Endurance.Net Ridecamp Archives

Good Lord, I don't check email for a few days and you guys all start
fourteen nutrition threads!  Well, here goes...

I think for Strider at least, he
> > just cannot tolerate beet pulp.
Amber, that *might* very well be true.  However, in one of the other posts
forwarded to me, you also said that you had taken Strider off beet pulp
until this last ride.  I think that might be a large part of the problem.
Beet pulp is largely a soluble fiber, which is highly fermentable---short
answer, it creates alot of gas if the microbial population isn't ready for
this change in feeds.  Add on top of that Srider's relative newbie status
(you just got him last summer, right?), possible hydration changes, stress,
strange hay, who knows what else....and that might have all added up to some
minor colic (and I'm glad it all settled down with a little banamine).

Something else that sort of perked up my ears was your comment that Srider
started having problems just a few miles out after having eaten the beet
pulp.  And that he was stretching out like he needed to pee, right?  I do
absolutely agree those are signs of colic pain---but assuming you were
moving along at a reasonable pace after the check, that beet pulp wasn't
even out of the stomach yet...nowhere near the hindgut where the gas was
probably accumulating.  I do think the beet pulp had a hand in the colic,
but I'm not entirely convinced it was the only problem brewing here (no pun
intended).

Given that you said the temps were very cool, I agree with you in that I
don't think the beet pulp fermenting was an issue.  I *do* think that the
beet pulp being a new feed at the ride was at least one of the factors
involved.

What I would suggest (if you want to try the beet pulp again) is to
reintroduce the beet pulp again at home---starting in small amounts, on a
daily basis, so that's it's part of his consistent, normal ration.  If you
don't feed it at home, don't feed it at a ride, any more than you'd try out
a brand new saddle for the first time at a ride, right?  If Strider doesn't
have problems at home, then it's a safe assumption that in general, he
handles beet pulp okay.  So, try it at the ride---more or less in the same
amounts, same consistency (soaked), and making sure you're covered your
bases in regards to drinking, eating plenty of forage and electrolyting,
etc.

> > my Vet told me that he is seeing more horses cramping and they are on
beet
> > pulp.
Could be, and I sure would be interested in continuing some public dialogue
about it.  Especially since I seem to be talking to a lot of riders that
seem to be having the same trouble you are, when they are only feeding the
beet pulp as "Race Day Rations".  At the risk of being redundant (I've been
called worse)<g>, if they aren't used to it at home, they shouldn't be
getting it at a ride (okay, except for the stolen bite from the neighbor's
feed bucket!)

Good luck and let us know how it goes.

Susan G



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