
Which herbs are suitable for the joints of horses?
Is your horse a bit stiff when starting out, or is he stiff after training? The cause for this may lie in the joints. For example, when your horse is a bit older and has developed some arthritis. Or because you have trained heavily and uric acid crystals have accumulated in the joints. Herbs can help to make your horse more supple and relieve joint pain. As a horse ages, changes in the cartilage can occur. This falls under the umbrella of arthritis. Also, wear and tear of the joints, a lower pro...
Cannabinoids
Joints
Clove
Silicon
How do I help my horse with joint problems?
There are many horses with joint problems. This can be due to wear and tear, injuries, their build, or less than optimal conditions when they were young. Whatever the cause, as a horse owner, you have to deal with it! And so does your horse. What can you do for your horse with joint problems, such as arthritis, OCD, and kissing spines? Joint problems come in different shapes and sizes. An older horse that is a bit slow to get going may have a mild form of arthritis in some areas of its legs. The...
Joints
Magnesium
Vitamin E
Why is my horse stiff?
Is this muscles or joints? A healthy horse, without problems in the joints, tendons, muscles, and ligaments, moves rhythmically, regularly, smoothly, and with body usage. If you let such a horse move freely or lunge it, you will see ample steps of equal size, a pulsating rhythm in the movement, and swaying muscles throughout the body, including the topline. Unfortunately, this is not always the reality and horses are sometimes stiff, short in movement, irregular, or lock up their back. The quest...
Joints
Clove
Silicon
Salmon oil
Smooth joints? Combination of housing, nutrition, and exercise!
Smooth joints? Combination of housing, nutrition and exercise! Older horses often experience muscle stiffness or rigidity due to early osteoarthritis. It is important for horses to keep moving in order to remain flexible. But are there also nutrients that help keep your horse more supple? How do you feed your horse to keep his joints healthy for as long as possible? Stiffness in (older) horses is often caused by osteoarthritis. This is a condition where (chronic) inflammation occurs in the joint...
Cannabinoids
Joints
Clove
Silicon
Vitamin E
Black cumin
Osteoarthritis and dental problems: support your horse as it ages
The age at which a horse becomes a "senior" can vary depending on the breed and the individual horse. In general, we are talking about horses around 18 to 20 years old. This is when the first signs of aging start to appear. Joints: Stiffness and Osteoarthritis Older horses often experience joint wear and tear. The production of cartilage slows down in older horses, leading to the gradual thinning of the 'cushioning' cartilage between joints. Cartilage and synovial fluid work together t...
Cannabinoids
Joints
Clove
Minerals
Silicon
Black cumin
Can you prevent/reduce injuries in your horse?
Unfortunately, there is no miracle cure that can prevent injuries. Sometimes horses seem to be born to make things as difficult as possible for themselves or to damage themselves. Every horse can have a little accident, stumble, or just be plain unlucky. Preventing an injury is therefore not possible. However, you can reduce the chances of injuries by providing the right guidance and support!. Provide enough building materials from a young age. For a strong physique, horses need building materials in the form of minerals ( silicon, calcium, magnesium etc). This starts in the womb. During pregnancy, the mare must receive enough building materials so that the unborn foal can absorb and use them. If pregnant mares have insufficient building materials, the foal will already start with a disadvantage. As a result, the entire physique will be weaker and more prone to injuries. It is therefo...
Joints
Magnesium
Minerals
Silicon
Feeding
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How can you strengthen the physique of your young horse?
Horse owners are always looking for what is best for their horse. Often this concerns adult horses or even seniors. The young horse is often "forgotten", while with the right guidance it can make an extra good start. Therefore, read in this blog how you can support the physique of your young horse.. What is a young horse? Actually, horses are late bloomers, all growth plates are only fully closed around the age of 6/8 years. Therefore, you can say that up to the age of 7 years, the horse can be considered young. Especially the first 5 years are important for the development of the physique. The horse then goes through many growth spurts, which challenges the skeleton. But even after this age, horses continue to grow. Many horses are only fully grown around their 7th year. Movement, movement...
Joints
Others
Silicon
Feeding
From what age can a young horse start working?
There are few topics that spark as much debate among horse lovers as starting with young horses. From what age can a horse start working? How do you actually define work? And how can you ensure a healthy start to the 'working life' of your young horse in general?. As an owner and trainer of a young horse, your most important task is to ensure that the animal is physically and mentally prepared for its life as a riding horse. You want to give the horse a solid foundation and ensure that it develops trust in humans. The horse should be physically capable of functioning as a riding horse in the future, and it should continue to enjoy the work and be mentally capable of handling it. That's quite a laundry list and a responsible task, indeed. When do horses' g...
Joints
Stress
Crystallization of uric acid: painful joint problem for sport horses
If your horse is highly worked or experiences a lot of stress, a painful problem can occur: crystallization in the joints. In humans, we call it 'gout,' and horses can also get it. Especially for sport horses, it is important to pay attention to this. Is your horse a bit stiff? Then uric acid crystals could be the cause. Herbs can help solve this problem, but prevention is always best.. Most horse owners are familiar with common joint and muscle issues that can lead to stiffness. For example, arthritis in older horses. Or a deficiency in vitamin E when the horse is not on fresh grass. But apart from these well-known causes of stiffness, there is also a relatively unknown one: uric acid crystallization. What is uric acid? Uric acid is produced during physical exertion and stress. It is a breakdown product of protein metabolism. Under normal circumstances, this acid is absorbed i...
Joints
Others
Feeding
How can you support the aging horse?
From the age of 15, horses are considered "older." This is a point where many horses start to experience joint difficulties and the first signs of aging. However, every horse is different. Some horses still happily trot around at 25, while others may experience some discomfort at 15. Therefore, we will provide you with guidelines for caring for your aging horse.. Check the teeth of an aging horse Horses' teeth wear down over their lifetime. As a horse ages, more dental problems may arise, causing them to have difficulty chewing and therefore lose weight. It is important for all horses to have their teeth checked annually, but especially for older horses. Loose teeth, excessive tartar, diastemas (spaces between the teeth), or the condition EOTRH can cause discomfort, leading to decreased food intake by the horse. In some cases, it may be necessary to adju...
Joints
Silicon
The differences between biotin and silicon in horses
To improve the quality of your horse's hooves and coat, you can choose from several supplements. At Ask HELTIE, we received the question about the difference in effectiveness between biotin and silicon. Both products improve your horse's hooves in the long term. But there are also important differences between silicon and biotin. Let's break it down for you.. Both biotin and hydrolyzed silicon should be given for the long term. Studies on biotin indicate that it takes between eight and ten months before you see a real effect on the hooves. Silicon also needs some time, although you may expect a clear effect on hooves and coat a bit earlier, around four to five months. Silicon: essential mineral for skin and coat Silicon is an important mineral for your horse. It allows the body to produce the necessary building blocks for hair, hooves, tendons, ligam...