How do you prepare Beat Polp?

Question

ok so ive never fed my horse it before, but i just got a new horse and thats what he eats. how long does it need to soak in the water for?

Answer 1

I've always soaked it for about half an hour.

Apparently, (I've learned here on YA) there are different kinds of beet pulp and some need to be soaked for 24 hours. I find though that it goes sour after sitting around for that long.

Ask the person at your feed store what they would do with the product that you choose.

Answer 2

  I wouldn't use it at all unless your horse is underweight and need to put some weight back on. There is too many variables involved here to answer your question though. How old is the horse? Why are using beet pulp in the first place?

  If you reassess your position and still think you need the beet pulp follow the instructions on the bag. Don't buy any that lacks instructions. If you do soak it I generally soaked it overnight but only used it in the winter. If you're storing it in the heat you better not let it sit too long. It can attract mold or bacteria. I had two horses colic shortly after eating beet pulp but the vet told me it had nothing to do with it.

  I stopped using it anyway.  

Answer 3

it needs to soak for at least an hour, as so i've been told. however long it takes for the pellets to become damp and more like flakes. it should look like when oatmeal is thoroughly prepared. when you put the pellets in the bucket, cover it with water so that the water level just covers the level of the feed. don't put too much in or else it will be too watery.  

Answer 4

Depends on the beet you have - some needs 10 minutes and some needs 24 hours.

Usually its 3 times as much water as pulp but other times it can be up to 5 times ( pellets)

I make mine up at night ready to feed the following night so yeah - it gets about 24 hours.

Answer 5

Feed a high end feed and you wont have to worry about it....

Answer 6

I use shreds and I soak it for 24 hours in cold water at a ratio of 1:3

Edit> does it have instructions on the bag ? ( some do and some just seem to think everyone knows)

Answer 7

Step1

Decide how much beet pulp you want to put into your horse’s diet. The best way to do this is to talk with your local feed store.

Step2

Use a separate bucket to soak beet pulp. Use a big enough bucket so that you can put twice as much water than beet pulp in the bucket.

Step3

Prepare the beet pulp at least 15 minutes before you want to feed. This way the beet pulp will have time to soak the water. You do not want to ever feed too much beet pulp that has not been soaked long enough in water because it has the possibility of swelling up in the horse’s stomach and creating colic.

Step4

Soak the beet pulp so that there is twice as much water as there is beet pulp. So if you fill the bucket halfway full with beet pulp, fill the bucket to the top with water.

Step5

Dump any excess water out of the bucket after it has finished soaking for 15 to 20 minutes.

Step6

Feed the beet pulp.

Answer 8

Beet Pulp does come in a few different varieties, first understand why you are soaking it - it's dehydrated material.  When you introduce dehydrated material into the moist gut of a horse it expands which can cause digestive distress such as colic least of all.  You need to reconstitute it THEN feed it.

Beet pulp is often used to assist a horse in gaining weight or helping their digestive system stay healthy for some reason - usually it isn't given just as a normal feedstuff, there's a particular reason for it.  Some people feed it to assist the digestive system as a laxative or something to help a horse who's had digestive problems process the feed correctly.  I know people who use it in this manner as well as others who use it to assist the horse in weight gain.

I personally use Bran - it's inexpensive and easy to feed.  Two of my horses have had issues with compaction colic because they are elderly and one's got a delicate system - sometehing changes in the least and she goes off her feed.

Bran works in horses just like humans - I put a heaping cup in their feed morning and night and since I've done this I have had no further issues with them colicking.  I have heard of people who've used beet pulp that have further colic issues and I've also heard of people who've used Bran that have also had colic issues.  It seems that a horse may find relief from using one or the other.  I suspect true knowledge of amount and proper means of constitution affected the success of use of either Bran or Beet Pulp.

For weight gain in the nervous older mare of mine, I've found great success using Purina's Equine Senior - replacing half her normal pelleted feed with this - and in top-dressing with Kent's Omegatin.  I had tried a few different combinations including corn oil, corn on the cob - many different things to get her to gain weight.  None worked as well, as quickly and without digestive stress as this did.

I would suggest contacting your veterinarian - a good horse vet will usually be able to listen to your question regarding how much to feet, how often and the best way to reconstitute it and make it make sense to you.  They shouldn't need to visit you to give you some good general guidelines.

Finally - as a direct answer to your question, I have a friend and my mother who've both fed beet pulp.  Both of them let it soak for a few hours.  Mom would get her horse's feed ready in the morning for evening feeding and in the evening for morning feeding so I'd guess she gave it about 12 hours to soak good and ensure it was all back to the max size it would become.  It needs to be kept safe from flies while still able to let off any gases or anything related to the reconstitution - I suggest putting it in the container you will carry it to the horse' feed bucket with (or the bucket if you carry their actual feed bucket back and forth) and putting it inside a feed container - for example, I keep all my feeds in plastic garbage cans with locking lids.  I prepare the feed for the next feeding and put it in the feed can with the top locked - air can circulate but flies and vermin cannot get in.

Good luck!

Answer 9

first thing, make sure of what type he is used to, some brands add molasses for pliability, and if he is glucose intolerant that would be a bad thing.  

you will need to soak it since some horses will choke on it unsoaked, and even when soaked keep a good eye on him while he is eating it.  the pellets are better in this regard since the beet pulp is in smaller pieces.  

soaking it will depend on what type you are using (pelleted or shreds) and the temperature.  if you live in a hot climate you will probably want to either use shreds and feed within two hours (making sure that it is soft all of the way through) or soak pellets and keep it in the house in a cool place (about 70 degrees) and use within 12 hrs.  it does spoil fast, and if you ever have a batch that goes over 24 hrs in a cool place or 4 hrs over 70 degrees, do not feed and dispose of it.  

in the winter you will probably want to soak in the house or use warm water.  otherwise it just really does not soften well in temps under 50.  

here in the summer the temps reach 105 + so we soak just a couple of hours in the house.  in the winter it can get to 20 so we use warm water on the coldest nights to give them a bit of a treat.  

Answer 10

Actually, you don't need to soak beet pulp.  That's a myth.  Unless your horse is prone to choking, you shouldn't have problems feeding it dry.  Dry beet pulp does NOT cause colic.  If you buy the pellets, just feed it to them like any other grain.  I've been feeding dry beet pulp for years and never had any problems.

Answer 11

you can buy some feeds that alredy have it in it- then there is no need to soak it

if it is just plain beet pupl you should soak it for ~12 hours