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First experience with beet pulp!; So far so good...and a question
Topic Started: Jan 22 2007, 03:36 PM (527 Views)
Trialbyfire
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Since I was at the feed store today I picked up beet pulp for my big fat hony. I think she is *likely* IR and *possibly* EPSM/PSSM but since both diets are similar in that you want to reduce sugar/starch, I thought replacing some of her regular hay with beet pulp would probably be a good thing no matter what. I made a sample dinner tonight to see whether she'd even eat it -- 1/2 lb beet pulp, 1/4 c olive oil, 1 t salt, ,1/2 t cinnamon, and top dressed it with 1/2 her usual ration of TC LIte. I had to fight the kids AND the dogs just to get it to the barn (must be the cinnamon, which is supposed to be helpful to reduce crestiness).

Almost had a stampede in the barnyard. :one: I knew I could count on her to eat it! (She LOVES food!) Obviously....that's why she's so fat! Not sure if my OTTB mare would be as willing, but for the moment she's doing ok on her TC Senior.

So for those of you who have used beet pulp to replace some hay in the diet, would you provide a "meal" to your horse without some hay present? I do not have free choice hay available because she would just eat and eat until it was gone. I generally feed a breakfast and a dinner in their stalls with their grain and a flake of hay (1 flake for the hony, more for the TB), and then put out hay 1-2 times during the day and again at night. So could I skip the a.m. flake of hay, for example? I am thinking about digestion, and whether the long grasses need to be in her gut or if it's ok to skip that feeding of hay? This would be the easiest way for me in order to cut her back, since the other "hay times" they are turned out together.

I am calling the vet tomorrow before I get too far down the road with this, but felt like trying a taste test tonight.

Thanks!
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equusrocks
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Magical Leopluridon
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I use beet pulp too with my easy keeper, as I only have a limited amount of hay until this coming season. I was using TC Low Starch as a "complete" and fed hay too, but a friend was feeding her guy beet pulp and I decided to give it a try. It took my horse a couple days to like it, but he's been fine on it and he's been getting it for 2 or 3 weeks.

When I feed the Beet Pulp, I've been giving him hay first, and when I notice that has been nearly finished, I give him his soaked cubes and beet pulp, and mix them together in a big manure bucket. (Just because it's easier to prepare the beet pulp as I'm doing the other chores, and then give it to him after...I can't let it sit inside while I'm at work/sleeping because the roommates complain...)

I haven't had a problem with it yet, but would be interested to see if anyone else has. Good luck!
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Hoof Prince
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I would use the beet pulp in moderation to replace the grain, unless you have a problem with your hay supply. But I would start soaking the hay for an hour before feeding it to her, because this cuts the non-structural carbohydrates (sugars and starches) by about a third (see www.safergrass.org, which will give you information on hay testing also). I have a horse who is IR and has foundered, and he has the same tendency to consume everything in sight. I think it is a symptom on being IR, because their bodies crave what they cannot absorb. A worthy newsgroup is the Equine Cushing and IR on Yahoo groups. This will provide you with the necessary information you need help your hony healthy.
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Good luck and best wishes for your girl :cheer: :cheer: :cheer:

Clickable Smilies Rock :clap:

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Trialbyfire
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Thanks for your input!

Equusrocks, we are in NY too, so we've had trouble getting hay as well. I finally found some very good hay but was thinking about supplementing with hay stretcher or the like for a while. Our local Agway has had the hay stretcher prominently displayed for a couple of months, with signs about how to use it to supplement your hay supply, so it's definitely a problem all over! I actually bought some very late first cutting at one point because I couldn't find better hay, and they HATE it. So I have about 50 bales of hay that they'd rather use as bedding and am trying to find someone to take it away for me!

Hoof Prince, thanks for sharing your experience. I have spent untold hours in the last few days on the Cushings/IR Yahoo group...very helpful although so much inforomation my head is about to explode. I don't know that I'd ever be capable of using the balancing worksheets...I think I'd have to defer to my vet to do the calculations for me!

Aside from a cresty neck, we haven't been overly concerned with this mare; I've known her for years although have not owned her for long. She's always had the crest, has very good feet and has never foundered (of course we'd like to keep it that way, though!) We've recently wondered if she may have EPSM as she's been pronounced permanently lame with no specific cause (I acquired her as a companion, but would love to make her more sound). One of the problems with her being so unsound is that she's not "working" at all and now she's gaining weight. So I'm looking at reducing the grass hay from her diet and giving her alfalfa hay, of which I have quite a bit. It is very confusing that EPSM diets recommend alfalfa hay but IR diets seem to avoid alfalfa....although the Yahoo group does not seem to have any information on this so I may have to post a question there.

My thoughts are that I could decrease the grass hay by replacing some of it with beet pulp, and slowly increase the alfalfa hay (which she tolerates very well and has been getting a little daily for quite some time), and eventually eliminating the grain altogether (she hardly gets any to begin with). So overall she would be getting a lower NSC diet overall, then replace some of the calories with oil to test the EPSM theory.

Anyway, so far so good. She loves the beet pulp, and I'm learning a lot!! :psycho: I think! When I call the vet I'm going to put the IR/ESPM issues out there and hope that if they are pushed a little they will help work with the diet to test it out.

Thanks for the advice!
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equusrocks
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Well good luck Trialbyfire. I don't know where you are in NY (I'm in the northern parts) but I have a friend who recently moved but couldn't take her horse with her. She sort of left me responsible for his veterinary and farrier care, and she uses Burlington Equine. Her guy has weight issues and I was really impressed with them and their callback/response to questions. (That is, if you want to go the "equine" vet route...you might have one already though...just a suggestion) I really liked them and decided to use them as my horses "dentist" and vaccination vet. I'll use my local one for emergencies and small things though. Anyhow, fingers crossed the hay situation is better this year!! :luck: Unfortunately for me, my hay guy can't "hold" hay, so I have to try and make as much room as I can in the spring for hay storage...that's going to be a treat. :sigh:
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Auventera
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I feed beet pulp and I love it! <3 (well, okay, the ponies love it!) My two girls lick up their hot BP like it's manna from heaven! One of my fatties has EMS and I too have to watch her weight or she'll blow up like a ballon. BP has really helped on that endeavor!
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Auventera
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Aaaccck! Sorry! I thought I was putting this on the beet pulp thread! I fluffed up royally. Sorry. I tried to delete but I can't figure out how! :pissed:
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Trialbyfire
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Equusrocks, I hear you about the hay for next year!! We moved our tractor into the garage to store hay this year because no one would hold it for us, so that means my car is in the snow. (Of course dh's new tractor is protected from the elements while I will have to dig out the minivan for me and the kids should it ever snow!) We are in the Capital District so quite a ways from you actually.

I called my vet today and unfortunately he's on vacation, but I'm willing to wait for him. He is new to the practice, and young, which I like because I think he's more likely to think "out of the box" than vets who have practiced for years and years. He is also Canadian, which seems to be a good think on this board! :one:

And his interests are lameness and chiropractic/alternative treatments, so he's a good one to see my lame pony. So far no one else has identified the cause of her lameness, so if it's not EPSM maybe he'll be able to figure it out.

The farrier was here yesterday (has been her farrier for years) and said that she's definitely had hind end issues for much longer than just the most recent lameness. And despite the vets for both focusing on the right stifle he is 100% positive she is lame on the other side (in addition, probably) based on her hoof wear. Which sounds bad but for me is actually good -- less likely to be a specific injury if it's both sides and might actually be due to muscle wasting. Oh well, we'll see!
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Trialbyfire
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No worries, I found your post!

Is EMS the same as EPMS? I'd love to hear about your diet -- I'm trying to figure out where to cut some of my pony's calories in order to make room for a 20-25% fat portion. If I rode her more I'd be less concerned with her caloric intake but that's another story.....getting there, but also worried about hurting her because she is still lame, so really all I would be doing would be walking. But compared to her current status (fat pony standing waiting to be fed) maybe she'd actually burn up some calories! Or maybe it will get really cold again so she can shed a few pounds that way!

So far she LOOOOOVES the beet pulp. I'm a little worried about getting the bucket to the barn without being tackled! :P
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seal harbor
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I'm going to work some admin magic and merge this with the BP thread that is already started. Ok. Hang on to your hats.
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