Beet Pulp

Clarissa · Beet Pulp

I know there's a topic about beet pulp somewhere else but not sure where it is.

Understanding Beet Pulp as an Equine Feed

Article courtesy of Triple Crown Nutrition Inc.

Beet pulp has been a popular feed for horses for years without many people really knowing why.

Beet pulp is a byproduct of the sugar beet industry and is predominant in the upper Midwest, Michigan, and California. Sugar beets look a lot like turnips that have been taking growth hormones--they are very large. The beets are grown and processed not so we have something to feed to our horses, but for the sugar content. After the sugar is processed and removed, the pulp is left over. Recently, the use of shredded beet pulp has become increasingly popular as a feed ingredient; first in the pet food industry followed by the horse feed market.

Today, about 90% of the beet pulp produced is sold to the export market in the pelleted form. The shredded beet pulp market is primarily domestic. Up until the last couple of years, shredded beet pulp was only available in bags, but now feed mills using it as an ingredient can buy it in bulk form.

Initially, consistency of particle size and stem and root contamination were a concern. Stems and roots look like small pieces of balsa wood and are typically about 1 to 2 inches in length and about a 1⁄4 to 1⁄2 inch in diameter. Utilizing improved screening systems the industry is continuing to do a better job of making the product cleaner and more consistent.
Beet pulp is often referred to as a "super fiber" due to its high digestibility and ease of fermentation. The reason is the lack of lignin in the fiber. Tall pastures and overly mature hay cannot be digested well by horses because of the high lignin content in the plant to give the stalk strength. In addition, high lignin content fibers like peanut hulls, oat hulls and rice hulls have very low fermentation properties and are, therefore, very low in caloric content.

Beet pulp, on the other hand, has about the same caloric content as oats. It is unusual to have a fiber product that is easier on the horse's digestive system and still provides the calorie content of a grain product. Furthermore, in the shredded form, the beet pulp provides some additional fiber length, often referred to as scratch factor, which is lacking in many alternative fiber sources and explains why shredded beet pulp is preferred over pelleted beet pulp in equine diets.

Individuals mixing their own rations need to understand that beet pulp is a very dry product at only about 5% moisture. If a horse consuming beet pulp does not chew long enough or provide enough saliva, the beet pulp has the potential to cause choke. This is why most horse owners soak the product in water prior to feeding.

One of the advantages of feeding a beet pulp based commercial feed is that the addition of oils and molasses eliminates the need for soaking. Also, beet pulp is lacking in nutrients such as Vitamin A and selenium. In a diet where a significant amount of beet pulp is fed, balancing nutrients can be a challenge. When used as an ingredient in manufactured feeds, the supplier can properly supplement for these critical nutrients.

With the current focus in the horse industry on lowering non-structural carbohydrates in equine diets, it is important to note beet pulp has an average NSC of around 12%. This fact, combined with its good calorie content and ease of fermentation, this makes it an excellent ingredient for formulating high fiber, low carbohydrate diets.

These beet pulp based diets can benefit not only older horses but also horses suffering from gastric ulcers, respiratory issues, metabolic diseases and many other feeding situations. For horses with poor quality fiber sources, beet pulp based feeds can provide a consistent, cost effective, and convenient forage alternative.

This coming dry season (winter in my area) I might try to access it. Researching it's origins could be a problem as it's imported. I read somewhere where some brands are full of chemicals from growing & processing methods which are undesirable.

It also brings up the question of 'food miles'.

cheerios

Other posts for anyone who wants more information (or at least opinions!)

The famous Issues Of Beet Pulp
http://itsaboutthehorse.myfastforum.org/about563.html

Great Way to Rinse Beet Pulp
http://itsaboutthehorse.myfastforum.org/about3305.html

And a humorous story about Beet Pulp and Squirrels...
http://itsaboutthehorse.myfastforum.org/about3538.html

Clarissa

Thanks Mary

appellativo

this might not make me very popular on this thread but here's another something to consider about beet pulp.

Is Beet Pulp Toxic To Horses? The Real Story
by Lorrie Bracaloni

Beet pulp is an insoluble fiber, meaning that it does not interact with the body. It rushes through the intestines taking with it whatever supplements have been given. Simply put, it cannot be digested. It takes four molecules of water for the body to process beet pulp adding water weight, and making the horse appear heavier. Once beet pulp is removed from the diet, the horse loses weight quickly, leading the owner to believe that the horse needs the beet pulp.

As a holistic practitioner for more than 12 years, I have assisted more than 100 horse owners with equine diets and nutrition. I have studied and gained quite a bit of experience with equine veterinarian, Dr. Lee Miller, for 15 years. It is my intention to share my personal experiences, both educational and in the field, regarding what I have learned about feeding beet pulp.

Nutrition and digestive processes affect performance and overall condition. Different feeds break down differently based on the horse. Some of these effects include lameness, arthritis, colic, and other health-related illnesses.

Many times feed companies and veterinarians will recommend beet pulp for COPD horses for added fiber, or as an alternate hay and grass source. Although beet pulp may present no problems in the short-term, there are no significant studies on the long-term effects.

Beet pulp originates from sugar industry. It is an insoluble fiber, meaning that it does not interact with the body. It rushes through the intestines taking with it whatever supplements have been given. Simply put, it cannot be digested. It takes four molecules of water for the body to process beet pulp—adding water weight, and making the horse appear heavier. Once beet pulp is removed from the diet, the horse loses weight quickly, leading the owner to believe that the horse needs the beet pulp.

Dr. Joyce Harman of the Harmany Equine Clinic (www.harmanyequine.com) states that not all sugar can be eliminated from soaking the beets, therefore some remains in the pulp. Sugar contributes to insulin-resistance, and a condition known as Cushing’s syndrome.

Like many other crops, sugar beets are treated with an extensive array of herbicides to limit weeds and grasses in the fields. The herbicides are absorbed by the beets. Nothing removes the chemicals from the pulp. In addition, growers top the beet plants with a chemical defoliant to kill back the tops before harvest. These chemicals also end up by-product beet pulp.

Dr. Eleanor Kellon, DMV, says that beet pulp is safe; it is washed with water to remove the solvents. However, the water only removes what is on the outside. The soaking process removes the sugar from the outside, but not the chemicals. Toxins are stored in the pulp not the juice.
Often, the horse is unable to digest the beet pulp. Their hind-ends “shut down” and become weak. The common complaint being, “my horse has a weak hind-end.”
I once treated a horse that had suffered from laminitis for over eight months. The owner had done her best, and called me to make the horse comfortable with an acupressure massage. When I arrived, I found a beautiful horse lying down for more than four hours a day in great pain. Her owner was giving her supplements, totaling more than 80 percent protein, plus Phenylbutazone (bute) and Banamine, every day. I asked if the horse had coliced, she replied that she had not. To our surprise, when we checked the feed, the second ingredient was beet pulp. This program of feed and medication was going on for more than six months! The horse was treated with homeopathics and a probiotic. When the mare finally stood, her rear, back hind was almost completely under her and flat, a common symptom in beet pulp-fed horses. The mare could barely move. The beet pulp was moving everything through her. It had merely prevented the horse from colicing.

A reputable event trainer, Katie Wherley from Rock Solid Training Center, asked me to check her horses. I found was they were all weak in the hind-end, and Katie agreed. After looking at a tag from her feed, we found beet pulp listed as the third ingredient. After Katie took her horses off the beet pulp feed, she called to say they were using their hind-ends, and were much stronger.

Another owner, M.D. Kerns, wrote in to tell me about his horse that had been on beet pulp for nine months. “Although I was very skeptical at the onset, I am now prepared to admit that Bodhi [the horse] is looking much different and much fitter than he did when he was on the other feed [beet pulp]. His coat looks good as ever and his waist (loss of all the water trapped in the hind-gut by the beet pulp fiber) is nearly back to its former Thoroughbred elegance and slimness, he is without a doubt the most handsome horse at the farm.”

What does this all mean? Ask yourself these questions:

Does my horse feel weak in the hind end?
Are his hooves brittle?
Does it seem like his stifles are weak?
Does my horse appear to be lacking energy?
What about the coat? Is it dull?
Does my horse have loose stools? Are his stools loose or hard?

Try the following for three months. Take your horse off beet pulp, and use good quality green hay. Make sure that your horse has access to vitamins and minerals. In addition, read your feed labels. Most of them list “roughage by-products” which can actually contain beet pulp. Take a before and after picture, and really look at the hind-end. Notice how your horse moves after three months.
Wouldn’t you agree that prevention is far cheaper than the cost of treating health problems? We are our horse’s caregivers. We owe it to them to be as knowledgeable and informed about what we put into them.

NOTE from ProfitPro: Beet pulp has an inverted calcium/phosphorus ration. It is a LOW calorie (contrary to popular belief), HIGH fiber product which gives the impression that the horse is gaining weight. Sadly, it is water weight. Another question to ask is this: the horse’s natural diet does not contain beet pulp so would your horse eat beet pulp out in the “wild?”

carefreegirl

karmikacres

PasoBaby_CarolU

LaPrincipessa

It's hard to find a straight answer about beet pulp. The one thing that concerns me is the amount of pesticide used in growing/harvesting sugar beets.

The guy who owns my boarding barn used to crop dust - ages ago, but still. One of the crops he used to spray was sugar beets. He won't feed beet pulp to his horses.

I did as much research as I could when searching alternative food sources for Cricket. I wanted her on a grain-free diet but not straight alfalfa. I briefly considered beet pulp because it seems to be such a good food source. But I just cannot get past the potential toxicity. And since my motivation to get off grain was to reduce as much central nervous system stress as possible, introducing additional toxins didn't seem the way to go.

I wonder about the "weak hind end" thing. Look at the number of endurance horses fed beet pulp. And endurance horses are used to study just about everything. Don't you think the endurance riders would notice something was up if their horses were loosing HQ power?

whisperingwindfarms

Two words - Agent Orange.

Clarissa

appellativo

Perhaps the point of the article was not to say "you should not feed your horse insoluble fiber" (which for the record, the article did NOT say), but instead to point out that if you're feeding beet pulp for calorie and nutrient value to result in weight gain, there are sources that are better than toxic fiber that adds waterweight.

It seems people are so ready to uphold an opinion that they distort the words that are actually being said and thus can't see the point that was meant to be communicated. Only the reader knows for sure, though.

LaPrincipessa

Erin - excellent point. While I don't agree with the "hind-end weakness" I don't have the experience or knowledge to say she's wrong. But I wonder if that's not a side-effect, so to speak, that doesn't impact all horses.

I don't know the exact pesticides and defoliants used on sugar beets. I do know that I don't want even a hint of those toxins in my horse. Because Cricket has particular issues that make her very sensitive to any system stress.

Regardless of what you choose to feed and why you choose to feed it, as responsible owners, we owe it to our animals to feed them the best we are able. Lots of horses survive on inexpensive sweet feed and pond water. Some do not. Beet pulp may be fine for some, and for others not such a good idea.

jackspark

Just an addition, when discussing my aging gelding's weight problems, I asked my vet about beet pulp. I got a resounding NO! He said he felt that it was empty calories and that I shouldn't bother.

carefreegirl

PasoBaby_CarolU

That article doesn't make a lot of sense...if the beet pulp, being insoluble, takes all the supplements also fed the horse, and makes them pass unused, how do the toxic chemicals, which are actually inside the pulp get out? I really don't see how insoluble fiber makes soluble nutrients become insoluble, nor do I see how taking a lot of water to pass makes the horse gain water weight. Logic would say that it would do the opposite.

A friend with an HYPP horse feeds him beet pulp and supplements. He seems to do fine and holds his weight and is a competitive WP Appy.

I personally don't feed it, but recall from nutrition articles that horses need both soluble and insoluble fiber in their diets - as do we.

Nashama

We feed SpeediBeet to Sham with a little EquiJewel and his minerals, and some oaten hay. He has both PSSM and RER, and to Rhydian who has some metabolic issues. The biggest issue we have with it that we did not already have is weight gain.

If there were a problem I think in 4 years it would have shown up and been noticed, just as other problems have shown up due to the length and severity of the drought here. This is remembering the primary function these days of our horse is as therapeutic learning and teaching resources. When we are not learning on them, we are teaching with them. The current paddock score is 4 out of 6 horses in 2 students externships and three in a paddock trial for a new natural hoof product.

Pesticides and herbicides are used in all aspects of agriculture, including production of generally accepted horse grains and hays. It's a rather toxic world we humans make for ourselves. AS always, using a rteputable source for a product is best.

PasoBaby_CarolU

Jules, your post reminds me of something from work.

When I was in the Lab, it wasn't unusual to take the sodium chloride (salt) from the lab and use it in the lunch room when it was out of table salt. Because the salt was in its manufacturer bottle, it had all the contaminants listed on the label.

We had a guest in the lunchroom look at the label and declare he "wasn't going to eat THAT with all those contaminants!" We all had a good laugh over it. This was reagent grade sodium chloride - 99.97% pure. Human grade table salt is about 94% pure, with more of the same contaminants, people just don't know it.

Your point is well taken. Even with "organic" food, our water is contaminated with everything from solvents to hormones to antibiotics. It's impossible to get away from totally.

Nashama

Carol. People are so funny sometimes. I love Celtic Sea Salt and will eat it straight out of the jar when normally I am not a salt fan at all, but I don't pretend to not know that it has as much contamination as everything else in Europe.

sebocat

I've fed beet pulp through the cold Alaska winter for years for a couple of reasons:

It holds a tremendous amount of water
making a hot mash made me feel better
I could add thir 1 c oil per day and they'd still eat it
It helped keep wieght up during extended periods of 30-60 below zero

I never had any problems with hoof health, weaknesses or other issues.

But I also didn't rely on the beet pulp as a primary source of fiber. They got mostly hay, then about 1 or 2 gallons of beet pulp (after it soaked its fill of warm water!)

I always soaked in near boiling water and it speeds the soaking process considerably! Of course I'd cool it to warm oatmeal temps before feeding!