Beet pulp vs. rice bran?

Question

pro's and con's of both?

what is the better weight builder?

can both be fed during winter ? (with of course regular grain amounts)

Answer 1

i had an uderweight horse and i feed him the beet pulp daily because he was allergic to rice bran. both are an awesome wight builder andcan B feed anytime.

Answer 2

Hi, i use rice bran with my horse Hap year round. When i first began leasing him, he had been starved and really underweight. Since then i have been using 2 differnent types of rice bran together and he is a normal healthy weight now ( he still gets his regular alphalfa, i use the bran as a supplement) What i have also noticed is that the rice bran makes his coat extemely healthy and shiny. I cant really tell you about beet pulp cause i never used it before :D

thanks for the comment about my website, If you email me, i can help you make one too!

EDIT: Thanks again where is your website from? i would love to see it when you are done :D

~2htoohorse~

Answer 3

feeding brans will throw off your horse's mineral balance as it is too high in phosphorus.  Because of this it will cause a calcium deficiency as calcium is leached from your horses bones in order to keep blood calcium level.   Without proper blood calcium, a horse would die.  Beet pulp is considered a forage.  It is good calorie food that is 100% digestible and does not have negative effects relative to mineral level or absorption.  If your horse needs more weight, start him off with 1/4 c. corn oil in his feed and slowly build to 1 c. per feeding.  You can't add fat too quickly or it will upset his stomach, could cause diarrhea, and dehydration.  I would use human grade corn oil, not that chemical junk they sell for horses in the feed store.  If it is not safe for human consumption, it is not safe for horse consumption.  just my thoughts.

Answer 4

I like them both...and use both together in the winter.  

Here's a site with information about beet pulp...

http://www.horsetackreview.com/article-d...

The beet pulp is mostly for digestable fiber.

Rice bran is 20% fat or more...

I don't even use grain with it.  Instead...I add alfalfa pellets.  I was able to add 100 pounds to one of my horses...who got addicted to oak tree bark and lost the weight...even though he was getting twice the normal amount of hay and grain.  He put the weight back on and was able to maintain it...even with exercise and the cold.

The rice bran is the better weight builder in my opinion...but you do need to make sure your horse is not allergic to it.

The website I gave you gives the pros and cons of beet pulp.  Unlike the site though...I do not drain the excess water.  My horses also do not prefer the pulp by itself.  But if I add rice bran pellets or alfalfa pellets to it...they gobble it up.

My recipe...

3 lb. coffee can of dry pulp.  I personally use shredded.

Two 3 lb. coffee cans of water to soak

2-4 cups of alfalfa pellets.  More if they are working or it's really cold out.

2-4 cups of rice bran pellets.

About another 1/2 can of water for the pellets...my horses like it that way...

I feed it only once a day at their evening hay meal.

That plus their hay ration...keeps them healthy and fit.

Answer 5

rice bran is cheaper.

Answer 6

You actually need to feed both at the same time.

Feeding just one or the other off sets the 2:1  calcuim, phosphorous ratio which is not good for your horse.

Since beet pulp is low in phophorous but high in calcuim you must feed rice bran with it in order to keep the ratio.

Soy bean meal is also a good alternative to rice bran.

Remember to soak your beet pulp.

NEVER FEED MORE PHOSPHOROUS THEN CALCUIM.

Answer 7

I've used rice bran before and have been fairly satisfied with the weight building results, and yes I have used it during the winter.  I also like to add vegetable oil to grain to help with weight gain.  However, I think you should talk to your horse's vet at his next check up, or your trainer  to see what he or she thinks will work best for your horse.