Beet pulp VS Bran mash

[lovable minis]

I am thinking of adding one to my feeding plan. Was told Bran is good for the bred mare. Looking for advice.

 

[minih]

I would choose beet pulp! I have been using it now for a couple of years and love what I get from it. I did before that for a year use a bran mash. Was not really excited in any way shape or form what I got out of it, and quit because I had heard some horror stories about it. I like how my horses look with the beet pulp.

 

[nootka]

Do some research about the bran. I think beet pulp is a far better choice of feed supplements, but again, you should double check what else you are feeding to make sure you aren't creating an imbalance (though I think the risk of that is greater w/bran than beet pulp).

Liz M.

 

[rabbitsfizz]

Bran on a regular basis is not a good idea - it leeches vitamins from the animal. Bran as a one off has little to be said for it, either, as there is, apparently absolutely no proof it helps digestion!! I have not used bran for years, and I do not have it so it is no longer an option. If I want bulk without food value I use chaff, otherwise I use grain- after foaling I will give a feed + electrolytes and honey, a fair bit of bulk and chaff in there as well- if the mare is OK it is just nice for her and gives her a bit of a lift (It also helps keep her still so the foal can find the spigots!!)

If she is a bit colicky I can bung pain killers in it too and it smells so good I have felt like eating it myself (Oh GO ON- it's most likely 2 am, I'm freezing cold and always hungry- ANYTHING smells good!!

: )

 

[Robin_C]

For years and years bran mashes were fed to horses/broodmares for the perceived laxative effect. Modern research has disproven this "benefit" of wheat bran. What was thought to be laxative-induced loose manure caused by the wheat bran is now known to be from the fibrous "bulk" provided by the wheat bran, the added water from the mash, and possibly even a slight digestive upset resulting in mild "colic" due to sudden change in feed.

Wheat bran in and of itself is not horrible to add to the feed, but it should only be added when one thinks about the diet as a whole. Ask yourself "WHY" you are contemplating adding any new (or for that matter, changing any old) item to the diet. What are you trying to achieve? And will your selection achieve that goal without causing an imbalance in the rest of the diet? And, as with any other feed item, it should be introduced slowly and then fed on a daily basis to maintain the microbes in the gut which digest that particular item (the gut microbes that digest wheat bran...or any item...will start dying off within 24 hours of the absence of that particular item).

Let's take my rescue dwarf as an example. I feed him a small handful of wheat bran per day. He is the only horse I own, of 24, that gets wheat bran added to his diet. When I ask myself "Why?", here are the answers:

1) He only eats alfalfa hay due to his bad bite and that is the easiest for him to pick up and chew. Alfalfa hay has a lot of calcium in it. (He is also just a little bit spoiled

: )

2) The main portion of his diet is wet beet pulp -- also easy for him to chew and digest. He has bad feet and probably a little metabolic syndrome, so I want to avoid a high grain diet.

3) He has trouble digesting fiber. This is evidenced by a great deal of bloating and highly active gut sounds. He has the typical bloated/big dwarf belly, but I can tell when he is extra-bloated. For that reason I want all of his fiber to be highly digestible. He also is on Yea-Sacc (yeast) to help with his digestion of fiber.

I feed the wheat bran to:

1) be a fiber source - I want things moving through his gut constantly given that he is a dwarf with an abnormal belly to start with.

2) to help balance his high calcium diet (wheat bran is higher in phosphorus than calcium).

Why don't I use rice bran or monosodium phosphate to bring the calciumhosphorus ratio back to normal? Rice bran is out because he doesn't need the extra fat. He needs to be kept lean due to his musculoskeletal issues and hoof problems. Re: monosodium phosphate -- it just plain tastes bad and he is a very picky eater. So I use wheat bran as my phosphorus source. He gets it on a daily basis, not intermittently.

On the other hand, there is plenty of opinion in the literature which states that most horses will do just fine receiving an occasional bran mash. After all, horsemen have been giving these for decades and there has been no mass die-off of equines from it!

: If it makes you feel good to provide a nice warm bran mash with some extra goodies in it for your postpartum broodmares, you should feel free to do so. However, you could easily provide the same yummy meal using beet pulp soaked in warm water, then adding all the same goodies and get the extra benefit of additional calcium which the beet pulp provides -- something every new mommy needs!!!!

Robin C