Has anyone had behavioural changes with speedibeet?

GrassChop

GrassChop

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I started feeding it to my spicy mare 3 weeks a go and last weekend, she was absolutely full of it, bronking mid gallop.

Put it down to a one off and had the same again out on our hack today, just absolutely wired and bronking at speed.

Before I added it to her feed, she was super calm and not spooky at all to the point she was completely lazy! Now we have the complete opposite!

I've fed Fast Fibre and Veteran Vitality without issues but I'm guessing the beet in that must be so low.
 
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Yes, I've known a few react to it. A friend had an intermediate eventer that became almost unrideable on it, and I had a horse who after a few days became so unpleasant even the other horses avoided him. To be fair it wasn't specifically Speedibeet, any form of beet would have the same effect.
 
I had an ISH who reacted like that to speedibeet. Just couldn't feed it. And my Shire X mare was also a bit reactive although not totally insane. Never had a problem with any of the others!
 
Yes, made the welsh one absolutely wired to handle and ride. I remember reading its something to do with how it ferments in the hindgut but utlimately stopping the speedibeet stopped the behaviour so that was good enough for me!
 
It can have quite a significant effect on the gut microbiome and encourages proliferation of species that turn fibre into short chain fatty acids. L-methionine in particular can really affect behavior. It doesn't effect some horses because gut microbiome is quite individual to each animal.
 
Interesting to know others have experienced similar issues.
I'll take her off it straight away and see how she is next weekend. Presumably a week is enough to get it out the system?

The saddle was completely reflocked at the start of December and we have the check up in a couple of weeks but surely wouldn't have caused anything to this extent? We've done several rounds of saddle changes over the years, all fitted by qualified fitters, some saddles that ended up being quite bad and I never had any reaction to this extent. In fact, she had been so relaxed since this one got reflocked so it is really out of character in general.

I did switch to Veteran Vitality from Speedy Mash Fibre at the end of December because it was hit and miss on the feed store having stock and she would benefit from the extras in the VV but she's been on this before so can't have been that?

I added the Speedibeet shortly after the weekend of 17th Jan gradually adding it in. I rode a few days after that without issues but not that weekend due to the weather so it wasn't until the 2 week point after starting feeding it that I rode again and had the first lot of fizzyness and bronking and then again this weekend which would now be 3 weeks in. So I'm guessing by the second week, it had got into her system properly.

I also put her back on pink powder on 9th January as she seemed to have a dodgy gut from the rich haylage but again, she's been on this over winter before without issues.

I'm thinking more towards it being the Speedibeet than the VV as she's been on this before too and never had a reaction. This is the first time on straight beet aside from what is in Fast Fibre and VV.

I know there has been a few changes and additions overall recently but I've had her for 10 years, have had all sorts of antics along the way and she is generally spicy and forward going anyway but we've never had this!
 
Given that the first listed ingredient in VV is beet pulp I'd be less inclined to think the Speedibeet is the cause unless you're giving a lot of it. As @spotty_pony2 says many are feeling a bit bright at the moment so it could be as siple as that. Obviously there's no harm in replacing it with something else and seeing if that makes a difference, or even just feed less of it unless she needs the calories.
 
Nari said:
Given that the first listed ingredient in VV is beet pulp I'd be less inclined to think the Speedibeet is the cause unless you're giving a lot of it. As @spotty_pony2 says many are feeling a bit bright at the moment so it could be as siple as that. Obviously there's no harm in replacing it with something else and seeing if that makes a difference, or even just feed less of it unless she needs the calories.
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I've been giving a mug of it (dryweight) which does soak up to quite a lot.

It's just odd because I've never had this reaction with only freshness! I guess it'll be a process of elimination.
 
One of my horses (non-ridden) reacts to it, becoming spooky and hyped up. He's fine with Fast Fibre. A vet told me that it was unlikely to affect his behaviour but I've fed it on a couple of occasions and the change was very evident.
 
GrassChop said:
I've been giving a mug of it (dryweight) which does soak up to quite a lot.

It's just odd because I've never had this reaction with only freshness! I guess it'll be a process of elimination.
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Mine loves the taste of it and a friend recently gave me half a sack so I've tried letting my current lad have a bit again - in the past it made him spookier, but we've come a long way since then - but I'm literally giving him two 30ml supplement scoops of the dried stuff morning and night and hoping it doesn't cause an issue. I've also reduced his pony nuts.

ETA in y balancer cup that's just under the 50g mark.
 
Nari said:
Mine loves the taste of it and a friend recently gave me half a sack so I've tried letting my current lad have a bit again - in the past it made him spookier, but we've come a long way since then - but I'm literally giving him two 30ml supplement scoops of the dried stuff morning and night and hoping it doesn't cause an issue. I've also reduced his pony nuts.

ETA in y balancer cup that's just under the 50g mark.
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I think the mug/cup I use is about 300ml so quite a bit 😬
 
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