 |
Re: [RC] beet pulp pellet question - Elizabeth WalkerThis is the first time I've actually heard someone say they fed beet pulp pellets dry. Anything I've read by vets, consultants, etc. says to soak them, preferably overnight. As to the amount of water ... well, I normally use (or used to) shreds, and those - yes, you can use about the same amount of water as shreds, and they don't really need soaking. But the pellets .... I did some experiments when I had to use my one and only bag of pellets. I think something like 1/3 - 1/2 cup of pellets expanded to fill a 2 quart container. It used at least 4 x the amount of water as pellets to fully expand. When they do, they break into small shreds - no hard centers. Those suckers are compressed! They are hard, too. Much harder than other pelleted feeds, IMO. So - in the context of endurance riding - if you are feeding them in a regular meal with plenty of water available, then OK, possibly feed them dry with lots of water, as long as the horse has time to drink enough water and the pellets have enough time to fully hydrate and expand inside the horse. However, if you are using them *during* a ride, or the morning of a ride, I can see them pulling water from the horse. If the horse is even a bit dehydrated, I could see them causing an impaction or some other type of issue. I had to call the vet out once for my old horse, who was showing signs of mild colic. She did a rectal, and said that the tissues were dry - basically sticking to the manure. Not really a true impaction, but close enough that he was uncomfortable and needed some oil to help things out. Only later did I remember that I had given him a monthly dose of psyllium, the same day we went for a 2-hour ride. I can see dry beet pulp pellets doing the same kind of thing. On Jan 26, 2010, at 6:41 PM, k s swigart wrote: If you like soaking them over time and letting them get mushy, you can, but it isn't necessary. And it isn't necessary to add water either, you can feed them dry as easily as any other kind of pelleted feed (In fact, I have one horse who will only eat them dry, if I add water and they get soft, she won't eat it...and she turns her nose up at the shredded stuff too). =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net. Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/Ridecamp Subscribe/Unsubscribe http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/logon.asp Ride Long and Ride Safe!! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
|