Beet pulp where to buy it?

[Chick_a_dee]

Up here in Ontario, it's really common for horse riding stables to feed beet pulp, but the issue with it is that it's just a filler, and really does nothing more than fill the horse up. It's used in cheap dog food as well, and it's not THAT great for putting weight on a thin animal. Really, you should go with a high fat high fibre food for a thin animal, we fed high fat high fibre to our horse after he lost a buttload of weight because of his heaves. He gained the weight moderately (not TOO fast, but fast enough) and kept it on, it also gave him the boost he needed to get healthy again.

 

[seminolewind]

To fatten up a horse, I try to use free choice hay. I buy high fat feed, (10%), and try vegetable oil, I start with half a cup a day, and work up to a cup a day. I have also used alfalfa cubes, or something that is sold for race horses, it's chopped up hay with oil and molasses added. Don't remember the name.

 

[greyhorsewoman]

Here is a link to an article about beet pulp that pretty much sums it up:

http://www.equisearch.com/horses_care/feeding/feed/eqbeetpulp660/

I have used it for years with good results for my stallion, an ill horse, youngsters, and sometimes an addition to diets during severe weather.

 

[Chick_a_dee]

Quote:
Eek, race horse feed is terrible! We had a horse at the farm we rode at who was a former race horse, and the last owner kept feeding him the racing feed, very high fat, very high sugar and he was a basketcase... literally.

The regular high fat, high fibre would do it for a normal horse lol, and of course some good 'ole hay. I don't know if the author can get it, but it's this special hay we use for our horse since he has heaves, it comes in a big sealed bag, and it smells like red wine... it's good for putting fat on, even if it's like $5-$6 a bale. ... and it smells wonderful.

 

[Standard Hen]

I personally have never had good luck in feeding beet pulp to horses for weight gain even with the added oil.
LOTS of good hay and a high fat feed has worked though.

 

[daved3366]

One of the reasons we have stuck with the beet pulp is because he can't eat alot of the grains because of the sugars that are in it. The vet has taken him off of anything with sugar. I don't know the whole reasons behind it, I, much like a lot of horse hubbies, go out and look at the list of feed and do as I am instructed.

He has put on weight through it, but htat might also be because he is being fed recuarly, unlike the previous year.

 

[Crunchie]

Quote:
Eek, race horse feed is terrible! We had a horse at the farm we rode at who was a former race horse, and the last owner kept feeding him the racing feed, very high fat, very high sugar and he was a basketcase... literally.

The regular high fat, high fibre would do it for a normal horse lol, and of course some good 'ole hay. I don't know if the author can get it, but it's this special hay we use for our horse since he has heaves, it comes in a big sealed bag, and it smells like red wine... it's good for putting fat on, even if it's like $5-$6 a bale. ... and it smells wonderful.

I think that maybe the "something that is sold for race horses, it's chopped up hay with oil and molasses added" that seminole wind is talking about might me the same thing that you are talking about, chick-a-dee?? The "special hay in a sealed bag"? What both of you are describing sounds to me like what our feed stores call "forage". It's literally chopped hay with molasses added, sealed in a bag. It does smell yummy!

I have a mare that I cannot feed any more grain or oil (I feed a nice high-fat grain to start with, add oil to that). It would not be healthy. She gets good hay free-choice, and is healthy (regular de-worming/fecals, teeth maintained, etc.). I have crappy pasture--if she's on good pasture, she literally eats a handful of grain and is too fat!! So I feed her beet pulp. It's the only other thing I can think of to keep weight on her, because I can't do anything about the pasture situation right now.