Why beet pulp is good for horses




















Shreds soak far more quickly than pellets. A good general rule that results in a good consistency of finished soaked feed is one part beet pulp to two parts water. You should weigh your pellets dry because weight at the end once soaked will vary with the amount of water you added.

Plus, a pound of dry beet pulp is far more nutrient dense than a pound of wet beet pulp, which is nearly all water. Shreds swell and absorb water more quickly than pellets.

You can put shreds in a bucket, add water and go ride and they will be ready to feed by the time you return in barely an hour. To speed up pellets soak them in hot water; just make sure it has cooled before feeding. Soaked beet pulp typically remains good for about a day; however, in hot, humid climates it might go bad in less than 24 hours. If it smells like wine or vinegar, it has spoiled and should not be fed.

As for amount to feed, this will depend on your horse. Also, if you have an easy keeper, remember that beet pulp provides more calories per pound than an equal amount of grass hay. As such, it compliments traditional grains such as oats that tend to have low calcium and higher phosphorus levels. However, because it is not a fortified feed, a mineral and vitamin supplement will be needed to insure adequate intakes of trace minerals and necessary vitamins, such as vitamin E. As a nutritionist she works with all equids, from WEG competitors to Miniature donkeys and everything in between.

Growing up, she competed in a wide array of disciplines and was an active member of the U. Pony Club. Today, she serves as the district commissioner for the Salt River Pony Club. You must be logged in to post a comment. Favorite Share:. I have some questions about feeding beet pulp. Is it a forage or concentrate? Should it have added molasses or should it be plain? Should it be in flake- or pellet-form? How much should a horse eat per pound of body weight, and do you measure it with the beet pulp soaked or un-soaked?

What supplements should be included if any to ensure balanced nutrition? About The Author. Leave a reply Cancel reply You must be logged in to post a comment. You may need to switch to another product, or add a supplement such as Empower Boost or other high-fat rice bran product to add calories to her daily feeding program, to help get her up to weight. As for the switch-over process and worrying about colic, there is no need to worry!

For a feed recommendation, you could try using Empower Balance, our ration balancer, as your base feed, and then supplementing the two that need extra calories with Empower Boost. SafeChoice Special Care would also make a great base feed — simply follow the feeding directions for the different horses, and use the very low end of the range for the easy keepers, and the higher end of the range for the harder keepers.

They all are separated for feedings. They are doing pretty well, but I think they can do better. What should I do? Should I add the beet pulp? I have 7 horses…. Hi Emily, Thanks for the question. What your current diet may be lacking, is quality protein for overall improved muscle mass, and calories. We would suggest a single, balanced feed approach, rather than mixing a variety of products together.

Our first suggestion would be SafeChoice Original. Hope this helps! Let us know if you have more questions. I have a 20 yr old TB mare that has always been a very easy keeper. It started with her being restricted to her stall for 3 months with hand grazing.

We just moved her, so now she has a round bale available while she is in the field. She gets grained 2 a day. And Hay over night in her stall. I am guessing too much protein? What can I give her to fatten her up some? Thanks for your help. Hi Jamie! Good question. We need to start at the stall floor, and look and see if she is passing too much of the sweet feed in her manure. So you will need your mares body weight.

Click here to find out how to weigh your horse without a scale. Then you will need to weigh your horses daily hay ration. So if your mare weighs pounds, she should be consuming 16 pounds of hay per day. That is total consumption, do not include what is wasted in the stall. Your feed tag will then give you the appropriate feed rate for your horse, based on activity level. As an example, if the tag says 1 pound per pounds of body weight for an idle mature horse, you will need to feed 8 pounds per day for proper fortification.

This is where the better fortified feeds are a better value, because the feed rate is much lower. Empower balance is highly palatable and will provide a good quality source of calories for your mare. Read the feed rate on the product based again on your horses weight and body condition. Thank you for contacting Nutrena.

Please feel free to contact us if you have additonal questions. Thanks for your response. She gets 3 flakes in her stall at night. She just had her teeth done about 9 months ago. I have not noticed any change in her manure.

We were following the guidlines on the bag, but had to cut it way back as she was urinating a lot more, which I read could be do to excessive protein. Thus we cut back the Nutrena Senior feed.

I was wondering in beet pulp would be something to add to her diet? Hello Tonia, Thanks for the question, and for helping out your horse! The diet you are describing is fairly low in calories, and may also be lacking in quality protein, which would help him develop muscle mass.

We would suggest changing to a balanced diet of a product similar in nature to SafeChoice. The added vitamins and minerals will also support his overall health, helping him look and feel better all over. I had two extremely skinny horses. Very very skinny.. Well things got far worse and I then started my research.. I found the perfect mix of feed and these horses look so great, plump and different now only after a month of starting my feeding regimen.

I give them both about 10 lbs of dry purina equine senior per day and about 6 lbs of dry weighed shredded beet pulp along with two cups of rice bran per day. They also get 5 flakes of orchard each day. These horses are both approximately 19 years old.

I break it into two feedings each day. I think I have achieved about lb weight gain on my cushings horse and much greater on the skinny rescue horse who was just skin and bones. They both now look totally normal!! No sad bony ribs or bony rumps!! Just a round shape all around!! I also had their teeth floated and wormed them to begin with. This diet truly works!!! Just remember to go about any changes in feed slowly.

Give hem about a week to get used to any change or increase in feed. Hey Lori — Thanks for the comment. What feed from Nutrena is equivalent to Purina Equine Senior? I have been wanting to switch my horses to this brand slowly after hearing good things about consistency in quality as Purina looks slightly different from time to time. It seems that we do have a local dealer for it in my city although I had thought we did not.

Also, what is the best way to make the switch? Hi … My question for all you readers is: I have a 23 year old TW. Have had him for 4 years now and was diagnosed with Cushings 3 years ago. He is UTD on vaccines, dewormed every two months, teeth floated last year with one being removed, also just had his teeth done again this week. I feed him senior feed mixed in with wet Beet Pulp twice a day. He normally has a harder time keeping weight on during the winter months but this year he has lost more than normal.

I am looking to add some weight on him but without having to spend an arm and a leg. Thanks in advance for all of your input.

Hi Maureen, Thanks for reading our blog, and this is a great question. So, you may simply need to either try to get more in to him, or look for a better quality, higher calorie hay. Second to that, try simply adding 1 to 2 more pounds per day of his Senior feed.

This can offer a nice boost in calories, without having to mess with additional supplements or throwing the nutrient balance of his diet out of whack. We find horse owners are often surprised by how little they are giving when they actually weigh it out with a kitchen scale. Hope this helps — please do let us know if you have more questions!

Okay so I have become very worried about my two horses. I have an 8 year old and and 18year old that are very hard to keep weight on year round. Hello Samantha, Thanks for contacting us! That may mean feeding an additional time during the day, or simply adding another flake or two per feeding. Your horses should be receiving 1. You can always weigh flakes from your bales to be sure of how much you are feeding.

Second, we would encourage you to look at the fat level of the sweet feed you are using. Traditional sweet feeds are usually only around 2. This will result in a significant increase in calorie intake.

Also, when purchasing a quality feed with added fat, the overall nutrient balance of the feed will be much better than adding beet pulp to a sweet feed — resulting in better overall health and condition in your horses. We would suggest a product such as Vitality sweet feed or SafeChoice pelleted feed. I have a 3yr old rescued mare that was emaciated when I got her and her 1 yr old filly. The filly is still nursing which Im sure is why the mare is having trouble gaining weight.

Shes put on some since I got her, but not enough. Ive tried weaning the filly with much difficulty. Im actually looking for a new home for her so I can concentrate on the mare. What can I feed her to help her gain weight? Hello Rena, Thank you for contacting us. You are correct in trying to get the filly weaned off — it will be better for both for that to be done.

Since the mare had a foal at such a young age, she likely also missed out on some key nutrition for her own development, which might make her a challenge regardless. For the mare, you will want her on a high quality, high calorie diet. First and foremost — lots of quality hay, as much as she will eat, and keep it in front of her around the clock. Second, select a grain product for her. A senior horse feed is often selected as the best option for horses that have been starved.

Make sure you feed according to the directions on the tag, for her bodyweight and activity level. You can even feed for one activity level higher than what she is actually doing, in order to help her put on weight. It may seem like a lot of feed, but she has a lot of catching up to do.

Try to break it up in to several meals per day, if possible with your schedule. You could try our senior horse feeds as mentioned, or SafeChoice Original would also be an excellent option. Good luck, and let us know if you have any further questions!

I give him a lot of hay— over a bale a day— as well as rice bran pellets with corn oil. Can you set me straight on this? Hello Webb, You have an interesting situation on your hands.

We have a few suggestions for you: 1. Hay — for a draft size horse, depending on what your hay bales weigh, he very well may need more hay. A horse should get 1. Weigh 4 or 5 of your bales to see what they are on average, and you can see if he is getting enough.

Then, keep him at that amount until he gains the weight back, and then you can begin to scale his diet to where he maintains his condition, and stops eating your trees! Make sure you are providing free choice salt. He may be chewing trees out of a deficiency of some sort. Salt bricks are OK, but are designed for cattle, which have rough tongues and are able to get more from a brick. Loose salt is best — you should be able to purchase this at any feed store. If he is salt starved, you may want to limit him the first week or so, or he may over-consume.

A horse should get oz of salt per day. You can allow a few extra ounces per day to get him back in to proper consumption. We would suggest a balanced feed for him, versus beet pulp — as mentioned in the original blog post, beet pulp is an unbalanced ingredient, and is not desirable for use as a sole feed, especially for long-term use.

I have a 18 year old TB. He has lost weight, and you can see his ribs and hips. If i add 1 quart of beet pulp twice per day will that help him gain weight? Both horses are regularly wormed. Hello Sharon, Thanks for the question. You are likely on to something with the quality of hay — if you can get it tested, that would be a good starting point. You may need to find another source, or at a minimum, increase the amount of hay you are giving.

A small decrease in the calories per pound of the hay, can add up to a big decrease in total calorie intake, due to the number of pounds of hay a horse eats in a day. Aside from increasing the hay, you can also look at supplementing with feed. You can try beet pulp, although we would recommend using a balanced feed, such as our SafeChoice Senior , instead — beet pulp is not a very balanced option when compared to the needs of the horse.

Whatever change you make, make sure to add it to the diet slowly, over the course of days, to ensure a smooth transition. Work up to an additional pounds per day, and hold there for a month or so to evaluate changes, and then adjust from there as needed. I have a 25 year old Quarter horse and he is a great horse. In this past summer, I have noticed a change in his weight. He has been getting pretty skinny the past few months. How long does it usually take until the beet pulp starts to take effect?

Hi Kaity, Thanks for the question. It really depends on how much you are feeding him, and also the quality of the pasture he is on. You may also need to start supplementing hay for the pasture — especially if you are in one of the areas affected by drought this year. We would suggest increasing the amount of feed he receives by 1 or 2 pounds, holding that for a few weeks to see if any change results, and then increasing again by the same amount and time frame, until you find the desired feeding level.

We would also suggest looking at a more balanced feeding program than beet pulp. A senior feed, such as SafeChoice Senior or any other product available in your area, can be more beneficial in the long run to his health and condition. I just wanted to add in response to someone saying why even mess with it when you can buy products with all the right balances with beet pulp already in it, and that may work for the average or normal horse.

However I have a horse with liver problems and as she is older now she needs more calories but high fat and high protein content are not processed properly and lead to health issues. I have an 11yr old 16h walking horse,he needs some weight I will put him on beet pulp,my question is what feed can I put him on that is very low in sugar,he gets to hyped up on feed that has sugar in it. Thanks for your question! Nearly any of the SafeChoice options could work for your gelding, depending on what his body condition score and activity level is.

All SafeChoice feeds are designed with controlled starch and sugar, fortified with prebiotics and probiotics and have guaranteed quality proteins.

You can use the handy reference tool here. Also, as a reminder he should be fed good quality hay at a rate of As an example, for a 1, pound horse, that would be Once you confirmed he is being fed adequate amounts of quality hay, adding a concentrate that is high in fats, fibers and fortified with balanced micronutrients will help him gain weight and muscle.

Is there anything I can add to it that it will be safe and put weight on him. If not, is anything I can give him, Thanks. Hi Lauren, Thanks for the question. Beet pulp is not an overall balanced feed, so we would suggest finding a commercially available product that contains high levels of fat, as well as balanced protein, vitamins, and minerals to aid in overall health and body condition.

A product such as SafeChoice Original , or something similar that you can get from your local feed store, should fit the bill nicely! Make sure you feed according to the directions on the tag, to ensure the horse receives the intended nutrients for his size and activity level.

I have a 5 yr old Apha mare. She gets her weight checked every few weeks and is currently lbs with a low body score. Hello Danni, Thanks for the question. While you may be getting enough calories in her, the current diet is likely lacking in quality protein sources. To get a horse to gain weight, you often have to feed for one activity level higher than their actual activity, in order to provide enough calories to go beyond maintaining their weight in to gaining.

Once she has reached the appropriate weight on the higher amounts of SafeChoice Perform, then you can begin to scale back the amount being fed until you find the level she maintains at. The black oil sunflower seeds really provide an inconsequential amount of calories, and not much in the way of protein, and the beet pulp is also a very poor source of protein and minerals — it mainly provides fiber along with the calories.

We hope this information is helpful, and wish you the best in getting your mare to gain weight and condition! I have a 10 year old TB gelding about lbs. He is currently getting 6qts of Triple Crown Senior a day, plenty of hay, teeth are good, exercise has increased to moderate riding on trails and doing ring work.

He is also on weight builder, and haystretcher and I am giving him beet pulp 3x week mixed with grain as an extra meal. I really need to get some weight on him with winter coming. Someone recommended changing his feed to SafeChoice, it worked well for their TB. Hello Gary, You are very wise to be addressing your horses weight prior to the winter months. You are on the right track with the beet pulp ad well, but prefer to use a feed that already had it balanced in the ration.

Not to mention we want a balance of amino acids which are important to prevent topline depletion— muscle mass. I would highly recommend the safe choice perform at a feed rate of 3pounds x 3 feedings per day. You will need to make this adjustment over days. Please take some before and after photos. We would love to see your progress!! I have a 16 year old gelding that we use for team roping and trail riding.

He is kept on pasture year round. We live in the south so there are many things in our environment that he is allergic to…alfalfa being one of them. Before his diagnosis we fed Total Equine and alfalfa hay.

When on the alfalfa he had a beautiful coat, nice topline and was well muscled…now he has lost his topline and muscle tone and he has little energy. I have read positive reviews on the Platinum Performance supplement and the Platinum Allergy supplement so I am considering changing supplements to see if it will help with my horses allergies and ROA.

We currently wet my horses hay to keep the dust down but I am considering changing him to a complete feed or adding beet pulp and eliminating his hay. What would you suggest for his diet? Dear Kathy, Thank you for your interesting question. Sorry to hear that you are having some RAO issues and allergy issues with your 16 year old team roping and trail riding gelding.

I would expect that the total energy content of the diet is also down a bit, which is contributing to the loss of body condition and perhaps lack of energy. The current diet is going to be pretty low in starch and sugar, so glycogen repletion might be an issue on the energy side. I am assuming dental care and de-worming are all taken care of at this time.

If not, make sure that is addressed. What your horse may be telling us is that he needs more protein with a balance of essential amino acids, more Calories coming from; a mix of starch, sugar and fat preferably with a source of Omega 3 fatty acids to help control allergic response. Muscle mass is driven by the intake of balanced essential amino acids in the protein, body condition and energy are driven by Calories from balances sources.

You may want to consider the following: 1. Continue feeding the Bermuda grass hay. Make sure you are getting early cut hay so it is fairly fine textured if possible. Feed at least 1. If available, there are some good Triple Crown Products as well. Assuming your horse weighs lbs, you would be feeding lbs per day.

You may need to work up to higher level to get weight gain, then cut back when you get the muscle mass and body condition back.

You may also want to consider a high fat, high Omega 3 product. In our line, that would be Empower Boost. If you feel muscle mass is not coming quickly enough, you might consider Progressive Top Line or comparable product. I feed all my horses a mix that has worked great over all the years that I have been keeping my horses at home. They get Senior Feed, Hay stretcher pellets, and since i soak my horses feeds i have whole oats in there as well found that if you put the oats in there the mushy feed does not stick to the sides of the bucket making it easier to eat and of course hay.

My other bonus of the oats is that i mix this all together in a big tub so that i just have to scoop it out and mixing the other stuff with the senior feed keeps the senior feed from turning into a giant clump in the winter.

Be careful with beet pulp. It needs to be pre-soaked, and is highly fermentable. We do not recommend beet pulp to our clients. There are safer and better alternatives from highly respected nutrition companies such as Nutrena that provide the weight gain needed and a balanced diet. Her wt in her prime was around lb In the past she would lose wt in the winter, but put it back on in the summer. Right now she is thin and I am worried about her.

We feed her purina senior, amplify, a flake of bagged alfalfa twice a day and free choice local hay. Friends have suggested sunflower seeds and beet pulp. I have no experience with these last two.

She gets the amount suggested on the feed bags. She does not drop feed when she eats so I think her teeth are ok. They all are wormed with safeguard every months. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Hello Laurie, Thanks for the question!

She sounds like a lovely pony, no matter what your husband says! In regards to her diet, she is simply getting old, and will require a few more calories per day to keep up. I would strongly suggest simply increasing her current diet quantity, particularly on the senior feed, rather than introducing beet pulp or anything else.

Another pound or so per day might make all the difference. Best of luck to you and the Princess! Gina T. We love beet pulp at our farm! Beet pulp is an excellent supplement to feeding programs.

My older gelding has very few teeth left and has cushings. We also feed 12lb of safe choice senior soaked in divided feedings. We are having a much easier time keeping weight on him and he is much happier having something to munch on since he can no longer eat long stem hay. The Jurga Report. Equine Disease Alerts. Properties for Sale. Our Sister Sites. American Cowboy. Dressage Today. Practical Horseman. The Team Roping Journal. Stable Management. The Trail Rider.

Equine Network Store. A Home for Every Horse. Hope in the Saddle. World Series of Team Roping. Fact 1: Beet pulp provides a type of fiber that offers unique nutritional advantages. Good Things About Husbands. What you need to know about "rhino". Should You Feed Beet Pulp? Are you making your horse cough?



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