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Beet pulp - what does your horse think?

When I was at the barn today, another boarder had brought out a warm beet pulp mash (no molasses) and kept in a cooler to keep it warm since it’s pretty cold here this time of year.

I walked my mare by and she just HAD to sniff this cooler like it was manna from heaven. She was trying so hard to figure out how to break into it to find the food inside. So, the other boarder offered her a handful to see what she’d think and she inhaled it immediately and started looking for more.

Apparently my horse loves beet pulp. Who knew? Maybe I’ll have to start making a little as a treat for her in the winter (not that she needs extra food)…

My guy gets a small amount of BP as a carrier for his vitamin/mineral supplement and flax meal. Total volume after soaking and adding supplements is about 4c. He prefers it a tad soupy and licks his bowl clean. :yes:

He is also an easy keeper, but BP isn’t terribly high in calories, roughly 1000 calories/lb - similar to alfalfa pellets, but less protein.

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Lol my horse hates to walk by anything that remotely resembles a bucket without sticking his head inside - even if it’s just a trash can. He eats beet pulp though I wouldn’t say he’s more enthusiastic about it than anything else, and I don’t feed it because I prefer feeds that don’t need time to soak.

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I soak it for my 3 horses twice a day. They adore it. My house is not even 50 yards from the barn, so I keep the beet pulp pellets inside and prep the next batch after feeding. They get it hot in the cold weather.

My mare enjoys beet pulp as the basis for a mash that carries her mineral supplements, but she definitely prefers it with a few alfalfa cubes for flavor.

I can’t say I’ve ever seen a horse who liked beet pulp visibly more than any other foods. I have seen plenty that hate it.
Personally I don’t have any use for it, there are other things I like much better for weight gain and/or fiber intake.

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My horse’s think its poison so won’t touch beet pulp no matter how it’s served.

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Beet pulp is digested in the hindgut like forage. It’s a useful carrier for supplements and as a base for a mash with oats. It grows a lot when you soak it, and makes the horse think they’ve gotten a substantial meal.

It can also be a way to get more water into a horse.

If you were feeding the recommended amount of a fortified feed, I don’t think there’d be much reason to feed beet pulp (but it might well be an ingredient!).

Some horses don’t like wet food. Or if they are OK with mashes, they may prefer them moist not soupy. They may like a warm mash or a cold one.

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My boys both get beep with their meals twice a day. Both weren’t sure what to think of it at first, but now inhale it. It’s great especially in winter for getting more water into them if they don’t drink well.

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Standard portion of my horses’ feed. They like it.

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mine love it in the winter. I keep it in the house so it’s warm and toasty. It is a great way to feed vitamins, supplements etc. In the winter when it gets really cold, I think it’s great to keep them warm in addition to hay.

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My TB mare goes crazy for it - I wonder if she had prior experience with it because the first time I prepared it for another horse in my barn she wanted it BIG TIME. I had to start making some for her because she went crazy if I didn’t. My Cushings pony does not think it’s food. I wish he did because it would be good for him and possibly a way to hide meds. But nope.

are you guys feeding beet pulp with or without molasses? I’ve heard that the Beet pulp with molasses doesn’t add much to the sugar content but makes it more palatable. I have a horse who will eat it one day but not the next.

Without…

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Mine gets it to carry her supplements, she isn’t super hot on it but will eat it when mixed with a handful of chaff. Our pony gets a tiny bit to make him think he’s getting something when big sis gets her supplements, he devours it but he’s a typical pony and loves all food types.

Without molasses. Really it has very little flavor just a slightly sweet slightly earthy taste.

When my mare was living on pasture for the summer, she wouldn’t touch her beet pulp unless I added a few alfalfa cubes.

I like it as a mash because it grows so much, and seems to fill her up. Two small cups (500 ml dry) expands after its soaked to fill her whole feed pan.

if I need to get more calorie dense feed into a horse, I might not choose this.

No molasses, hot water to make soupy. Will add a handful grain and supplements. They both love it. have used beet pulp with all of my horses.

No molasses, but a cup of TC Senior along with vitamins. I used beet pulp pellets, but switched to shredded, and make up baggies in advance. At the barn I dump in pan, add cold water from hose, and then do whatever I am going to do. The beet pulp is fully expanded by the time I am ready to serve

Some of mine like it, others not so much. I am not using it currently but when I have it’s been the pellets. Lots of water and no molasses. I no longer use the shreds as I had a horse choke on it which led to colic. The pieces are significantly smaller in the pellets.

It may vary by brand, but I know the one Southern States carries has virtually no difference in sugar content between the two. My old TB loved it, especially with molasses, and his hard keeper self did well on it. Current fatboy likes it too, but he likes everything that isn’t tied down in addition to his half-pound of ration balancer which he considers a starvation diet…