# How much beet pulp?



## AussieDaisyGirl (May 21, 2009)

My vet recommended I add beet pulp to Carolina's feed. I'm already giving her free choice good quality hay (she's going through about a bale a week), plus a scoop of Safe & Sound, half scoop of 12% sweet feed twice a day. The pasture she's in is not adequate that's why the free choice hay plus grain. Plus she has about 150lbs to gain or so.

I don't have a lot of places to get feed here, that's why the resort to Safe & Sound and sweet feed.

Background in case you missed it: She's 16H, 8 years old DW/TB cross mare that has been neglected for 2 years and now I have her.

Am I feeding her enough, too little or too much? Should I add the beet pulp? The co-op has beet pulp with molasses in 40lb bags. 

Thanks!!!


----------



## aynelson (Jun 13, 2009)

Well, ultimately, I would say ask your vet. I feed Beet Pulp to my horses. It must be soaked for about 2 hours before you give it because if given dry could expand in their GI tract and cause impaction. I add it as an extra feeding, about 1/4 quart beet pulp with 1/4 quart alfalfa pellets (also soaked). Are you feeding alfalfa? That also is a great, healthy weight builder (providing you can find it without blister beetles). Often the feed store will have pelleted alfalfa, which I have found is the greatest stuff. 

What a WONDERFUL thing you are doing - rescuing horses is a true blessing. People who save animals are part angel! 

Good luck,
Amy


----------



## cghbuilder86 (Jul 24, 2008)

Yeah I just started feeding some beet pulp to my horses. Haven't been doing it long enough to know the results. Some say you can feed it dry if you mix it with grain. I prefer to soak mine for about 15 mins to be safe. And then drain all the water and mix it in with the grain. I don't exactly know how much I'll end up feeling though. Right now I'm still building it up slowly. I hope not much though. Because I have three horses and the 40 pound bag I bought cost about $14.00. 
How much do you guys usually pay for Alfalfa pellets? J/w...I have trouble finding good quality ones.


----------



## jody111 (May 14, 2008)

I feed what we call in New Zealand Eezy beet (and I do every winter to help keep the weight on) I just introduce it slowly and feed it in addition to the rest of her food...

Its good for the gut, and nice slow realease energy too...

It def helps with the weight and if your vet recommended it its prob worth doing.... Its quite common to be feed in NZ.... most people I know give 'around' 2litres after soaking (Expands a heck of a lot)

Good on you for getting in a rescue horse!!!


Just another point - if you get the mollasses based one - they may need additional soaking (The mollases version over here does  compared to the non mollased one)


----------



## AussieDaisyGirl (May 21, 2009)

Ok 2 litres after soaking would probably equal a scoop dry. (Yes very accurate lol).

I just got off the phone with my vet, he said to give it to her dry, is he wrong? He instructed - one scoop at breakfast mixed with her regular feed, half scoop at lunch mixed with half scoop of safe and sound, and a scoop at dinner with her regular feed.

I haven't found alfalfa cubes. There is a farm a couple of hours south of me that is about to cut alfalfa hay at $4 a bale. Regular hay is $3. 
A 40lb bag of beet pulp is $10.99, 50lb bag of 12% sweet feed is $9 and the Safe and Sound is $12 for a 50lb bag.


----------



## AussieDaisyGirl (May 21, 2009)

To be honest I don't think I saved her - I think she saved me.


----------



## starlinestables (Nov 24, 2008)

$4 a bale for alfalfa?!? holy cow. Its $12 a bale here.


----------



## AussieDaisyGirl (May 21, 2009)

Yeh - the cheapness of it makes me question just how good it is. Because I've seen it advertised for $6 or $7 a bale normally. 
It seems hay, etc isn't too badly priced around here. While it's available anyway lol.


----------



## Harley4Blizzard (Jun 15, 2009)

I am currently feeding beet pulp to all of my horses. The beet pulp is soaked for several hours and then mixed with feed. I have read numerous articles / post about soaking beet pulp. Some people recommend to soak and other articles state feeding dried beet pulp does not cause the horse to choke. I went with my gut instinct and decided to soak the beet pulp prior to feeding. I would not want to eat something dry that swells like crazy when put in water. Anyways, don't let the beet pulp soak for more than a day. It begins to sour and the smell is awful, not to mention it attracts flies.


----------



## kitten_Val (Apr 25, 2007)

Yeah, everyone around here soak the beat pulp before feeding it. You can also add veggi or corn oil to her ration (just half-cup to the grain) - it helps with weight a lot too (and adds shiness to the coat  ).


----------



## AussieDaisyGirl (May 21, 2009)

Thank you!!!


----------



## MyBoyPuck (Mar 27, 2009)

I feed beet pulp pellets. I like the pellets because they fluff up much quicker than the other type. Only takes about 15 minutes. My horse didn't like it at first, but will now dive over his paddock fence to get to it now. I've been using it to supplement his diet since May and am just now starting to see a difference.


----------



## Appyt (Oct 14, 2007)

I have been feeding shredded beet pulp for several years now. I do not like feeding grain as none of my horses really need that. I use about a cup dry with a bit of alfalfa pellets in it for my pastured horses, just to keep them happy when I am feeding my 30 yr old blind appy, who is losing his teeth.

He gets 2 large coffee cans(dry measure) of beet pulp, about 1/2 can of alfalfa pellets and 2# of Total Equine 2x a day. He also gets a flake or 2 of chopped(I chop it) prairie hay to keep him busy. I have soaked it in the past as well as rinsed the molasses off of it. Now I simply wet it well before feeding it so the supplements I add to his feed won't blow off. This also helps get a little extra water in him. 

You do not need to soak it to prevent any gut health issues, it will not swell up in the stomache and cause any issues. Once a food hits the horses stomache it begins to be digested, it doesn't just sit there. You also do not need to soak it for hours. Actually this is dangerous as spoilage WILL cause illness in your horse. I have never needed to soak it for more than 30minutes tops when I was soaking. Some horses do bolt their feed and so they may well choke on any feed. While it is true that Beet pulp, alfalfa pellets, or simply pelleted concentrates are often feeds associated with choke, it isn't a given. I like to wet it, so I do.. I have fed it dry and they ate it fine either way. 

You will need to start off slowly with the bp tho as many horses don't want it at first. Usually I start with a bit of dry with the alfalfa pellets. In a few days I may start putting in a bit of wet for several days.. As they develop an interest in it I start increasing the bp. All of my horses will mug me for it now and at least 3 of them used to stick up their noses at it.

Sorry this is so long, just wanted to add that for weight gain I would feed up to a gallon can dry measure once your horse likes it. She may well then eat less hay so you will want to find a balance that works. And a 40# bag goes farther than grain seems to. I am prolly feeding 10# a day to my horses and that's fine with me as it is not a grain, but it is more than simply hay...


----------



## HalfPass (Jun 12, 2009)

Hey everyone,
First of all good for you for rescuing eachother! That is very cool!
Now my friend who has an older mare (arb) has been bugging me to feed my 8 yr old TB beet pulp. Years ago I would feed this to older horses and I did soak it but not for hours and hours.
I recently bought some wheat bran to give to my horse on occasion. I did not get the beet pulp and I am wondering now if I should have.
His diet right now is 1 flake alfalfa and the rest grass hay. He also goes to pasture for a few hours at a time at least two times a week and I also hand graze him for at least 20 minutes after we exercise.
He also gets a small scoop of Safe choice which is something that my dad gave to me when he brought the horse up to me.
Should I be giving him beet pulp?
I can not even remember what the benefits of beet pulp are. I have a book I will look it up. I do know it kinda keeps the gut moving along.
It has been so long since I haad my horse in my possesion that a lot of things have changed as far as nutrician is concerned and feet too.
I am not reall sure I need for my horse to gain weight, but being that I just took out of his diet some of the alfalfa because I think it was a bit much for his hot head, If beet pulp will help he to sustain a good weight then maybe I should by that and add it into his diet slowly.
What do you all think...Send a PM since this is not my thread...
HP
PS...
Ausie Daisy...I just love the photo of you and the horse...So sweet!


----------



## racer179 (Jun 7, 2009)

haha wow, here in saskatchewan, we only pay four bucks for very high quality hay lol, sorry i just had to throw that in


----------



## AussieDaisyGirl (May 21, 2009)

Racer - that is just purely evil that you say that LOL. 

Ok - so I added the soaked beet pulp - about a 3 quart scoop dry, her scoop of safe and sound, scoop of sweet feed, plus her free choice hay.

At any rate - she is still acting hungry. She doesn't normally act hungry except at feeding times.

Ideas???


----------



## flashy (Jun 25, 2009)

cghbuilder86 said:


> Yeah I just started feeding some beet pulp to my horses. Haven't been doing it long enough to know the results. Some say you can feed it dry if you mix it with grain. I prefer to soak mine for about 15 mins to be safe. And then drain all the water and mix it in with the grain. I don't exactly know how much I'll end up feeling though. Right now I'm still building it up slowly. I hope not much though. Because I have three horses and the 40 pound bag I bought cost about $14.00.
> How much do you guys usually pay for Alfalfa pellets? J/w...I have trouble finding good quality ones.


 

Beet pulp should always be soaked! otherwise it can expand in their stomachs and cause some problems, so just remember to soak it before feeding


----------



## Appyt (Oct 14, 2007)

flashy said:


> Beet pulp should always be soaked! otherwise it can expand in their stomachs and cause some problems, so just remember to soak it before feeding


NOT TRUE! 

shady acres

As a fiber source


----------



## Appyt (Oct 14, 2007)

AussieDaisyGirl said:


> Racer - that is just purely evil that you say that LOL.
> 
> Ok - so I added the soaked beet pulp - about a 3 quart scoop dry, her scoop of safe and sound, scoop of sweet feed, plus her free choice hay.
> 
> ...


How much hay is free choice? Is she eating it? Personally I'd ditch the sweet feed.. It's like giving her a candybar.


----------



## AussieDaisyGirl (May 21, 2009)

I give her a 50lb bale of very good quality hay in a rack. She eats it, it's usually gone in about 4 or 5 days.

Ok - I'll scrap the sweet feed. Do I need to replace it with anything? I was mostly using it just to add some weight but if it's a candy bar lol it can go!


----------



## luvs2ride1979 (Nov 9, 2007)

How heavy are your bales? Does she also have grazing time? If she doesn't have much grass or grazing, and your bales are normal 55-65 lb grass hay, then she's really not getting enough hay. A horse should get at least 2% of its body weight a day in forage and/or hay. That's roughly 20 lbs for a 1,000 lb horse. If a 65 lb bale is lasting you a week, then she's getting less than 10 lbs hay a day. That's half the requirement for a horse much smaller than she is. 

To put weight on my 15.2h Anglo Arabian gelding, he was getting 30 lbs of hay a day, so one bale lasted just two days (he didn't have any real grazing to speak of).

For quality calories, I would go with hay pellets over beet pulp. If you're feeding grass hay or Timothy, then Alfalfa pellets are good. If you're feeding Alfalfa or mixed Alfalfa/grass hay, then Timothy pellets or Alfalfa/Bermuda pellets would be best. Hay pellets will give your horse real calories, nutrients, and in the case of Alfalfa pellets, amino acids. Amino acids will help her build real muscle weight, not just put on fat. You can give 3-5 lbs a day of hay pellets as a supplement to forage/hay.

I would also have her on milled flax. 4 oz (by weight) a day for weight gain, 2 oz for maintenance. I use Nutra Flax and have been very happy with it (shipping is free). They will custom blend ingredients for you at the factory. You might ask about adding Yeast and Probiotics, both aid in digestion and weight gain. Omega Horseshine is also a good product.

Check page 2 of this article on good tips for skinny horses.
MyHorse.com - Let Your Horse Eat Hay


----------



## luvs2ride1979 (Nov 9, 2007)

aynelson said:


> I feed Beet Pulp to my horses. It must be soaked for about 2 hours before you give it because if given dry could expand in their GI tract and cause impaction.


That is not true. Beet pulp can be a choke hazard for horses that bolt their food down really fast, but to cause impaction or a stomach issue with dry beet pulp, a horse would have to eat 15+ pounds of it at one sitting.

http://www1.agric.gov.ab.ca/$department/deptdocs.nsf/all/hrs3243#soaked
"Beet pulp may soak up water like a sponge, but it cannot soak up saliva quickly enough to expand in the esophagus and cause choke. Instead, choke associated with beet pulp (particularly the pelleted form) is often in response to the particle size and the horse's aggressive feeding behaviour, rather than the actual feed itself. Horses that bolt their feed without sufficient chewing, or do not have adequate access to water, are far more likely to choke, regardless of the type of feed, compared to horses that eat at a more leisurely rate.

Nor is it likely that dry beet pulp will rupture the horse's stomach. The equine stomach holds 2 to 4 gallons. This volume is equivalent to 4.5 to 9.5 pounds of dry beet pulp, which is more than most horses receive in a single meal. Likewise, most food that enters the stomach passes on to the small intestine within 15 minutes or less—and for those of you who have timed how long it takes beet pulp to expand, it's longer than 15 minutes."

The Myths and Reality of Beet Pulp - Susan Evans Garlinghouse
"Contrary to popular belief, while beet pulp can and usually is soaked prior to feeding, it does not necessarily have to be. In fact, in some management situations, feeding beet pulp dry is the only alternative if beet pulp is to be fed at all. Horses consuming soaked beet pulp in hot weather may be unable to finish off a large portion before it begins to sour and becomes unpalatable. Likewise, horses in cold climates may not be able to finish their soaked beet pulp before it begins to freeze. Research conducted at several universities have fed dry beet pulp in amounts up to 45% of the total diet and saw no instances of choke or other adverse reactions."

Beet Pulp
"If you choose to soak it, it is currently recommended to soak it no longer than 1-2 hours, especially in hot weather, as it can begin to ferment. If soaked beet pulp smells sickly-sweet like wine, it has begun to ferment and should be disposed of."


----------



## luvs2ride1979 (Nov 9, 2007)

AussieDaisyGirl said:


> I give her a 50lb bale of very good quality hay in a rack. She eats it, it's usually gone in about 4 or 5 days.
> 
> Ok - I'll scrap the sweet feed. Do I need to replace it with anything? I was mostly using it just to add some weight but if it's a candy bar lol it can go!


You should put the hay on the ground, or in a ground feeder (a trash can works well, or an old water trough). Eating from the ground is more natural and she'll consume more hay than if it's up in a rack.

I agree on nixing the sweet feed. See if you can find good alfalfa pellets or alfalfa cubes instead.


----------



## Appyt (Oct 14, 2007)

Well, I'd up the beet pulp a bit at a time. LIke I said, I give my appy 2 3# coffee cans 2x a day plus prolly 1/2can alfalfa pellets, plus 2# of total equine, which is a well balanced horse pellet feed that can be fed solely or with hay but is not to be fed with grain.. It is alfalfa based with corn. Very highly digestable, which beet pulp is as well. So they absorb more nutrients and poop less.  Dunno if you can get TE where you are. I like it a lot for my old nag. I don't know why your horse is still acting hungry if he is eating the hay well. Maybe he just loves his dinner..


----------



## AussieDaisyGirl (May 21, 2009)

Thank you for the info!!!!! I feel terrible that I wasn't giving her enough hay! Gosh. 

So - I need to get my hands on alfalfa pellets. There's got to be a good feed store somewhere around here. If I get those, plus up her hay, do I cut out the safe and sound or leave it as is?


----------

