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Beet Pulp, Grain, and Excess Energy...

3K views 3 replies 4 participants last post by  luvs2ride1979 
#1 ·
I recently got a 3 year old filly probably 1 & 1/2 months ago. She was under weight when we got her so we started feeding her sweet feed (I know it's probably not the best, but can't afford much else). She is starting to put on weight but something I don't like is her excess energy.... She was a very calm, pokey horse when she came here, but now with the grain she's gotten a little more spirited. I was wondering if substituting beet pulp for grain would still help with her weight, but not give her that excess energy?
 
#2 ·
Lots of hay is best.

The filly may naturally be a bundle of energy. It's hard to know the true nature of a horse when they do not get the correct nutrition to feel good.

Plus, she's very young! Still finding her place in the world. Turn her energy into a positive introduction to life as a horse instead of a pasture ornament!
 
#3 ·
Instead of using sweet grain for your calories use the beet pulp build up to equal weight then look for a GOOD vitamin/mineral supplement should run you about 50 cents to $1 a day ... think ration balancer has all your vitamin/minerals plus additional amino acids for good muscle growth.

If you give me your zip I can help you find one in your area :) it cost me about 78 cents a day to feed my bunch their hard feed and another 75 cents a day for my round bales of hay :)
 
#4 ·
I agree, free choice quality grass or timothy hay with beet pulp and I would add alfalfa pellets. They will provide extra nutrients and calories, plus make up for any lack of nutrients in your hay.

A good, affordable vitamin supplement is Balance II from horse.com. It's broad spectrum and cheap! I used it for a while and it seemed to work well.

I would start her out by giving her half of her normal sweet feed ration mixed with 1 lb of shredded beet pulp and 1/2 lb of alfalfa pellets. You can feed beet pulp dry or soak it for 15-20 minutes in water. Pour off the excess and add the rest of her feed. Keep her on this for 1 week, then stop the sweet feed completely.

After the first week, increase the beet pulp to 3 lbs and the alfalfa pellets to 2 lbs. That with your vitamin supplement should bring her weight up nicely without the excess energy. Once she's up to weight, cut out the beet pulp completely and stick with the 2 lbs of alfalfa pellets. Add a little water to get the vitamins to stick.
 
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