Beet pulp

[Alan]

My wife has started giving 3 of our horses beet pulp nightly, a Paint, a QH, and her TB (sounds like a bad joke). I see no changes in the Paint or the QH. But her TB has gone from a well mannered horse to a hot knuckle head. No other changes in diet.

Has anyone had experiences with beet pulp making a horse hot?

Thanks,
Alan

 

[Kelly]

I feed beet pulp everyday to a couple of my horses. They do not seem hot at all. How much beet pulp are they getting? Is she soaking it or is it in a feed? Could it be some other change with him? I know beet pulp is considered low sugar and higher in fiber so I don't know what would be in it that would make him hot.

 

[Linda]

I have a question about beet pulp. Beet pulp isn't normally fed to horses in our area. However, one of our horses needs added fiber in his diet when he's on alfalfa hay, or he tends to colic. Right now I can't find any grass hay in our area, so he's getting alfalfa. I found a sack of beet pulp pellets but he refuses to eat them. What does the beet pulp you folks buy for your horses look like?

 

[cowgal]

It looks like shredded cardboard, but tastes sweeter. Very dry and some tend to soak it before feeding (which seems like a good idea)

 

[Alan]

Cow gal is right, it looks like shredded cardboard pressed into pellets. But adding water to it and letting sit is a must (IMO). If you pour 2 inches of beet pulp in the botom of a bucket and fill the bucket a little over half full of water the next morning you'll end up with an oatmeal like substance (darker), but very little water showing. The fact that it expands that way tells me, and others around here that use it, there is a real risk of it swelling in the horses throat and getting stuck without adding water to it and letting "swell" .

Our horses don't like it plain, won't eat it, but mix some grain or molassas in it and they love it. Not only is it a great fiber source but it a great way to add fluids to their diet, prevention of colic, keep weight on during long trailer trips, etc.

I wouldn't think that it would make our TB hot, but he has been off beet pulp for the last 2 days and he is back to normal, were I fill he has been hot since he has been on it. Does not effect our other horses, but one won't eat it no matter what we do, and he loves soaked rice bran (?)

Alan

 

[Linda]

Thanks for the replies. I'll look into finding some beet pulp.

 

[ArrowHBrand]

We have fed shredded beet pulp to our show stock very successfully. Usually we mix it into their feed dry with no ill effects. Also beet pulp can be used as a forage substitute when you are getting low on hay, up to 50% of their daily forage intake.

 

[DrumRunner728]

Alan, I feed beet pulp (the shaved variety that we soak in water before feeding) to my 26 year old stallion along with his Equine Senior feed. He loves it and it seems to give him that little extra something that he needs at his age. I also feed it to my 18 year old Thoroughbred broodmare along with her feed when she is nursing a foal. It definitely makes a difference in body weight, but I've never had it make a horse hot. I can't imagine what's in the beet pulp that might make your wife's horse react that way.

 

[CopeMan]

Beet pulp can work wonders on heavey and coughing horses also. We add it to there feed to add a little weight also.