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Ask the Nutritionist: Dr. Getty's Forum for Equine Nutrition

   Welcome to my forum. 

Here you will find more than 6 years of questions and my answers. It is searchable and offers a great deal of information. 

Currently, I am discontinuing new questions. This may change in the future, but in the meantime, please know that It has been a true pleasure serving you. 

Take a look at my Nutrition Library and Tips of the Month for a variety of answers on selected topics. Be sure to sign up for my monthly e-newsletter, Forage for Thought

I also have a growing number of recordings on "Teleseminars on Nutrition Topics that Concern You" as well as the new, Spotlight on Equine Nutrition Series -- printed versions of favorite teleseminars.

And finally, look for my articles in a variety of local publications and online newsletters, as well as the Horse Journal, where I am the Contributing Nutrition Editor.  

 

All the best,

 Dr. Getty 

 



Ask the Nutritionist: Dr. Getty's Forum for Equine Nutrition
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How much beet pulp to feed my horse

Hi
I want to start feeding beet pulp to my QH.I don't now anything about how much and does it need to be soaked.I have him boarded and I can't really soak him a bucket each day,I read you can feed it dry, I have shredded beet pulp.
He is about 1000 pds, 15 hh. I want to supplement his grass hay, he cannot have alfalfa.
I also want to put his daily supplement in it, right now you can see his ribs just slightly, I have always stuck to the "you want to feel the ribs but not see them" school of thought, so i woudld like to give him enough to put a little weight on him.He lost quite a bit of weight last summer because he keep getting diarria until we finally took the alfalfa away and it cleared up within hours.He was a new horse that had been on grass hay so we did not know he could not tolerate alfalfa. So any thoughts on how much to feed daily would be most helpful
Thanks
Carol

Where are you from? California

How did you locate this forum? from a friend

Re: How much beet pulp to feed my horse

Hi Carol,

Beet pulp is an excellent feed. It provides about the same amount of calories as oats, without the risk of grain. Yes, you can feed it dry -- in fact, most horses prefer it dry. Just make sure that (1) you provide water close by, and (2) your feed bucket is low -- no more than 2 to 3 feet off the ground (this will reduce the chance of choke).

Beet pulp is very light weight, so a quart scoop weighs approximately one pound. You can start by offering 2 lbs of beet pulp at each meal.

I would also recommend adding Ration Plus to his diet. I recommend this product a great deal for helping horses gain weight because it is highly effective. It boosts the health of the bacteria living in the hind gut, making the roughage you're feeding more digestible. So, this is especially helpful since you are feeding beet pulp.

A really nice addition to a beet pulp diet is flaxseed meal. This will provide additional fat in the form of omega 3 fatty acids, and helps in weight gain. You can add 1 8oz cup of flaxseed meal to each meal with the beet pulp. Most horses love the taste.

Add a good overall multiple vitamin/mineral supplement, such as Accel, and you're all set! Accel also contains essential amino acids, to round out the protein profile of just feeding grass hay (and not alfalfa).

Hope this is helpful! Keep me posted.

All the best,

Dr. Getty

Re: How much beet pulp to feed my horse

Thank you Dr Getty, I very much appreciate your help!
I will keep you posted.
Carol

Where are you from? California

Re: How much beet pulp to feed my horse

Hello again
You meant 2 pounds of dry, twice a day? I am soaking it about a half hour while do things in the barn or if I ride then how ever long I ride.
Thanks
Carol

Where are you from? California

Re: How much beet pulp to feed my horse

Hi Carol,

Yes, dry weight. If you soak the beet pulp, be sure that your horse eats all of it and doesn't leave some sitting there. It will go rancid easily.

All the best,

Dr. Getty