Can you feed horses raw/ unprocessed sugar beet

[Polos Mum]

I've often fed a sweed to my boys to keep them from being bored if they have to be in, as is the case with all this rain and waterlogged fields!
I've just had delivered a load of raw sugarbeets which we feed to the pigs, anyone know if I can feed this to horses or would it be like giving yellow sweets to my toddler!!! as the sugar hasn't been processed out like the speedibeet they ussually have?

 

[Mardy Mare]

Hi.

I used to work for a company who produced sugarbeet and have seen the whole process!

I believe it would be ok for horses to eat some raw sugarbeet (like carrots, swede etc). I think what makes dried sugarbeet dangerous it the fact it swells when water is added to it- therefore swelling inside the horses stomache.

As raw sugarbeet has not had the drying process and moisture removed, I think it should be OK- but i'm not an equine dietry expert!

 

[Polos Mum]

MM - many thanks, maybe I'll experiment with a little and see if the sugar goes straight to his head!