Re: Beet pulp questions

["Duncan Fletcher" <dfletche@gte.net>]

Beet pulp
Ca 0.62%
P 0.09%

Whether this is too high is dependent on the Ca level of the overall diet,
not any single component. Don't know what 2 coffee cans would weigh, but 2
lbs (dry) would add about 6 g of calcium. A 1100 lb horse should receive a
total of 25 - 40 g total depending on workload. If the grass hay is a low
calcium hay like orchardgrass, the extra calcium from beet pulp would be
desirable. If fed any quantity of alfalfa, it would not be desirable.

Duncan Fletcher
dfletche@gte.net

-----Original Message-----
From: Sullys Maze <Sully@Forsythe.Stanford.EDU>
To: ridecamp@endurance.net <ridecamp@endurance.net>
Date: Monday, March 30, 1998 7:51 AM
Subject: Beet pulp questions


>I have a question for Susan and the vets out there.  I have been
>feeding quite a bit of beet pulp to help bring up that condition
>number on my big mare this spring. She is on California spring
>pasture (short grass, lots of weeds), free choice grass hay, and
>occasional alfalfa.  She is getting about 2 small coffee cans of
>beet pulp right now, soaked.  A couple of questions come up.  I
>looked at the tag on the beet pulp for calcium/phos levels, and it
>only said "shredded beet pulp."  Someone over on rec. equestrian
>mentioned that beetpulp may be too high in calcium, so I wanted to
>ask the experts about that.  This is the mare that tied-up last year
>at the Wine Country ride, with no obvious explanations, so I am
>going to question the balances before I do this again (feed a lot of
>beet pulp.)  She DOES like it, and it DID work on keeping weight on,
>but I need to balance the whole diet.
>
>Also, Susan, can you give me an address for Dr. Bray, and do you
>know if he had any papers on his talks on enteroliths and
>sand-colic.  I would be happy to pay for the copying.
>
>Next question, is that he said at the AERC regional conference that
>he feeds beet pulp DRY, and doesn't feel it is at risk for causing
>choke.  But I have to question what happens when it hits the
>foregut.  Doesn't it swell?  Wouldn't it cause a problem with a
>dehydrated horse?  Still seems safer to feed it wet, and you have
>the added benefit of getting more moisture into the horse.
>
>Karen
>
>To:  RIDECAMP@ENDURANCE.NET
>