Beet pulp..anyone with experience?

Question

Because I have read everything I can off the internet and a lot of the articles I've read say good things about beet pulp....example: http://shady-acres.com/susan/beetpulp.shtml

Then I ran into this article and it said this: http://ezinearticles.com/?Is-Beet-Pulp-Toxic-To-Horses---The-Real-Story&id=759474

So far the second article is the only one that has had something negative to say about beet pulp though.

I have a yearling and a 6 year old. I have been feeding alfalfa pellets in place of hay( just recently found hay, waiting for it to be delivered). I wanted to add beet pulp to their diet so I bought one bag and am reading everything I can about it before I try it. I am going to try a handful per horse.

Here are my questions:

How much to feed per horse? I have read that horses between 1 and 3 should have no more than 4 punds a day max. I have read that horses over 3 should have no more than 6 pounds a day max but that older horses that have a hard time eating

Answer 1

I've never had any problem feeding beet pulp myself, nor have I heard of anyone else I know having a problem with it.

The only thing I've heard negative about it is the issue with choke if the sugar beet is not soaked well before fed. That is usually only something that happens with horses who are already prone to choke or have a hard time chewing and swallowing... I've fed it dry for years before I even knew it HAD to be soaked and never had one problem.

I've usually fed according to the horse. We have one horse currently at the barn who is being fed beet pulp, a thoroughbred. He's given about 4 lbs a day soaked. What you read seems pretty accurate and a good place to start.

Answer 2

That's interesting, I've never heard of ANY of those problems resulting from beet pulp.  That's not to say the article is wrong, you never know.  All I know is that 've never had a problem feeding it.  I feed dry pellets (no molasses, no water), and I was feeding one mare 4 pounds a day mixed with 3-4 pounds of Ultium.  I gave it to her for extra fiber (she's a hard keeper and has digestive problems if she eats too many carbohydrates).   However, I didn't think the results were taht great and find she does better if just on a complete feed (and hay).  They are more balanced, generally.  So if you are really worried about the stuff that article claims, you can just try a complete feed (Ultium, Strategy, Senior, Junior, etc.) but they get to be pricey.  At the least, I'd say make sure they have a mineral block accessible and they'll be fine.

Plus the article says these things only result if fed over a long period of time so unless you are planning to keep your horses on beet pulp for years, I wouldn't even think twice about it.

Answer 3

I am unsure how much to feed the horses but one MAJOR important thing is to remember to soak the pellets for 12 hours before feeding them to the horses. Beat pellets can cause sever choke and can kill the horse even. I have found this out the hard way though my horse luckily didn't die.

Answer 4

beet pulp is good i fed it and it work but still feed them what you regularly feed them

Answer 5

Thank you so much for this link. http://shady-acres.com/susan/squirrel.sh... I really enjoyed the antics.

Beet pulp really needs to be soaked well. It's just madness to risk feeding it dry. The only disadvantage to giving soaked beetpulp is that you do have to feed it to the compost bin if you leave it in the sun for a day. It starts to smell ripe and alcoholic after a while in the winter too!! I cover a scoop of it (Sorry don't know weight but you will get to know yourself quickly with use)with water in a bucket. You can get away with using hot water on occasions but ALWAYS check it's fully soaked before feeding to horses 1/2 each along with nuts or course mix. I believe that it is the nearest thing to hay for roughage and contains calcium as well. It needs to be mixed with something like oats pony nuts or course mix. The first livery yard I was in fed my pony an enormous bucket of  plain soaked beet pulp. I felt sure this was wrong unhealthy and stupid as she became so fat in the spring she had to be put out onto a starvation paddock!!  Makes me so cross now to think of the stupidity of it

Answer 6

Do they really need it ?

In the UK it is "normal" for horses to be fed soaked sugar beet during the winter. As the grass starts to come back they get taken off it so most of them will only get it for around 5-6 months in a row.

Having said that, I have a friend with 2 aged horses - they get it everyday and have done for around 20 years. Considering that these horse are both old and now retired the only health problems they have are ones caused by injuries - namely a fall and a fight with a stallion that got into the field. they look years younger than they are.

I suppose there is always a chance that a horse could have a previously unnoticed sensitivity to a feed type that could cause problems.

Interesting.

As for an amount to feed, find yourself a handy measuring thing - jug, coffee can or whatever and stick with that. 1 measure of beet pulp to 3 measures of water and leave it for at least 12 hours.

Answer 7

I've never heard of any of that either. I agree with Ziggy 4lbs per horse, soaked.

Answer 8

I have never heard of anyone having a problem feeding sugar beet to horses. Mine get it every winter as a matter of course ( and they love it).

I have a 2 pint jug and I throw one jugful of shreds per horse into one of those tub trug things and 3 times that with cold water then I leave it overnight. It's supposed to be 12 hours but it tends to be longer than that. They only get it once a day. I dish it out with a strainer and tip the water away as I was told that it's the water that sends them hyper (as it contains the sugar) The beet pulp itself is fibre and is hind gut digested and produces heat. So it's a warming winter feed.

I guess some might have an adverse reaction to it but the same goes for a lot of things.

Answer 9

The only real reason to feed beat pulp is to get a horse to gain weight. My barn doesn't use it anymore, and instead uses higher protein "senior" grains.

If you really want to try it, then I think you should feed 1 lb in the morning and evening. I'm not a pro, so you might want to check at your local grain supplier. They can usually tell you a good answer. Make sure it is soaked very well. Check for any large chunks before feeding it out.

Answer 10

well, i don't have alot of experience, but my horse (and the other TB's in the barn) have just been started on it,

all of them are rather consist ant in their TB ways so to give them enough grain to be a good weight is like lighting rockets under their butt, and so far its GREAT. My horse is so calm and sensible and not nearly as skinny as before.

so i can't tell you much other then I LOVE IT!

Answer 11

I use a 3 pound coffee can as my 'measurement'.

One can of dry shredded beet pulp and 2 cans to soak it.

It doesn't leave any extra water that way...

I don't weigh food by pounds, I was also taught by using weird measurement devices...cottage cheese containers, grain scoops, coffee cans...you get the idea...

I like this article about beet pulp...http://www.horsetackreview.com/article-d...

It talks about feeding pulp to young horses...

Your second article talks about symptoms that may be related to pulp.  So, if your horse started to have these symptoms...I would check the pulp first.

Mine usually only get it in the winter.  So we have a break from it in the spring and summer.  Although, I have just started in again, because of dry pasture.  Seeing how this will work.  I'm not throwing hay yet, because there is still plenty of dry grass.  Just wanted to see what would happen with their weight and condition with the pellet mixture only.

I also put alfalfa pellets and rice bran in my mixture.  Trying to see if this will maintain weight, without getting into my winter stash of hay yet.  If they don't maintain weight...then hay will get thrown with the pulp mixture.  But at least I won't have to throw as much hay...

Answer 12

I have fed beet pulp for numerous reasons over the years.  Ive fed it to supplement poor forage, for weight gain, and as a carrier for supplements.   I use it in my barn "mix" that i use in place of sweet feed.  (My mix consists of cleaned oats, a little bit of cracked corn, a pellet supplement, dry beet pulp .. i roll that in soy oil).  

Now most places warn you to ALWAYS soak beet pulp or it can cause colic because it expands.  Almost all feedstuffs expand in the gastrointestinal tract.  With few exceptions i feed mine dry.  (Never to a horse that bolts their feed or an oldster who does not have proper chewing ability or all his teeth).

Its a great forage booster/weight supplement that carries a negative stigma in some circles that i dont quite understand.  Regardless i have had 15 years of experience feeding over 20 head a day and have not had one problem due to BP.  

Start slow .. a half scoop mixed with the regular ration and go up to whatever it says on the bag.

One other tip .. i started buying beet pulp with no molasses when i was feeding a horse suffering from cushings disease.  I have found that alot of my picky eaters prefer the plain pulp versus the sweetened kind .. odd i know but thats how its panned out around here.

Good luck!  Glad you were able to find good hay!

Answer 13

always, always, always soak beet pulp.  the bag says a minimum of 2 hours.  I soak overnight.  If you give dry beet pulp you are taking a big chance with your horse getting choked, especially if they tend to bolt their food or eat too quickly.  better safe than sorry.

Answer 14

I almost think the article that was written against beet pulp was written by a quack. Everything as far as crops (except organic) is sprayed with something at some point.

I have feed it to several horses over the years and have known others that have used as well. I have never heard of anyone having anything bad to say about it.

I even had one horse on it for 11 years in his old age. It's great for old horses in my opinion. You may be wasting your time if your just giving a handful at a time. Beet Pulp is very light and a horse can live on it if they have to.

Hope this helps some.

Answer 15

I wanted to let you know of my experience with Beet Pulp.

We always fed it soaked to our old senior mares or mares that were being brought down too far by their foals.  We even fed it to our orphan foal and any young mares in need of extra weight gain.

I cannot remember the weights of the scoops.  It's been a couple of years.  We weighed once then I just remembered the scoop amounts. haha

TOOTHLESS BROODMARES

Our senior mares that were unable to chew hay were given (after building them up)

a 3/4 full 2qt scoop dry, then soaked.

  I don't remember the poundage it's been so long.  

2 - 2qt scoops soaked alfalfa.

I had to adjust to the mare's eating power.  One I backed down to 1/2 scoop of beetpulp soaked

If beetpulp is soaked and added with the alfalfa cubes it's a great replacer for the hay since they cannot chew hay.  They CAN chew soaked beetpulp and soaked alfalfa.

NURSING MARES

Mares being brought down by a foal were given 1/2 of a 2qt scoop of beetpulp 2x daily mixed with 1 scoop of alfalfa cubes, soaked.

4 MONTH FOAL

The orphan foal at 4 mos was given just 1/8-1/4 scoop soaked with a two-4 cubes of alfalfa, soaked.  2x daily.

Her nurse mare had to leave and she was weaned early.

YEARLINGS AND YOUNG MARES

We never gave beet pulp to others unless they needed weight gain.  For the yearlings that needed it they were built up to

1/2 scoop 2x daily of beetpulp.

Same for the younger mares (2-6 years old).

YEARLINGS/SHOW

Alfalfa cubes were given to the ones that were being sold for show or had someone interested in purchasing.

They were given 1 scoop of alfalfa cubes soaked 2x daily (no beet pulp)

TIPS

*Beetpulp can get rancid as can the alfalfa.

*Don't leave out in the sun/heat and keep covered (flies!)

*Alot of horses hate beetpulp so you may have to layer it with the grain.  I don't add it to the alfalfa though. Even though I soak together, the beetpulp is scooped out and layered with the grain.  

*The Alfalfa is scooped out into a different feed pan to act as the hay's ration for the day.

I just gave my guys alfalfa to get us through the lack of hay problem.  I had pasture but I only put them out on it at night.

I gave them each a 2qt scoop then soaked it for the day time dry paddock turn out.  A one qt scoop for the night time pasture turn out.

Now they get nothing at all.  Just pasture.  Not even grain.

Answer 16

Idk about it but this girl at my barn used it on her horse so it would gain weight...and it worked!

Answer 17

A woman at our barn fed it to her TB cross gelding to get him to gain weight.  He got amped up big time.  He colicked and got cast in the stall, proceeded to kick violontly at the stall door until it came off it's lower runner, got his leg underneath it and ripped all the flesh off his leg.  After $10K+ she ended up having to put him down anyway.  Sad story.  We don't allow beet pulp near our horses.