Is beet pulp good for Laminitic horses?

A supplement containing protein, vitamins, and minerals will help the horse heal damaged tissues. For thin laminitic horses, consider providing calories from beet pulp (without molasses), alfalfa hay or cubes, soy hulls, or vegetable oil.

Can laminitic horses have beet pulp?

Laminitis horses often cannot tolerate alfalfa so using a pure unmollased beet pulp is a good choice. Rinsing and soaking then rinsing the beet pulp again clean the beet pulp of any residual soil and sugar, lowering both the iron and sugar content to render it safe for laminitis.

Can foundered horses have beet pulp?

Beet pulp is a very fermentable and digestible fiber source for horses, and can be useful as a safe energy source for foundered horses, but you have discovered that some horses don't like it very well. In this case, it isn't very useful.

Can you feed sugar beet to laminitic horses?

VFA fermentation is rapid, supplying energy for the horse, whilst lactate fermentation is slow producing a quarter the amount compared to an equal amount of hay. Sugar beet pulp is recognised by the Laminitis Trust as a feeding stuff that is compatible in feeding with Approved products.

What is the best hay to feed a horse with laminitis?

Generally, a mixture of grass hay and alfalfa is the best hay combination for horses prone to laminitis.

Ask the Vet - Beet pulp as a hay alternative

What do you feed a laminitic prone horse?

Hay is likely to form the bulk of the diet for an EMS/PPID/laminitic horse. Late cut, native species grass hay is likely to have lower sugar levels than early cut improved species (e.g. ryegrass) grass hay. High fibre haylage may also be suitable.

Should I feed my horse beet pulp?

In summary, beet pulp is a good dietary supplement for "hard keepers", as a forage or fiber replacement for poor quality hay, and for older horses with problems chewing or digesting hay. The digestible energy content of beet pulp is greater than hay and less than grain.

Will beet pulp put weight on a horse?

Beet pulp can be used to help underweight horses gain weight, as it provides approximately 1,000 kcals per pound (one quart of dry beet pulp shreds weighs approximately 0.5-0.6 pounds).

What chaff is best for laminitic horses?

Timothy chaff is a variety of grass species, that is grown in New Zealand and Australia. It has lower protein and lower sugar levels than Lucerne, it is also low in non-structural carbohydrates, which is great for horses that are prone to metabolic issues such as laminitis or insulin resistance.

Is beet pulp the same as Speedi-Beet?

Speedi-Beet by British Horse Feeds is made using a special patented cooking process to produce a unique feed which is unlike any other beet pulp. With its' high proportion of soluble fiber (mostly pectins), Speedi-Beet fiber is more easily digested by the horse than that found in forages such as hay.

What to feed a horse that foundered?

Horses that have foundered should eat hay.

Horses that have foundered are prone to founder again, so feed your animal basic grass hay and a little alfalfa. Do not feed oats, corn, or molasses.

Can you feed carrots to a horse with laminitis?

One of the first things you are likely to be told, as the owner of a laminitic or EMS horse, is "no treats, no carrots, no apples..". A grape or prune is sometimes suggested as suitable for hiding pergolide tablets, but owners may be warned not to use a slice of carrot or apple for the same purpose.

How many pounds of beet pulp should I feed my horse?

“But in large amounts or in a growing horse or a lactating mare, that could cause issues with bone development.” To prevent such imbalances, she says, the general limit for feeding beet pulp is no more than 10 percent of a horse's diet by weight, which works out to no more than two to three pounds a day for an average- ...

Does shredded beet pulp need to be soaked?

It's not necessary to soak it overnight. If you have extra water, don't worry; you can always drain it off before you feed, or you can feed the beet pulp on the "sloppy" side. Although most horses will eat beet pulp on its own, its appeal will be improved if you stir it into your horse's regular grain ration.

Is Fibre-Beet OK for Laminitics?

Fibre-Beet is a combination of Speedi Beet, alfalfa, oat fibre and Biotin and takes 45 minutes to soak in cold water/15 minutes in warm water. Both products are ideal for horses and ponies prone to laminitis as both are low sugar/high fibre products.

How long does beet pulp need to soak?

Allow the beet pulp to soak for at least 30 minutes before feeding if using warm water, and 60 minutes if using cold water. When beet pulp is ready for feeding, it will have soaked up all or most of the water, and will have a greatly increased volume and a fluffy consistency.

Can you feed lucerne to laminitic horse?

Never starve a laminitic horse

Horses require a minimum of 1.5% of their bodyweight in roughage per day for optimal health and wellbeing. For a laminitic prone horse/pony, low sugar roughage sources may include Teff hay, Rhodes grass hay, lucerne hay, beet pulp or soaked grass hay.

Is lucerne chaff high in sugar?

Lucerne is relatively low in sugar and starch, containing about half the amount of cereal hay (oaten, barley and wheaten) so it doesn't cause large insulin spikes and blood sugar level fluctuations and is very useful as a component of feed for horses with laminitis or metabolic issues such as insulin resistance.

What can you do to help a horse with laminitis?

How much beet pulp should I feed my 1000 pound horse?

Ontario Dehy Inc., manufacturers of beet pulp for horses, recommends feeding up to 1.5 to 2 percent of your horse's body weight per day.

Which is better beet pulp pellets or shreds?

I feed pellets. I find no difference in their consistency once soaked–pelleted beet pulp is identical to shreds, with enough time. Pellets are cheaper and cleaner IMO–the shreds always had dust and gunk, while the pellets are just, well, pellets.

Does beet pulp give horses diarrhea?

One such foodstuff is beet pulp, especially for horses with chronic diarrhea episodes. The interplay of increased transit time through the gut and mucosal damage to portions of the hindgut explains why the most significant complication of diarrhea is laminitis.

Why does beet pulp help horses gain weight?

Because beet pulp is highly digestible, the horse has less gut fill and can actually consume a bit more per day as well, so the feed intake and Calorie intake can be further increased, which supports the weight gain theory that many horse owners follow.

Does sugar beet put weight on horses?

Though high in calories and commonly fed to horses who need to gain weight, sugar beet contains approximately 80% water once soaked and the increase in volume means it is easy to over-estimate how much you are actually feeding.

Is beet pulp a prebiotic?

Beet pulp is considered a prebiotic, which acts as a food source for your horse's gut microbes. Prebiotics are ingredients that promote the health and growth of microorganisms already living in your horse's digestive tract.