Comments on: More debate on beet pulp — is it toxic?

By: Liz Goldsmith

Liz Goldsmith — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 12:33:26 +0000

Excuse me, but anecdotes and data are not the same. There is NOT a shred of scientific evidence that feeding beet pulp causes a horse to become weak in its hind end. There are PLENTY of other reasons why a horse would develop these problems and most have to do with how they are ridden, saddle fit, shoeing issues, etc. rather than what they are fed. There is no way you can tell from that letter what is causing the issues experienced by that woman’s horse and you do her a disservice to speculate that it’s beet pulp. If you do want to play the anecdotal evidence game, please explain to me why endurance horses are so widely fed beet pulp!

By: Lorrie

Lorrie — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 12:24:37 +0000

Hi,
I have a 17 year old Grand Prix dressage Mare and live in Charleston SC. Last summer (2010) my mare was not breathing well, so I put her on 1AC. She did better and made it through the summer fine. This summer, I started her on beet pulp shreds, and she did not need the 1AC. Her coat blossomed to a dark bay/black, which in our Southern sun is quite lovvely. but her normal rear end movements, and her way of going began to change as the summer progressed. She now starts out sluggish, with tiny steps, and her rounded top line has changed noticably, appearing like a weaker back. She wants to move more on her forehand. She is a Hannovereian/TB and your article caught my eye. One of my very good friends is having similar issues with her percheron/Tb who is only 7 years old. This mare is being trained for endurance competition and also steps out gingerly, not wanting to use her back end also. this mare is on a beet pulp based feed.

If this is a clacium/phosphorous issue, would feeding some alfalfa take care of this problem? She loves her beet pulp, but if it is harming her, I will take it away.

The rest of her diet is Triple Crown bagged Safe Forage (timothy and orchard grass hay,) Seminole Feed “Calm and Cool” (Wellness) and timothy -orchard grass square bales, lightly fed to keep them from getting bored. They are now eating bahaia pasture and winter rye but our growing season is ending..
Gee wonder why????????????????????????????

By: Lorrie

Lorrie — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 12:41:47 +0000

http://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/2011/05/20/court-of-appeals-dismisses-monsantos-appeal-of-biotech-beets-case-preserves-victory-for-farmers-environment/

this answers question 1-5-6

As far as the hind gut it takes 4 molecules of water to process 1 molecule of beet pulp , so water it retained in the hind gut thus over working it as horses can only have food on their stomachs for only 2 hours , so since the beet pulp is a insoluble fiber meaning
insoluble fiber that is metabolically inert, absorbing water as it moves through the digestive system, easing defecation.

taking along with it valuable nutrients, plus taxing the kidneys
Equine Digestive Tract Structure and Function
Author:

Dr. Bob Wright, Veterinary Scientist, Equine and Alternative Livestock/OMAFRA
Creation Date:

01 September 1999
Last Reviewed:

01 September 1999

I certainly agree that beet pulp all by its lonesome doesn’t come close to providing an adequate and balanced mineral profile. Few feeds do. Great grass hay is about the only one that really fills the bill of being one-stop shopping, and even that not 100% of the time.

Susan Garlinghouse, DVM
Mountains of unusable waste from the beet industry were marketed to the equine feed industry for weight gain. The gains in weight appear to be mostly water weight; it is lost quickly when the horse discontinues it. Water is retained when the body attempts to dilute a toxic substance.
Julie Montgomery Dragon Fly farms Tennessee

You’re absolutely right — beet pulp is not a complete feed and must be balanced
with a proper vitamin and mineral supplement. It is very high in oxalates, as
…your link showed, which bind calcium, so though it appears to be high in
calcium, it actually isn’t a good source since the calcium is not well absorbed. Feed Your Horse Like A Horse wrote Juliet Margolin Getty

By: Barbora

Barbora — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 11:03:46 +0000

I would like to add to this discussion that some points could be valid when considering beet pulp, however due to its proven fiber profile it is worth finding solutions to these. For example, it is a fact that most beet pulp today is GMO, however it is reasonably easy to find alternatives since there still are companies using solely non-GMO beet pulp. Furthermore, if worried about calcium imbalance or quality issues, choose a product that is under strict quality control and also has balanced calcium and phosphorus. They are out there. It is not that hard to work around these. Beet pulp might not be for everyone, however it is beneficial to many horses and far better for them to use than high amounts of starch cereals such as barley and corn for adding calories…

By: jk

jk — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 20:02:21 +0000

I have been feeding my horse beet pulp and cubes for 2 years and he has never felt better. He has trouble breathing when on hay and this mixture has fixed his breathing, his coat is shiny and very healthy all threw the winter and he has more energy than he knows what to do with without having to feed him any grain. I have never noticed any of the symptoms spoke of in him or any other horse we have have fed beet pulp to.

By: lizgoldsmith

lizgoldsmith — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 15:01:29 +0000

Excuse me, please point me to the study that shows horses that eat beat pulp get cresty necks? Typically that is a symptom of magnesium deficiency. And those are fat deposits, not calcium deposits.

One study that is nearly 30 years old that says feeding certain plants “may” result in a deficiency does not provide enough evidence in the face of current nutritional guidelines. In any case, horse owners should feed a balanced diet so that there is a calcium/phosphorous balance.

Once again — don’t feed beet pulp to your horses or your clients’ horses. But I think you are doing a disservice by presenting your “anecdotal theories” as fact.

I have fed beet pulp to many horses as do many of my colleagues. I have yet to see any of them develop “calcium deposits” on their necks.

By: Lorrie

Lorrie — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 12:26:35 +0000

Really , anecdotal theories?

The horse on beet pulp will throw off calcium, as a result you will see the calcium deposit along the horses neck , once the beet pulp is removed , more flextion and absorption of calcium results
Lon Lewis DVM-Feeding and Nutrition care of the Horse 1982 states quoted:
Excess amounts of oxalates (form of salt) may be present in these plants-halogeteon, greasewood, BEETS, dock, rhubarb-(Beets =product beet pulp) – If the horse consistently eats theses plants over a LONG extended period of time, calcium deficiency will result. Insoluble oxalate crystals will deposit in the kidneys resulting in kidney damage – Could be the reason for the water molecules trying to flush the kidneys?
Every horse I have seen that is on beet pulp has kidney reflex point that is hot.

I never go by science as they are just theories anyway , I go by results and experience and my horses well being.

By: lizgoldsmith

lizgoldsmith — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 00:51:39 +0000

Sigh. No one is forcing anyone to feed their horse beet pulp. It is a useful feed for people who choose a forage based diet but don’t want the high protein levels of alfalfa. Really, your article would be more compelling if it was scientifically accurate. Since you are neither a vet nor an equine nutritionist and your article is rife with errors, I simply can’t endorse your point of view. Beet pulp is not an empty filler, it is about 10 percent protein, 0.8 percent calcium and 0.5 percent phosphorus. There is an old saying: many anecdotes don’t make data. You may have “hundreds” of testimonials from horse owners who took their horses off of beet pulp and are now healthier but unless those horses were part of a study that looked at their diet before, their diet after and which evaluated them in a measurable way, it means nothing. They could be healthier now because they have a more balanced diet, or because whatever was ailing them no longer affected them, or because something else in their environment changed. In general it’s not a good idea to manage your horse’s diet through anecdotal theories, especially when there is so much scientifically backed nutritional data available.

By: Lorrie Bracaloni

Lorrie Bracaloni — Mon, 05 Jul 2010 17:43:02 +0000

My My ,very good points except you are forgeting the horse the one you stuff beet pulp into. seems to me wild horse never go near a beet pulp plant so why feed it to them . I can tell you I have hundreds of testimonies wher gorse owners have taken thier horses off beet pulp and restored thier horse back to health, sorry people Beet pulp is a waste product , a empty filler for all commercial feed manufactuers, the only who loses being fed Beet Pulp is the horse.

By: lizgoldsmith

lizgoldsmith — Sun, 27 Jun 2010 23:40:47 +0000

If you read the comments by Dr. Garlinghouse she addresses that in point #4: “Sugar beets don’t “store” pesticides in the pulp. If they did, it wouldn’t be very effective in eliminating bugs on the outside of the plant,would it? I’ve seen the tox assay reports on beet pulp and the results were pretty much nil. I also ran my own on beets straight from the field and hosed off in my driveway–also nil. Also, shredded beet pulp gets tossed into a water bath and the water with soluble sugars (which is the cash crop here) is removed and dried to the table sugar end product. If there were residues, it’s more likely they’d be present in higher concentrations in the table sugar. It’s not. When whats-her-name can produce real data, we’ll talk. Until then, it’s apparent she’s not even familiar with the manufacturing process, let alone any inherent shortfalls.” I tend to believe her findings since she has first hand experience, has specialized in equine nutrition and feeds her own horses beet pulp. That said, there’s no reason for everyone to choose to add beet pulp to their horses’ diets. There are plenty of ways to feed your horse! Just be careful to read the ingredients of commercial feeds because beet pulp is incorporated into many of them.