Ok Beet Pulp users some questions

[backwoodsnanny]

I went to the search and read everything that came up but still have some questions.

1. When you are trying beet pulp for the first time do you start with a cup of the soaked pulp per horse or less/more ?

2. How much hay do you feed when you are using the pulp.

3. For a show horse do you take away the hay altogether ?

4.The things I have read say it adds weight do you give it to yur air ferns or no?

5. I have read soaking from 10 minutes to overnight I am using the shreaded pulp with no molasses as was suggested at a clinic recently so how long should it soak

6. Finally we feed three times a day morning afternoon and late evening but only grain twice a day shold the pulp be added once twice or all three times a day?

I dont have a thin horse on the place but do have some that need a better top line and some that need belly tucked some more which is what I am hoping the pulp will do. I hope this is the right thing along with spring conditioning that will bring the show horses along. IT seems that many of you use it so any help will be apprecited.

 

[icspots]

I start everybody the same then adjust as necessary down the road. I start with 1 cup DRY beet pulp, then soak it until it is fluffy, mix it with 2 cups of grain, then give them anywhere from a large chunk of hay in the colder months to just a handful when the weather warms up. I feel it is a substitute for a lot of the hay being so high in fiber. They do need SOME hay as it helps their gut function and relieves boredom!

Don't know if they'd eat it plain, don't think mine would, so I guess I'd just feed it when you grain.

 

[Alex]

1. Personally, I start less than that. 1/4 of a cup. Just like grain or hay, make changes slowly.

2. Beet Pulp can be used to replace up to 40% of hay in pounds. Many people will tell you to cut way way back on hay, or even take it all away. My one show mare gets 1 1/4 flakes of hay, 3 cups beet pulp and 3 cups grain a day with some supplements. Thats it. Seems like a ton of hay, but absolutly no hay belly at all. I have current pictures if you would like me to send them to you.

3. See above.

4. I dont understand? Yur air ferns?

5. 10 mins will be just fine. When I usually start soaking it soaks for about 30mins. Mostly to get the most water into the beets.

6. Id say whatevee works with your schedule. More times a day the better, but soaking/feeding beet pulp 3x a day seems a little excessive to me. You would be fine with 2x a day.

If you would like specifics on anything, feel free to PM me.

 

[~Lisa~]

I start any new horses here on the same amount the other horses get which is 9 cups of soaked beet pulp a day. I do not feed hay at night and they get only grain and beet pulp at night. I dont start them off on one cup a day ect. I have never found the need to do so but that is JMO

So obvioulsy my beet pulp feeding is done at once here not split up thru the day

I have a very easy keeper or air fern lol and he gets the same amount he gets 9 cups of soaked beet pulp and then gets just one cup of oats this works great for him. In fact when I needed him to lose weight I cut back the grain and increased his beet pulp and it worked wonders

 

[pinck43]

Alex, when you say grain, are you meaning oats? The longer you soak your beet pulp, the more expansion you get. I feed 1 heaping cup of soaked twice a day with their oats and supplement. I also feed hay. Feeding minis is so different and confusing compared to the big horses. dionne

 

[muffntuf]

1. When you are trying beet pulp for the first time do you start with a cup of the soaked pulp per horse or less/more ?

I start with 1/4 of what they should get and work it up to 100% of what they need in 7-10 days. 1 lb. beet pulp generally replaced 1 lb. hay.

2. How much hay do you feed when you are using the pulp.

In summer (warmer months) 1% of body weight of hay. I am in a cooler region so someone down in TX may only feed a handful.

3. For a show horse do you take away the hay altogether ?

No - forage first, it keeps their internals working, but I do cut down the amount they get.

4.The things I have read say it adds weight do you give it to yur air ferns or no?

Generally it can work both ways - it can take weight off or it can add on, depends on how you are feeding it. But the easy keepers get more bp than hay.

5. I have read soaking from 10 minutes to overnight I am using the shreaded pulp with no molasses as was suggested at a clinic recently so how long should it soak

It's your preference - but I like to let it soak as long as possible, so 6-8 hours and then I drain it. But again I live in a cooler region. So in the winter - I use hot water to soak. In the summer cool water.

6. Finally we feed three times a day morning afternoon and late evening but only grain twice a day shold the pulp be added once twice or all three times a day?

That's a good question - I feed only twice a day - so they get their beet pulp split up with grain 2X's a day.

 

[wildoak]

I actually feed about a half cup dry mixed with feed twice a day, most of the year. I will soak it in extreme weather - summer and winter - to get more liquid into them, and if I have a particular horse that needs it for any reason. Used to soak it daily for 10-20 minutes as a rule.

Jan

 

[Versatility Farm & Training]

I went to the search and read everything that came up but still have some questions.
1. When you are trying beet pulp for the first time do you start with a cup of the soaked pulp per horse or less/more ?

2. How much hay do you feed when you are using the pulp.

3. For a show horse do you take away the hay altogether ?

4.The things I have read say it adds weight do you give it to yur air ferns or no?

5. I have read soaking from 10 minutes to overnight I am using the shreaded pulp with no molasses as was suggested at a clinic recently so how long should it soak

6. Finally we feed three times a day morning afternoon and late evening but only grain twice a day shold the pulp be added once twice or all three times a day?

I dont have a thin horse on the place but do have some that need a better top line and some that need belly tucked some more which is what I am hoping the pulp will do. I hope this is the right thing along with spring conditioning that will bring the show horses along. IT seems that many of you use it so any help will be apprecited.

1. It depends on the horse. For a skinny horse, that I want to work my way up to 6 cups wet, I will give 3-4 cups wet the first time. If they clean it up, thne increase. If they don't clean it up I will decrease to 2-3 and then when they do clean it up, then increase by 1 cup incriments until I'm where I want them to be. If it is not a skinny horse, and one I want to give 3 cups or less, then I jsut start there, and as long as they clean it up its fine.

2. & 3.The more beet pulp I give, the less hay I give, anywhere from 1/4 a flake to a large handful, but they always get hay. Hay is the only natural thing we give them, and by natural I mean what they would naturally eat if they were in the wild. Non show horses get more hay, less beet pulp compared to show horses. Non show will get 1/4-1/2 flake hay.

4. I give it to all my show horses no matter what as it helps with hydration. My easy keepers just get 1-2 cups wet.

5. There is no minimum on how long to soak it, but the longer the better so it has a chance ot soak up more. As far as maximum, it depends on the time of the year. I think 2 hours should be max, its probably not going to soak up any more water than what it has in 2 hours, but most importantly beetpulp can spoil very quickly in heat! On hot hot days 2 hours at max, but I tend to do an hour or less to be on the safe side.

6. I feed beet pulp twice a day, but I only feed twice a day.

 

[backwoodsnanny]

Thank you all for your responses. I will update on how this works for the ones I am putting on it and Alex an air fern is a mini who seems to stay fat on air. lol.

 

[Alex]

Alex, when you say grain, are you meaning oats? The longer you soak your beet pulp, the more expansion you get. I feed 1 heaping cup of soaked twice a day with their oats and supplement. I also feed hay. Feeding minis is so different and confusing compared to the big horses. dionne

Hi Dionne,

No, not oats. I tried oats and my horses and they looked ok, but not spectacular. Now I feed Nutrena Safechoice, which is much like Purina Strategy. Safechoice is easier to get around here.

Thanks for the clarification on air ferns, Ive never heard that expression.