Should I feed Beet Pulp to my Horse?

There are a lot of myths about beet pulp doing the rounds on the internet. Strangely, there are lots of people who are very anti-beet pulp, and that is a shame because it is a great feed for horses with a lot of benefits.

A feed like beet pulp for horses can be included in the diet to boost calcium, add valuable fibre, meet higher energy requirements for performance horses, increase water intake, replace hay for elderly horses with compromised teeth, provide super fibres for optimum hind gut fermentation, and benefit from its high energy density.

What is Beet Pulp?

It is a valuable resource for horse owners looking to provide their horses with an energy-rich source of super fibres, which are excellent for hindgut health and a slow-release, safe carbohydrate source.

Beet pulp is a byproduct of the sugar beet industry, derived from the fibrous material left over after sugar is extracted from sugar beets. Sugar production involves processing sugar beet, which generates significant waste in the form of sugar beet pulp.

Sugar beet is harvested in the autumn and early winter when the beets are dug out of the ground. The processing begins by slicing the beets into thin chips, which increases the surface area, making it easier to extract the sugar.

The extraction takes place in a diffuser, where the beet is kept in contact with hot water for about an hour before being squeezed in screw presses to extract as much juice as possible.

Beet pulp is available in various forms, shredded, molassed shredded, compressed pellets, molassed compressed pellets and micronised flakes.

Benefits of Beet Pulp for Horses

Digestive Health

Beet pulp, derived from the sugar beet industry, is an energy-rich source of digestible fibre that promotes a healthy microbial population in the hindgut. The processing of sugar beets removes most sugars, leaving behind a fibre-dense byproduct.

This dense fibre supports hindgut health by increasing the number of cellulose-degrading microbes that break down fibre and produce butyrate through microbial fermentation. Butyrate helps maintain a healthy gut barrier and is a primary energy source for cells lining the digestive tract. [3]

Research has shown that these benefits are observed regardless of whether the beet pulp is used as a total or partial replacement of forage in the horse’s diet.

The prebiotic fibres in beet pulp can help with hindgut issues such as free faecal water syndrome, hindgut dysbiosis or a decrease in gut function due to age.

The high water-holding capacity of beet pulp supports hydration, so its use in the daily diet can help reduce the risk of digestive disorders, such as colic.

Supporting Weight Gain

Beet pulp is an excellent choice for horses that struggle to maintain or gain weight, often known as “poor doers”. It is also effective for underweight horses needing extra calories to reach a healthier body condition.

An underweight horse typically has a body condition score of 4 or lower on the 9-point Henneke scale. For these horses, aim for gradual weight gain, with an ideal target score of 5.

With more calories than most meadow hays, beet pulp is also highly palatable, promoting consistent intake. Its high energy density supports healthy weight gain, making it ideal for horses that need extra calories. For even greater calorie support, consider mixing beet pulp with calorie-dense feeds such as flaked oats, micronised linseed and copra.

The fibre in beet pulp means that the digestion of the starch in a cereal such as oats will slow the release of carbohydrates. Adding a June cut grass hay or high-energy alfalfa hay can further aid in weight gain.

Keep in mind that pairing beet pulp with alfalfa may increase the calcium levels in the daily diet. To correct this, adding a palatable, high-phosphorus feed like wheat bran or a high-phosphorus horse feed balancer can help.

Feeding a proportion of beet pulp to old horses to partially replace forage can be very beneficial for their health. Beet pulp is an important part of any winter feeding regime to add a fermentable fibre-based feed to an elderly horse’s diet to help them maintain weight through the colder months.

For those looking for amounts to use with an old horse, this article will help further. Beet pulp also adds important water to their daily diet, as old horses are susceptible to cold-weather dehydration.

While most fibre in a horse’s diet comes from pasture or hay, alternatives like beet pulp can supplement energy, support digestion, and provide fibre, especially for old horses that struggle to chew traditional forage.

Beet Pulp as a Performance Feed for Horses

Beet Pulp for Laminitis-Prone Horses

Low HC bucket feeds for horses with or prone to laminitis

Unmollassed beet pulp has a low HC content and results in a lower glycaemic and insulinaemic response compared to cereal-based feeds. [7][8]

This makes it suitable to use with insulin-resistant horses or equines with polysaccharide storage myopathy (PSSM) when fed without molasses.

Using it as a hay replacer?

Beet Pulp is a good choice for horses of all ages and needs, being a versatile feed option. When hay supply is limited or of low quality, beet pulp can replace up to 45% of the forage in a horse’s diet.

The horse’s stomach can handle dry beet pulp (s Speedi-Beet, Kiwi Beet or shreds), debunking the myth that it requires soaking to prevent complications. However, it is safer to avoid choke, to feed soaked.

For amounts, refer to this article on feeding old horses whose worn teeth mean that hay must be replaced. Unmolassed beet pulp is highly palatable and can meet the caloric needs of old horses, particularly those unable to consume enough hay or pasture. For older horses with dental issues who may quid (drop chewed feed), soaked beet pulp mash is easy to eat and can help them maintain a healthy body condition.

Choosing the Right Beet Pulp Product

The highest quality, cleanest sugar beet pulp should be chosen. Beet pulp is available dried with or without added molasses, with unmolassed beet pulp always containing less than 10% sugar, making it suitable for low-sugar diets, while molassed varieties average below 15% sugar.

The different types of beet pulp available for horses include:

Each type has its unique benefits, and selecting the right form depends on the horse’s dietary needs, ease of feeding, and any sugar sensitivity concerns.

Debunking Common Myths about Beet Pulp for Horses

Dr Eleanor Kellon, VMD, has advocated using soaked beet pulp with horses for many years. She has written about the myths circulating among the horse-owning population, which often means people are worried about including this very useful feed in their horses’ diet. She has debunked five of the common myths:

What is the nutritional profile of sugar beet for horses?

Digestible Energy

Beet pulp is a valuable source of digestible energy for horses needing extra calories. Unmolassed, dry beet pulp provides approximately 11 Megajoules (MJ) per kilogram of dry matter, which is higher than typical hay (8 MJ/kg) and equivalent to cereals such as oats. For a quick guide, 700 grams of unmollassed beet pulp can replace one kilogram of a meadow-type hay.

Insoluble Fibre

Beet pulp is rich in soluble fibre, primarily in the form of pectin, which comprises 15-20% of its dry matter. This soluble fibre acts as a prebiotic in the horse’s hindgut, creating a favourable environment for fibre-digesting microbes.

During digestion, beet pulp fibre remains intact until it reaches the hindgut, where microbes ferment it, producing volatile fatty acids (VFAs) that serve as an additional energy source. [1][2][3]

This process helps maintain a stable pH in the hindgut, supporting overall digestive health, especially when beet pulp is used as an alternative to high-starch grains.

Protein Content and Digestibility

The protein content of beet pulp is higher than most UK grass hays, typically between 8-10% on a dry matter basis. However, beet pulp protein is less readily absorbed in the small intestine than some other protein sources, meaning that fewer amino acids are available to the horse.

Consequently, additional protein sources, such as alfalfa or grass pellets, are useful to use in combination with beet pulp as a bucket feed, especially for growing horses, lactating or pregnant mares, and performance horses to meet their complete protein and amino acid needs. It is always wise to use a number of different sources of feed in a bucket feed to enhance the range of amino acids supplied.

Mineral Content

Beet pulp is high in calcium, contributing to bone health and muscle function. It has a calcium-to-phosphorus ratio of about 10:1, much higher than the ideal dietary range of 2:1 to 6:1 for adult horses or 1.2:1 to 2:1 for growing horses. It can be a very useful feed to boost calcium levels in the diet if forage is low.

Equally, if a forage is high in calcium, then care should be taken to feed extra phosphorus. Usually, this is achieved by feeding a forge-focused horse feed balancer which matches common deficiencies of phosphorus in grass and hay.

Where calcium is very high in the diet, high-phosphorus feeds such as wheat bran, oats, or copra, or mono-sodium phosphate may be useful to add to the bucket feed. This is particularly the case with young and growing horses, pregnant mares in the last trimester or lactating mares.

Beet pulp also has a lower potassium content than most grass or hays, which benefits horses with HYPP, as it helps keep dietary potassium under 1%. It’s also relatively high in calcium, complementing grains like oats that are low in calcium and high in phosphorus.

However, beet pulp lacks essential vitamins and minerals, so supplementation with a forage-focused horse feed balancer with high vitamin E is recommended.

Nutritional Variation

The nutritional content of beet pulp can vary depending on its processing and ingredient sources. Always check the specific product’s feed tag or guaranteed analysis to ensure it meets your horse’s dietary requirements.

How to Feed Soaked Beet Pulp to Horses

Beet pulp can be fed to horses in a variety of ways, including as a standalone feed or as a mix with other feeds.

If feeding it as a standalone feed, the recommended feeding rate for beet pulp is 1-2% of the horse’s body weight per day, based on dry weight, but phosphorus needs to be balanced.

Soaking beet pulp makes it easier to eat and tastier for horses. While beet pulp has a reputation for causing choke, this can happen with any feed eaten too quickly without proper chewing.

Introducing Beet Pulp to Your Horse’s Diet

Beet pulp is a highly digestible fibre that can impact hindgut microbial populations. The fibre it contains is very different to that of grass and hay, so to avoid digestive upsets, introduce beet pulp gradually, allowing the horse’s microbial population in the hindgut to adapt smoothly.

Use this gradual schedule to transition your horse to beet pulp over 10 days:

Watch for any changes in feeding behaviour, particularly if your horse has a history of choke. Horses that consume dry beet pulp too quickly may be at higher risk of choking. Dusty beet pulp can also cause throat irritation. To reduce these risks, soak the beet pulp thoroughly and offer it in smaller meals.

References