what do you think about feeding beet pulp?

beet pulp can do a great job of putting weight on a horse. just make sure you dont allow the ca:p balance to get way out of whack (young horses need to stay within the 2:1 ratio, older horses can do fine with amuch broader ratio, as long as calcium is always present in the diet at least 2x's as much as phosphorous)(beet pulp is very high in calcium and phosphorous almost nonexistent)(can add bran to diet if necessary, but dont necessarily have to do it.. do the math and balance the diet).. beet pulp does not give a horse a sugar high, as its the byproduct when all the sugar is taken out... shredded beet pulp can be fed dry, but the pelleted beet pulp should be soaked for several hours first, as it expands exponentially.. i prefer to soak even my shredded beet pulp, as it is very hard, and ensuring some moisture in the diet is never a bad thing...the shredded beet pulp does not expand enough to cause problems if fed dry, unless you feed a horse several pounds at each feeding (theoretically it could expand beyond the abilities of the horse's stomach to expand)

its a very tasty way to increase fiber in the diet, and can aid in digestive problems...soaked beet pulp doesnt need much chew time, so is great for older horses with chewing difficulties..

I like beet pulp for older horses that don't hold their weight well or severely underweight (rescues) to help them achieve a healthy weight. Most cases I've seen of people complaining of beet pulp causing colic were a matter of them feeding their horses something they didn't know needed to be soaked. I use strategy and find it to be a very good, right now everyone is doing well on it.

I...LOVE IT!!

Finally, this winter...after I began using it as a part of my feed...I didn't have a weight loss problem with one of my horses.

I have one horse, that always eats the bark off the oak trees. Even though I KNOW he's getting enough feed. By using the pulp as "breakfast" and hay and pulp as dinner...I didn't have ANY trees chewed on this winter.

I HEARD about beet pulp 4 years before I decided to try it. I was a skeptic. Not now.

One horse out of all of them...thought I was trying to poison him. The others loved it. The gelding who didn't like it...of course the one who needed the weight...eats it like candy now. I just had to take the time to introduce it slowly into his feed. I don't care for the pellets...I like shredded.

I like beet pulp.. well, you know what i mean ;) haha

I would forsure go for it, some horses dont like it, where as other horses adore it. So yes, i would definately go for it... just make sure that you soak it!

It's also not as dry as just giving them usual grain, which can definately help digestion!

feel free to e-mail me!

thoroughbred_eventer@yahoo.ca

Well, i used to feed my mare beet pulp to fatten her up and i thought it worked well. She really enjoyed it. On cold mornings, i would make it with hot water which also makes it mushy faster, but she'd love it. She'd slurp it up like oatmeal. I also mixed a scoop of grain in with it and she liked that. but just a warning, when you soak it, make sure all the pellets are mushy because it they are still whole, they can be bad for them.

It is a good source of fiber and can be used as a substitute for hay. I am not sure if it will bulk up your horse. It aids in the digestion of hay,

I think a basic ration of grains with some mollases is perfect; the tag will give the ingrediants-additives-vitamins. Regular Purina sweet feed.

My aunt is going to try the same thing but make sure you soak it long enough or it will swell in your horses belly and it may rupture...so be carefull when you feed it...

I'm just not into it..but many are and rave about it....just read where another horse colicked on it...so up to you whether or not you feed it.

Good question, simple answer....

Feed high quality feed, and you wont need it! Did you know good horse feed has all you need in it?