Beet Pulp..."Filler" only or good for weight gain too?

[Erica]

Mona,

I feed the Om. 200 as well.....I have another Purina grain I mix with the ones that like it; but I have a few that detest it and much rather just have the Om. 200.

Not saying what I do is the way to go, but I can vouch that in 13yrs of breeding these little guys I have not had a single case of colic (other than I did have one on a horse I I bought that we opened up and had a hugh crystalized/mineralized mass of an enterolith in him, and I had only had him 7 months, so had been a preexisting issue with him as it was grapefruit sized and no forgein material in it)

Have only had one case of founder and this was on a horse not getting a lick of grain, a gelding that foundered out in pasture.

It's hard to get enough calories in them, when they are doing this......they are exerting a lot more effort/burning calories than the "ideal" feeding has listed on the bag IMO.

If he'd eat it you could put some corn oil/veg oil in his sloppy beet pulp mix, it would add some fat/calories to his diet.

 

[Becky]

Mona, after reading the information on Purina's website regarding Amplify, I believe it is a high fat type of ration balancer much like Progressives' Hi Fat Balancer that I have used here. No other type of grain is necessary when feeding it. It can be fed along with beet pulp and hay, either alfalfa or grass.

I will say that I have had excellent results using alfalfa hay to put weight on thin horses. It has the calories and the right balance of vitamins/minerals a thin horse needs.

 

[mizbeth]

Mona,

I have had problems like this over the years with stallions pacing the weight off during breeding season. It sounds like you are feeding him well.

What I have done is put "one mare" with them and they will stop the pacing. Is that a possibility for you and could be worth a try?

Good luck in any case, I know it is frustrating to watch them pace and lose weight like that. One year I had to "hide" one of my stallions he was so thin, then I tried someones advise and put a mare with him..........and have been doing each year now. It does seem to effect the younger stallions more than the older ones I think.

Beth

 

[minie812]

Erica, what type of grain are you feeding along with the beet pulp? If I was feeding something that was not a premixed, balanced feed, I would sure feed as much as it would take, but I am new to using this type of feed, and am afraid to increase so much over the amount they say. I am already WAAAY past the recommended portions, so don't want to push my luck and do damage to my horse.

Laurie, I am not feeding anything other than the Omolene and grass. I do not feed hay at this tiome of year, as the horses don't eat it. They are all in grassy pens and graze, and will not even eat the hay once the grass starts to grow. Thanks for posting that link on Beet Pupl...a very informative article!

Marty, no, putting a mare in with him will not solve the problem. Been there, done that, and he will still worry over the rest of the mares.

Becky and mini812...is Amplify just a supplement that needs to be fed in addition to the regular feed? I read the info at the link you provided Becky, and it sounds like it is a feed, and should replace what he is on, rather than giving it in addition to?? Also, if given in addition to regular feed, how much would I feed? I hate the way their site is geared towards large horses only!

Liz, do you have a link to that "Cool Calories" product?

I add the Amplify in addition to Platform. He gets about 3 cups Platform and 1 cup Amplify. I mix this with small amount of soaked beet bulp & soaked Alfalfa cubes and he loves it. This is fed twice a day and he is finally putting weight back on. He has a beautiful coat and is turning into muscle where he wasn't as muscled before. Remember that he is 18 yrs old also. As the breeding season winds down I will decrease the Amplify and adjust. This is also working on a yearling stud colt that is also a hard keeper. This works for Fiesta and it is gradual weight back on too.

 

[maranatha minis]

What about yearlings and lactating mares? How to keep them at least not skinny, or eamciated looking? I have heard they need protien? I feed 12%, more than that they get diarhea. what can i do for them?

 

[HGFarm]

I was always told to up the forage feed of a horse that is a hard keeper (hay, grass, whatever) rather than the grain. Also, grain can make a horse very hyper.. wouldn't that be defeating the purpose of putting on weight to calm them down by giving them more grain? If I gave mine grain on a regular basis, they would be climbing the walls- I up the hay if they look like they need to add more.

You mentioned yours wont eat hay because of the grass, but perhaps substitute some of that high energy grain for something else may help??

I forgot about the calf manna- excellent product too!

 

[whitney]

Man I WISH I had this problem........................

The only experience I have is with a Thoroughbred dressage horse we switched him from a ton of whole oats to beet pulp and he plumped right up.

 

[Russ]

Mona, I'm not a nutrition expert but have had good results with feeding soaked beet pulp. I think the beet pulp stays in the gut long enough to help bind the other sources of protein and thus utilize it better in digestion. Now, I don't know if that's true or I just had good luck but it has worked with my pacer.

I think ground flax(adds good fat/calories and is very small amount daily to his grain or pulp) and alfalfa either hay or pellets is also a good way to add some healthy weight/ because protein builds muscle.

Also a good trace mineral either loose or block form with a plain white salt block offered free choice. With a hard keeper make sure you find a mineral block that has a broad spectrum of minerals in it. I've noticed since I switched brands.......they seem to be more content and has helped tone down the "hyperness".

 

[disneyhorse]

HGFarm... adding grain to a horse's diet may or may not make them more "hyper." If they aren't USING the grain you give them, they will be hyper because the body wants to use those calories you just gave it.

However, you have to supply the body with calories (grain is a concentrated form of calories compared to forage hays) if the body is demanding it. Otherwise you get a thin horse. This horse is pacing due to other factors other than feed, so needs feed to keep up with the caloric demands the horse is putting upon itself.

Andrea

 

[HGFarm]

Ah, gotcha Andrea! Guess that makes sense too.

 

[LisaF.]

Mizbeth...I forgot to add that in my post. I also try to do my best to keep at least one mare with my stallion. That seems to help the pacing alot also.

 

[rabbitsfizz]

I agree but keeping a mare with a stallion is not always an option.

I just googled Calf Manna (again

) as we do not have it here, but, honestly, if you can get full fat Soya, that would seem to do as well, have more fat and be an awful lot cheaper!

And BTW, ONE mare does not cut it for Carlos, as he can count!!!

He wants them ALL and especially, he wants the ones he can't have

 

[Mona]

Thanks again for the information.

Erica, I am glad to hear that all is OK with your feeding your horses so much. I guess I can try up[ping his grain some more. I was just scared to, since they say to only increase by 10%, and I am new to feeding these "complete/balanced" type grain mixes.

He readily eats the corn oil in his grain, and I think I will also up the amount, as well as adding beet pulp. I also know that the amount I am feeding is not alot in the big scheme of things, as I had to really pour the grain to another 1/2 brother of his I once owned that was also a bad pacer. I was feeding him about 10-12 cups twice a day, but it was something called "dairy ration" and it was formulated especially for a well balanced diet for horses. It was with that horse that I tried putting mares in with him, and he still paced for the others he could see, so it didn't really help at all, and thus the reason I am hesitant to try it now with this guy. I will also see about getting some of that "Amplify" stuff. Thanks again to all!

OOPS, just thought of one more thing...this "calf manna"...who makes it? Can it be found at pretty much any feed store? I assume it is actually a cattle grain for calves?

 

[chandab]

OOPS, just thought of one more thing...this "calf manna"...who makes it? Can it be found at pretty much any feed store? I assume it is actually a cattle grain for calves?

MannaPro makes it. Here's their website: http://www.mannapro.com/

Link to equine products: http://www.mannapro.com/equine.htm

Direct link to Calf-manna: http://www.mannapro.com/calf-manna.htm

Calf-Manna has been around for like 70 years, it came out in the 30s. [i guess it could be considered a ration balancer.]

 

[Dandy]

Boy, I am sure glad someone put this post on here as I am going through the same problem. I bought a stallion last fall. He is a very refined horse and just will not hardly eat. We have started putting him up at night and out with the girls during the day, but it takes him all night to eat and then he doesn't eat it all. If I leave him with the girls, they eat all the grain. I feed Vitality 12%, but he doesn't like it. He won't eat Alpha Oats either. He doesn't much like beet pulp. I'm hoping that this fall, he will get back to eating. I only have 3 mares that he has to worry about. I hate for anyone to see him like this!

 

[Sue S]

I have 3 big horses that are hard keepers in the winter, we feed them oats, corn and sweet grain with veg. oil and beet pulp, it helps them alot besides their hay.

 

[Sue S]

I also feed them beet pulp, I would of put this on other post but I keep getting this thing saying that loading please wait, so I wait and wait and my machine freezes up. When did this loading thing start??