For those of you who read Horse Journal, you may want to
take a look at the May 2006 issue. There’s an article in there about
feeding beet pulp dry. The article’s conclusion: don’t do it. To
quote a portion of the article:
“… the choke does not occur because the beet
pulp expands. Choke can happen with any type of dry feed – grain, hay,
pellets – and happens when there is insufficient production of saliva to
make passage down the esophagus easy. The reason [the horse owner] got into
trouble this time, without having problems for a year, is likely at least in
part because when she was mixing [beet pulp] with grain the harder texture of
the grain encouraged more chewing. Many horses will bolt down dry beet pulp
without chewing well. We agree it’s pointless to take the risk, and at
least a short soak is wise. If they do eat it quickly, the water will
substitute for the lack of saliva from chewing.”
…S
Susan Favro
Healthy As A Horse Network
“Innovative effective products for the conscientious horse owner”
Voice – 406.864.8000
Fax – 559.272.6093 Mobile –
406.370.6399
E-mail – Susan@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Online – www.HealthyAsAHorse.Net
