Healthy Horses Inside Out

05/10/2025

A few customers reaching out lately, with suspected ulcer symptoms. Here are some reminders of what symptoms may show in horses with digestive discomfort and be aware that over half do NOT show 'typical' physical symptoms (as per 2015 study).

- RELUCTANCE TO EAT - not eating hard feeds, picky eaters, only eating a little bit of hard feed, disinterest in eating hay and in more serious cases disinterest in eating in general - any of these are NOT NORMAL AND ISN'T JUST THEIR QUIRK OR ALWAYS BEEN LIKE THAT

- WEIGHT LOSS/POOR CONDITION - goes hand in hand with poor appetite, not absorbing nutrients fully or at all, loss of muscle generally and top-line, ribs showing no matter what you feed

- POOR COAT - aligns with the first 3 especially poor absorption of nutrients. Parasites and Mineral imbalance also can impact here - lack of zinc and copper especially in relation to Iron is a big one.

- CHRONIC DIARRHEA/COLIC - Horses can get loose manure from change of diet or high anxiety but ongoing chronic unresolved can point to ulcers. "In one study, 83% of horses with recurring colic were found to have gastric ulcers. Researchers directly linked ulcers to colic in 28% of those horses (as documented by the response to an acid-suppressive treatment)."

- BEHAVIOUR CHANGES - this is the main one people tend to focus on often ignoring the more subtle symptoms. May be nervous/spooky under saddle, more aggressive at feed time or with other horses, grumpiness or aloofness.

SENSITIVITY IN GIRTH - another one that people mainly focus on. The hind gut is impacted with the girthing motion. Research has shown 92% of horses with “girthiness” were found to have gastric ulcers.

NZ SPRING grass can also be party to creating issues in the horses digestive system - excessive protein, lack of dry matter, major mineral imbalances combined with typical unbalanced processed horse feeds.

These are the main things to look out for but other symptoms can include:
Stretching as if to urinate frequently, teeth grinding, cribbing, Excessive Salivation or laying down, poor performance, body soreness especially unresolved lower back pain, not wanting to be caught, depressed, resistance to grooming, not moving forward under saddle, biting at riders feet, cold backed, wringing/swishing tail when ridden, licking out when ridden and some more uncommon signs:
Stiff neck and shoulders, problems with stifles, tension in groin area, swollen glands under jaw bone, thyroid gland problems.

What causes and what can you do coming soon! We like to take a holistic approach to digestive dysregulation. On a quick note if your horse is competing and travelling regularly - HHIO Support is a must to help navigate ongoing stress in the body and to gently support the digestive system. Remember 30g is for a maintenance dose, 60g for higher stress loads and 90g for ulcer/digestive issues.
This is alongside a HHIO mineral formula to address excessive iron levels in diets among other things and lastly why the clean feeding regime we recommend in conjunction with our formulas is so important as it too is conducive to helping and supporting a healthy and robust digestive system.

Send a message to learn more

05/10/2025

Love the It’s a Stitch up feed bags. Makes feeding the herd so much easier. Each horse gets the feed meant for them, color coded to make it even easier, easy to clean and horses adapted easily (new kai easy as), except the TB 🙄, working on that! Great for feeding multiple horses at once. No tipped over or blown over feed buckets in this crazy winds we are having of late. The fast eaters I've noticed have slowed down which is also good. My herd are all in Cob size and fits their feed in easily. Easy to carry to paddock, hang over your shoulder like a bag. Really pleased with this addition.

01/10/2025

Received this progress report last night from the lovely Verstappen for this lovely chap who is well on his way to thriving. 4ish weeks in on:

"I’m SOOOO happy. He’s been having:

Lucerne/timothy mix chaff
Coprice high joule
40g HHIO Performance
Salt
Cold pressed flaxseed oil
And moved him to a grassier paddock with old type grasses.

In the before photo, he’d already been through a bag of Coprice and apparently had adlib forage (was at a turn out facility ) so the biggest change is the supps.

He is sooooooo soft too. Once that summer coat is through i think he’s gonna look unreal. He’s so shiny.

i cannot recommend your products enough. I’ve never found something this effective and you are so helpful with the feed lists etc.

It definitely has made a difference and following the feed plan actually makes it far cheaper and easier. You don’t have to feed as much as you think."

Less is more - when you have the right things to feed! Steady quality gains versus fast fat.

This combo was choosen from the HHIO easy chose base feed list and Performance was the appropriate formula for his needs - especially with the quality amino acids to support healthy muscle, hoof and coat. Once he is where Anna would like him to be condition wise then he can be switched to HHIO Foundation which gives the same coverage but at lower levels (still higher than most on the market) and minus the digestive support.

Allowing the HHIO formulas to work unimpeded without conflicting mineral levels helps promote the best possible health in your horse.

Well done Anna, thank you so much for taking the time to share 😊💖

24/09/2025

Flash sale! Buy 1, GET 2!! Available for 1.2kg Performance + 900g Assist sizes. Very limited stock - we need to make room for more stock arriving and these need to go!
Available only in the promotion section of Shop here: https://www.healthyhorsesinsideout.co.nz/product/2-for-1-DEAL

24/09/2025

We know its tough out there for the majority, and people are cutting costs where they can. I had a switch around in my own feed regime for 7 horses and it is working out great AND it covers ALL nutritional needs, without the need to add things typically missing from commercial premixed feeds due to poor omega balance etc.

For the past month my herds hard feed has consisted of:
500g Harvest Grains Smart Chaff - $43 p/m (Feed Central pricing)
250g Harvest Grains Coco Mash - $16.50 p/m
20g HHIO Foundation - $40 p/m
30g HHIO Restore (joint, muscle behaviour + digestive support) - $65 p/m
30g HHIO Assist (behaviour, grass + toxin support) - $40 p/m
25g Salt top up - $1 p/m
TOTAL - $205.50 p/m

My herd are mostly in their 20's so I do include HHIO Restore for joint, inflammation support otherwise the per month cost would be $140.50.

This may not seem "cheap" but it is HIGH quality and covers ALL mineral and nutrient needs for a horse at pasture and hay. It covers hoof and coat health, correct mineral ratios, reduction of inflammation and oxidative stress, immune, behaviour and digestive health, a good amino acid profile (for muscle + hoof health), seasonal/grass/toxin support, correctly balanced omegas and a good calcium:phosphorus ratio (most commercial feed is high in omega 6).

Harvest Grains is a NZ based feed company producing quality horse appropriate feeds. They provide feeds with the correct Omega 3:6 ratios - i am not aware of any other company that does this and especially not the big feed companies. They typically have a good low sugar and starch profile (unless otherwise stated) which is suitable for all horses and helps promote good digestive and general health. They also utilise a lot of the clean feeds we recommend. There is a tiny amount of Soya hull in both Smart Chaff and Coco Mash.

The herd doesn't have any issues with rain scald, mud fever, behaviour relating to grass/seasonal (they are on full grass), great hooves and coats and given their ages and body issues going on, they move freely and are in good health and thriving.

I could reduce the cost by switching to HHIO Vital which is $30 p/m bringing the total down to $130.50, as there is a good Lysine profile in both Harvest Grains products. I however like the broader amino acid profile in Foundation which is helpful for my older horses and is immediately started to be absorbed in the stomach versus absorbing through the digestive breakdown process - meaning I know my oldies are getting a guaranteed source of good quality protein, not subject to their ability to being able to digest it.

For transparency - I do feed my oldest girl and my pregnant kaimanawa higher levels of both Smart Chaff and Coco Mash and i will change to Pink Mash next time around for the rest to cut calories down going into spring/summer.

So, What cost do you put on good health? Problems will and do occur further on down the path as your horses nutrient needs eventually become imbalanced or depleted and oxidative stress increases, if they are not balanced correctly in the first place.

Now lets look at a popular NZ commercial feed with typical by-product inclusions:
This is a "low starch, low sugar and high fibre feed"
Recommended feeding rate is 2kg for a 500kg horse and costs $50.50 (farmlands cheapest pricing non member) per 20kg bag. So 3 bags would be needed for the month coming to $151.50. This covers minerals although does provide 300mg of added Iron and very miniscule levels of B Vitamins in comparison, but does have Lysine - a limiting amino acid. The omega balance is poor, so omega 3 source will need to be added, no specific joint support, no specific digestive support, no specific grass related support and a small top up of salt will be needed.

Obviously this exercise is very subjective to what feed is being fed, how often it is fed, how much is fed. However in my experience over the past 7 years in helping clients with their feeds it is HIGHLY likely you are doubling up or coming up short in minerals and nutrients if you are feeding a bit of this and a bit of that approach and likely coming up short in important ratios (Iron, Copper, Zinc, Manganese) if you are feeding a generic commercial feed. These 4 minerals play important roles within the entire body and is poorly addressed in most commercial feeds AND supplements. The imbalance of these 4 minerals with each other, is a big catalyst for oxidative stress and therefore disease and disfunction in the body.

A good quality, highly balanced and targeted feeding regime is simply nothing short of priceless.

19/09/2025

Horses happy to be home! Cookie had her second venture out with a walk back down the road, over speed bumps, a bridge and traffic. Just shows the temperament of the Kaimanawa breed, took everything in her stride. Have a fabulous weekend everyone 😊

17/09/2025

SOLD OUT 730pm. For or the first time ever we have a super quick FREE SHIPPING offer - for the next 10 orders! Be Quick and don't miss out! Once they are gone they are gone! Valid with any purchase of HHIO Formulas - Everyday and Specific only. Use Code: SHIPFREE at check out. Enjoy!

10/09/2025

Remember W***y Wonka and the gold ticket? Well be on the look out for the HHIO Bronze, Silver and Gold winning tickets!!!

This exciting roll out is starting to happen! We value hugely all our customers but especially our long term loyal customers and would love to acknowledge and reward you more. As an off shoot of our exclusive limited Inner Circle membership (which now has Bronze, Silver & Gold levels), we have Inner Circle by Invite.

When you reach these spending thresholds, you will receive an Inner Circle by Invite invitation, to receive these discounts. You don't have to do anything, it will automatically happen. You can still continue to enrol for the full Inner Circle experience - to fast track your discount level plus receive exclusive offers, gifts and resources. Keep a look out for yours!!!!

https://www.healthyhorsesinsideout.co.nz/page/inner-circle

08/09/2025

A while back, probably longer than I care to admit, I purchased some gorgeous The Honey Trap products with the view of incorporating them into some combo packages on the website. As life is typically super busy, it didn't eventuate, and then a change in direction happened along the way. So, I have these beautiful products which would be a little lost on my rag tag herd (alas basking in their natural glow of shedding hair, mud and dust haha) to give away to some lucky person along with some HHIO Performance + Support.

To enter: Make any purchase from the HHIO website during the month of September of any HHIO formulation (valued over $80 excluding freight) to automatically enter into the draw. We will select a lucky winner by random number on 1st October 2025!

Full package is:

HHIO
Performance 1,=.2kg + Scoop
Support 900g + scoop

The Honey Trap
Detangle + Shine Spray
Mane + Tail Gloss
Bright white wash bar
Dark shine wash bar
Stick it Plaiting Aid

Perfect for getting your horse looking in tip top shape for the show season!

Be in to win - get shopping now! www.healthyhorsesinsideout.co.nz

04/09/2025

Spring can be a challenging time, managing the rapidly growing grass combined with yo-yo weather. Take the challenge right out of spring with our dedicated formulas to help navigate seasonal challenges. Get that on track, then take a complete horse health reset and delve deeper and very easily into correcting common mineral imbalances across the entire diet. Combine this with our simple clean feeding principles that aim to promote the relief of oxidative stress and inflammation in the body. This approach works for all horses - big, small, young, old, easy keeper, hard keeper, turned out or highly competitive; and can be simply tailored to each individuals needs. Saving you money and improving your horses internal health. Take the first step with seasonal support here: https://www.healthyhorsesinsideout.co.nz/product/hhio-assist-spring-promo

"Best Toxin Binder on the Market!!!
I got this for my horse Jake, who gets severely grass affected and is generally a nervous/sensitive horse. This supplement is a game changer. He's a lot more relaxed and isn't getting grass affected at all. It's also helped reduce the severity of his head shakers, which is an added bonus!"
"5 Stars for Assist. Awesome product it keeps my TB nice a level headed all throughout the year I feed it alongside HHIO Performance."
"Assist - It is very effective. I know how difficult spring can be and this product will definitely be to hand in our yard happy calm horses"
"Love HHIO products - It has taken a while to find the right supplements and a feed regime but we have finally done it with HHIO supplements for our 6 horses. We use foundation and assist mainly and our horses look and act great. We use the feed as suggested and they look in the best condition. It is also cost effective too. The simple feed guide is simple to follow too . Thank you to the team at HHIO"
"Assist has done exactly that, assisted. I was having trouble with my TB having runny poo, turned out he was reacting to the Soya in his feed, stopped the Soya and he improved but wasn't back to normal so I added Assist to his feed and it helped his hind gut settle and get back to normal. Which helped his behaviour under saddle as well."

We also have several promo bundles specifically for Spring which can be found here. These change periodically so be sure to check the promos category out each visit. https://www.healthyhorsesinsideout.co.nz/category/276435

Take the SPRING out of spring, act now!

03/09/2025

I couldn't have done this perfect line up if I tried! 2 kai's and a QH! Chiropractor treatment day yesterday. And very excited that Cookie had her first introduction to chiropractic work. A massive thank you to our fabulous chiropractor Kirsten of animal chiropractic. Kirsten is a highly trained human and animal chiropractor based in Rotorua. She travels out regularly to Whakatane and Hawkes Bay way also - and is open to any area as long as numbers are viable. Im hugely grateful Kirsten is local - shes treats myself (massive help when i injured my shoulder a few years ago), my daughter and all our furries - cats, dogs and horses, at times the odd chook too! Regular Chiropractic work keeps my herd in great condition given their ages and is also hugely beneficial for immunity, posture, breeding, growing, general health and especially digestive function. If you have a horse that is prone to digestive upset or grass related behavior- book a treatment with a (qualified) chiropractor - Kirsten if your local. As you can bet if the skeletal isn't in optimum alignment then the organs won't be functioning at peak either! Kirsten also has a local clinic in Ngongotaha at the Harmoni Hub. https://www.equinoxchiropractic.co.nz/