Horseback riding can be a relaxing pursuit that also strengthens your core muscles, and is used as therapy for improving conditions such as neuromuscular function or as part of cognitive-behavioral therapy. Keeping a horse healthy and well-fed obviously lessens the chance of a problem while riding, but if the horse has metabolic problems, you have to be on the lookout for inappropriate feed. Beet pulp, the leftover solids after sugar beets are processed for sugar, is a common dry grain and forage substitute that is often sold covered in dried molasses for taste purposes. You must soak and rinse the beet pulp before using, especially when feeding it to a horse with metabolic problems.
Step 1
Place the amount of beet pulp you want to soak into a large bucket or bowl. Do not soak more beet pulp than you plan to use that day, especially in hot weather; beet pulp is perishable and can begin to ferment once soaked. Soaking only one meal's worth at a time may be a better choice.
Step 2
Add a little more than two parts water for every one part beet pulp to the bucket. If you are soaking 1 cup pulp, add a little more than 2 cups water, and so on. Use cool or warm water only; Debra J. Hagstrom, an equine specialist with the University of Illinois Extension, says hot water will cook the pulp.
Step 3
Check the beet pulp after at least one hour. It should no longer be absorbing water and you should see water left over. Hagstrom notes that the finished pulp will be "light and fluffy in consistency."
Step 4
Drain the extra water from the bucket.
Step 5
Rinse the soaked beet pulp with more water. Ensure you rinse all of the pulp, not just the top layer.
Tips and Warnings
- If you are not concerned about rinsing out extra molasses, use only two parts water to one part beet pulp. The pulp will have absorbed all of the water when it is ready. Check the beet pulp after 10 minutes. If it hasn't soaked up most of the water, check again about 20 minutes later, and keep checking until it no longer absorbs water. The timing varies greatly; Hagstrom recommends 10 minutes to two hours, while Dr. Martin Adams of Southern States Cooperative recommends leaving it at least 30 minutes. Adams says that, despite urban legends, beet pulp will not make your horse explode.
- Hagstrom warns that unsoaked beet pulp can present a choking hazard while Neil Clarkson of Horsetalk.co.nz notes that unsoaked beet pulp can lead to colic in horses.
Things You'll Need
- Large bucket or bowl
- Cool or warm water
References
- El Sol Equine Practice; Equine Metabolic Syndrome; Nicholas Frank
- West Virginia University: Horse Riding
- North American Riding for the Handicapped Association: About NARHA
- Horsetalk.co.nz; Pulp Fiction: A Horse Owner's Guide to Sugar Beet; Neil Clarkson; June 2010
- University of Illinois Extension: Illini HorseNet; Beet Pulp as a Fiber Source for Horses; Debra J. Hagstrom; December 2008
- Southern States Cooperative; Feeding Beet Pulp to Horses; Dr. Martin Adams; January 2011
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