Re: beet pulp and camping

[Susan Evans Garlinghouse <suendavid@worldnet.att.net>]

> I may bring my horse along on a teen camping trip and was wondering... If the forest service will not allow him to eat what natually grows, how much beet pulp I would have to bring to feed a 1000 lb Arab for three days of hiking with the group?  Any thoughts?
> 
> Thanks, Nina


I'm not sure I would want to feed ONLY beet pulp---there are certainly
worse things, but I'd personally keep the beet pulp portion to less than
half.  For a 1000 lb horse, count on needing about 1.5-2% of his body
weight per day in some form of roughage, or about 15-20 pounds (closer
to 20).  If space is a problem and you can't take hay, try taking along
a pelleted hay (maybe about 12 pounds per day) and about 6 pounds a day
of beet pulp pellets.  That will take care of sufficient dry matter,
protein, etc.  If he's also being ridden (which I assume he is), you can
also add a few pounds of grain.

I wouldn't want to keep a horse on pellets for an extended period of
time, but if you really can't take hay, this will do him fine.  Be sure
to get him used to pellets before the trip, maybe just take a week or
two and mix some pellets in with his "normal ration".

Hope this helps.

Susan Garlinghouse