Beet Pulp

[crponies]

I have a 10 year old mare that dropped weight rapidly after foaling last August. She seems to be gaining it back very slowly but is still not where I want her to be. I got a bag of beet pulp pellets to give her to see if that would help, but she doesn't want anything to do with it. Did you have any that didn't like it at first? How did you get them to eat it?

 

[Sanny]

Make sure the beet pulp you have has not spoiled. You can tell by the smell. If it is good and fresh it will smell good, kind of like oatmeal and nutty and if it has gone bad (and it does easily) it will smell rank and sour and who would want to eat that?

Having said that,.....I get the beet pulp flakes rather than the pellets and I soak them in hot water and mix them in with soaked alfalfa cubes and ration balancer. It all smells good (and edible) to me and the one horse I have that needs weight on has been eagerly eating it and is putting on weight. The other horses would LOVE to have it, but can't. It is a great way to fill out a horse and put some weight on.

I bet as long as it is still good/fresh if you soak it and mix in some cubes and feed that she will love it and the horses LOVE the juice and will slurp that up too.

 

[Ashley]

Well my horses hate it along with alfalfa. The best thing I have found to put weight on is Sprouts Mare and Foal feed, if I cant get that I get Equine Jr. I have a mare who I put this on when ever she is nurseing as she loses alot of weight.

 

[lyn_j]

[SIZE=14pt]I use the beet pulp shreds rather than pellets and I mix it into the sweet feed. I feed it dry and they love it. Even my weaners are eating a cup of it each.[/SIZE]

Lyn

 

[Shelley]

I just sprinkle a handful of grain over it until they develop a taste for it. Before too long they suck it up without the grain. Soaked well first, of course.

Shelley

 

[Viki]

[SIZE=14pt]I use the shredded also. At first I put peppermints in mine while it was soaking. Stirred it up good and they loved the 'goodie'. Now they eat it just fine without the candy! [/SIZE]

Viki

 

[blueprintminis]

[SIZE=14pt]I use the beet pulp shreds rather than pellets and I mix it into the sweet feed. I feed it dry and they love it. Even my weaners are eating a cup of it each.[/SIZE]Lyn

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Ditto here. I tried the pellets first and the horses hated them! Switched to the shreds, fed them well soaked at first. Horses loved them. Last Spring switched to the molasses free shreds to reduce the sugar in their diet and after some additional research decided to start mixing it in with their regular ration dry. They love it! And it's been easier to keep all the horses, young and old, big and small at their proper body weights. Yes, my weaners gobble it up!

Laura

 

[appypintolady]

I am glad I have this forum to read. I had a reading with Bonnie Fogg and she told me to put my horses on beet pulp. I went to feed store yesterday and got a big bag of the shredded stuff and boy did it not smell good. I have never used it

before so I had no idea how it was supposed to smell. Some of my horses ate it and some didn't. I am sure am glad to find out that it is not supposed to smell like that. I am not sure how to get some that smells good and fresh. it probably sits

around forever at the feed stores . How can I make sure I get the fresh beet pulp?

 

[Marty]

I think it's an aquired taste because most of mine did not want to eat it at first. I used shredded beet pulp with mollases and its stinky. yuk

You can soak it of course and mix in some applesauce with it or syrup for the first couple of times. Sometimes I mash chopped up carrots. During this heat wave, I have added some red gatorade in it too. Now they slop it up quite well.

 

[tagalong]

We use the pellets here - and have no problem getting anyone started on it... just use it sparingly at first mixed in with some oats or whatever you feed and then slowly increase the amount... they grow to like it and in 20 years of feeding it I have never known a horse to refuse it. UNLESS for some reason it had started to turn... they will not eat it if it has even started to sour.... before you can even smell it - they know.

 

[rabbitsfizz]

I use pellets too, and I have been using Beet Pulp now for over thirty years- it was cow feed then!!! I have never had a horse refuse it or even think twice about it- one of my foals refuses to eat his feed unless it has the pulp in it!! I would suggest soaking with boiling water with just enough water to really soften and fluff and feed whilst still warm- it really does smell edible, but then I've got strange taste!!!

 

[Jean_B]

For a horse that needs to put weight back on in "emergency" mode...I would recommend using Equine Senior, as much as they will eat. Much more balanced diet than beet pulp and higher in the "good" fats.

 

[Lisa-Ruff N Tuff Minis]

I personally would ask Robin C about what to add to her diet to make sure she is getting what she needs and not to much of one thing.

My horses well i have found beet pulp is an aquired taste some prefer it warm over cold but in the summer it is cold and winter warm that is just the way it is so they have to deal.

I put there grain on top and after a day or 2 the new ones are eating it up no problem

 

[justjinx]

We use the shredded beet pulp and add it dry which they devour well! we tried the soaked pulp with feed for a couple of the horses and they would not touch it. I agree with Jean on the senior feed for putting on weight tho. We found the beet pulp helps put weight in the right places on horses already in good condition, but I would use senior feed for an underweight horse.

jennifer

 

[wpsellwood]

Dont ask me why, but my horses do not like the shredded at all so went back to the pellets.

 

[Loren&Rocky]

I get beat pulp WITH molassas. It comes that way. I also mix it with sweet feed. My horses eat it up!

 

[Hosscrazy]

If you're able to feed your horse either grain or sweetfeed, that should help "liven things up"! If not (in my case, my horse was Cushings/IR), I was able to get her to eat it by adding a sprinkle of Natural Glo Rice Bran, and also cinnamon.

Also, try different variations - some horses like it really soupy, some like it on the less-watery side.

Best wishes,

Liz R.