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Beet Pulp for your Metabolic Equine
If you own an equine suffering from some type of metabolic disease, you
have undoubtedly wondered about the benefits and risks of feeding beet
pulp in lieu of grain products. There are now plenty of good, low NSC
(Non Structural Carbohydrates) feed mixes available but many of them
are either very expensive, or hard to get and must be special ordered.
Some feed mills are reluctant to order, or they require you to buy them
in bulk. Feeding beet pulp is a nice alternative for you and your
metabolic horse.
Beet pulp comes in a variety of forms – pellets, crumbles, shreds,
cubes. Whichever form you decide upon, make sure that it is available
with NO MOLASSES. Beet pulp is often coated in molasses to increase
palatability. It is possible to soak and rinse this variety of beet
pulp, but that’s just one more thing you have to do everyday.
Beet pulp costs around $11-16 per 40 pound bag, which surprisingly
lasts a LONG time. Much longer than 40 pounds of grain would last. Beet
pulp swells to about 4 times it’s dry weight when soaked in water. This
makes it perfect for metabolic horses or those on weight restricted
diets because not only does it add beneficial water to the digestive
system, but it is very filling and satisfying. Feeding 1 cup of soaked
beet pulp (expanded to about 4 cups) is far more satisfying than 1 cup
of grain or dry pellets. Traditional grains like corn and oats are NOT
safe for the metabolic horse.
The nutrition profile of beet pulp places it squarely on the scale
between being a forage and a grain. It is very high in fiber but the
caloric count is low. One item to note though is that it is deficient
in Vitamin A so good hay or pasture (if the horse can tolerate grass),
is also an important part of the diet. Using vitamin supplementation
programs, many horses have been successfully maintained for years on
beet pulp as the main forage in the diet.
So How Do You Feed This Stuff??
There is a lot of controversy regarding whether to soak it or not soak
it. Horses can choke on dry beet pulp but still there is a sect
of the horse world that believes horses will only choke on it if they
have a history of choke. NOT TRUE. My mother’s horse choked on dry beet
pulp so badly that she had to place an emergency call to the
veterinarian, and that horse had no prior history. I just say SOAK IT. Beet pulp (in any form) is dry
and hard. Some horses eat it dry without any incidents but the benefits
of soaking it far outweigh the benefits of feeding it dry, in my
opinion.
If you buy the no-molasses form, all you need to do is throw it in a
bucket with either hot or cold water and leave it sit for about 30
minutes. Experimentation will tell you exactly how much water it will
soak up, but the general rule is 4 parts water to 1 part beet pulp. If
however the only type available to you is augmented with molasses, you
must soak it and then drain it, and preferably rinse it a couple of
times to remove all the molasses. This can be accomplished with a large
mixing bowl and a colander. It is not too difficult to do it this way,
and not very messy, but if you are feeding very large quantities, it
could be problematic.
Most horses will readily eat soaked beet pulp, but if your horse has
difficulty accepting it, give him only a small amount, mixed with some
of his regular grain to start with. Also, adding a teaspoon of ground
cinnamon or fenugreek. Some horses accept it with a tablespoon of salt added. The wetness of
soaked beet pulp makes it perfect for mixing any other supplements into
as well.
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