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.
Skin
Sweet itch
Is itching in spring or summer always caused by sweet itch?
Spring has begun. Time for longer evenings and higher temperatures. Unfortunately, this also means that the midges that cause summer eczema become active again. However, if your horse is itching, rubbing its tail, or scratching its mane, it doesn't always mean that it has summer eczema. Itching in spring or summer can have various causes.. When you see a horse scratching, stamping, or rubbing, two things are often considered: mites or sweet itch. Mites are mainly a problem in the winter months (although they can persist) and are mainly found on the legs. But when itching occurs on the mane and tail, especially in spring and summer, most people often think primarily of sweet itch, especially in horses of more robust breeds. Causes of Itching in Horses Let's list the possible causes of itching in horses - especially on the tail and...
Weight
Skin
Obesity as a cause of itching in horses
Many Dutch horses could afford to be a bit slimmer. Overweight can cause various problems. Not only joint overload or laminitis, but also itching! How is that?. It may sound a bit strange, but fat accumulations in the body can more or less take on a life of their own. Fat reserves indeed influence hormone levels. When an animal has a lot of adipose tissue, quite a few hormones are released as well. Research in humans has shown that these extra hormones are the cause of high blood pressure, inflammation, and atherosclerosis. Fat reserves also often spontaneously become inflamed. This happens, for example, in horses with fat accumulations in the crest of...
Nettle
Skin
Dandelion
To wash or not to wash horses with mud fever?
Everywhere you see shampoo bars and other shampoos being promoted a lot for mud fever, wounds, and other skin conditions. And then with the advice to wash daily, for example. But is that really wise for mud fever? Do you want the legs to be washed daily or are you perhaps doing more harm with that?. Washing disrupts the skin balance Shampoo bars are all the rage, not only for yourself but also for horses. And yes, generally these are "healthier" than a shampoo from a bottle, but these shampoo bars also have disadvantages. Shampoo bars degrease extremely, if you have ever used such a bar yourself then you notice that your scalp feels extremely clean and your hair becomes a bit stiff. This means that all skin oil is removed and thus also the protection of the skin. The skin balance...
Nettle
Skin
Lymphatic system
Dandelion
What is the difference between CPL and einschuss in horses?
Einschuss (elephant foot) and CPL (Chronic Progressive Lymphoedema) are conditions affecting the legs of a horse. In both cases, the lymphatic system plays a crucial role. Fluid accumulates and the horse develops swellings in the legs. What is the difference between these two leg problems and how can you help your horse?. What is einschuss? Einschuss usually occurs due to a small wound on the horse's leg, which may sometimes be hard to find. An inflammation of the lymphatic vessels occurs, which can spread to the blood vessels. Einschuss is recognizable by the fact that it always occurs on one leg. Swelling in einschuss often starts at the base of the leg and rapidly expands. A minor injury can lead to a severe acute inflammation, resulting in a swollen and warm leg. The horse may also have a fever and feel letha...
Skin
Mites
Does my horse have mud fever or mites?
Your horse is stamping its feet, has crusts in the fetlock pits, or keeps rubbing its legs... What could be the issue? Some say: mud fever! Others call out: mites! But what's actually the difference? And what should you do if your horse has mud fever and/or mites?. Mud fever is a collective term for various skin conditions above the hoof, in the fetlock pit, and on the lower legs. You may see crusts or small wounds and your horse often has itching. Although itching is not always present. Mites are parasites that reside in the socks and complete their entire life cycle, from egg to adult mite, there. Mud Fever and CPL The term mud fever is used for different conditions and does not provide much information about the cause and severity of the ailment. Mud fe...
Weight
Skin
Mites
Sweet itch
Oh no, my horse is rubbing!
As the weather gets warmer, the horses are out in the grass and the insects are emerging from their eggs, the headache for many horse owners resurfaces. Especially Friesians and draft horses are affected: rubbing and damaging the mane and tail. What can you do to prevent this? Itching is of course very annoying. And it is not fun to watch as your horse feels so uncomfortable that he constantly wants to scratch at fences, stall doors, water buckets, or even at you as the owner. Especially when th...
Skin
Minerals
Seven tips to keep your black horse black this summer
Many black and black-brown horses become significantly lighter in the summer, sometimes even turning truly brown. This is a natural process and the horse is not bothered by it at all. But as an owner, you might prefer your horse to stay black. For example, if you have a Friesian going to a show. If you prefer to keep your horse black without using paint, we have seven tips for you. The brown color is caused by the sun. The hair of your horse fades under the influence of UV radiation. This proces...
Skin
Silicon
Salmon oil
What to do with a horse with a dull coat?
A beautiful shiny coat with little apples... that's what we all want for our horse! But the reality is sometimes a lot duller. What can you do about it? In spring, horses shed their old winter coat and a shiny, soft summer coat emerges. At least, in the ideal case. Sometimes horses come out of their coat poorly or the new coat is not as beautiful and shiny as hoped. Shampoos? Although it can be handy to wash your horse or use an anti-tangle product in the mane or tail, shampoos and gloss sprays...
Cannabinoids
Skin
Clove
Mites
Mites in horses, start treatment as soon as possible!
Stamping in the winter. A well-known phenomenon in horses, especially in horses with a lot of hair on their legs. Especially when the weather is damp and muggy, and horses stand in the mud more often, it is often a recurring problem. Mites! How do you treat it and especially how do you get rid of it as soon as possible? Mites occur in all types of horses Customers often think that their horse cannot have mites because it is a warmblood and does not have socks. This is perhaps the biggest misconc...
Skin
Mites
Did you know that the socks of the horse keep the legs dry?
Autumn, winter, mud and rain... The perfect combination for dirty, wet horse legs. Often, we have the tendency to shave off all the hair of horses. Trim the legs neatly, tidy up the beard, make the ears look nice, and so on. A sleek horse, looking neat without much hair, standing like a real model. But is it really wise to shave everything off? Hair has a purpose! By now, it's (hopefully) common knowledge not to touch or shave off the whiskers of a horse. These whiskers are extremely important a...
Skin
Others
Why we are not anti-blanket with horses
Rain blankets and winter blankets for horses are a much-discussed topic in the horse world. There are people staunchly against blankets because they believe that every horse should be able to be in the Netherlands without a blanket. That every horse naturally grows enough coat and that the winters in the Netherlands are not so extremely cold that a blanket is not necessary. To some extent, that is true, but it is a bit more nuanced. Here is our view on blankets! Point 1: every horse is different...
Skin
Feeding
Vitamin D production in horses: sun appears to have little influence!
We learn something new every day too! It is always thought that horses are comparable to humans in many ways, including the production of vitamin D. We also thought this and also that horses that stand in a fly sheet/eczema sheet all summer, for example, can develop a vitamin D deficiency. There was very little scientific study done on this, so the assumption was quickly made that this is similar to humans. But now there has been some research done! What is the importance of vitamin D? Vitamin D...