beet pulp

["Terry Barrall and Felix Rodriguez" <losvagos@navicom.com>]

Okay, Wiser-Than-I-Ridecampers, a beet-pulp question: I am just starting the serious conditioning, and bought my first bag of beet pulp last night. I was given some for my gelding at the first endurance ride I went to, about a month ago, but he wouldn't touch it. I thought it might be sour or he might be too excited or??

 

Well, last night I tried it straight (soaked, of course) and he was supremely disinterested -- and this was before dinner. He's outdoors 24/7 for summer, but I put him in his stall with no other food and no other water (it was sloppy wet) for about 3 hours. No deal. So, I mixed in more water, oats, chopped carrots and alfalfa pellets with a shake of mineral salts (which he takes freely when offered) and to crown it off, a hearty drizzle of molasses. Heck, I almost ate it myself. I put him back in the stall at midnight and left him there till noon. No go, wouldn't eat it. I ended up giving it to his brother who thought he was in heaven.

 

Do I have the only horse on the planet who won't eat this stuff? I thought they were supposed to like it? Any suggestions?

 

Terry B/Salem