Speedibeet vs Fast Fibre

[peanut]

I've always fed Speedi-beet but so many people seem to feed Allen & Page Fast Fibre these days that I'm wondering if I should swap.

Is it just in fashion at the moment, or is it better?

I believe that FF contains no sugar whereas SB has 5%, and FF is instant whereas SB takes 20 minutes, but apart from that what is the advantage?

 

[Ali2]

FF does have sugar - its 5 % starch
SB is also 5 % sugar (http://www.britishhorsefeeds.com/speedi-beet/typical-analysis)

SB is just made from sugar beet
FF has a host of ingredients in it:
(min 40 percent) cereal straw (treated), (10-25 percent) unmolassed beet, (less than 10 percent) oat fibre, expelled linseed, grass meal, Di-calcium phosphate, calcium carbonate, expelled soya oil, sodium chloride, natural vitamins, vitamins and minerals, mint, herbs garlic.

FF has 8 MJ/kg digestible energy, SB has 12.4 so you'd need to feed 50 % more dry weight of FF to continue to feed the same amount of calories.

I'd stick with the speedibeet

 

[ISHmad]

From memory I think that Fast Fibre contains garlic which a lot of people (myself included) won't feed. Think some people like feeding it as a partial or complete hay replacer for older horses who have problems eating hay or haylage. Others like to feed it warm for some reason.

I'm very much of the if it isn't broken it doesnt need fixing school. If your horse is fine on SB I'd stay as you are.

 

[TGM]

Depends on why you are feeding Speedibeet in the first place! If you are feeding it for condition then stick with it as it has a much higher calorie content than Fast Fibre - 12.4 MJDE/kg compared with 8 MJDE/kg.

However, if you have a fatty that perhaps needs a feed to mix supplements into, then Fast Fibre being low calorie might be a better choice.

As regards carbohydrate levels, Fast Fibre is 5% starch and 2% sugar, whereas Speedibeet is 5% sugar but negligible starch levels. So although Speedibeet is higher in sugar, its overall carb level is lower than Fast Fibre!

 

[peanut]

Depends on why you are feeding Speedibeet in the first place!

Yes, sorry I should have said!

My ISH is a skinny laminitic who needs to maintain weight (she's a perfect weight at the moment) and who will eat the bucket if there isn't enough in it!

She's fed on Dengie chaff, Top Spec Anti-Lam and Speedibeet.

I need SB or FF to fill her up without causing fizziness, and of course the lami is a major factor.

 

[Saxon_Jasmine]

whereas Speedibeet is 5% sugar but negligible starch levels.

That's interesting. Do you know how much starch is in it? The bag it comes in says it's low sugar and starch but doesn't actually specify the amount.

 

[peanut]

That's interesting. Do you know how much starch is in it? The bag it comes in says it's low sugar and starch but doesn't actually specify the amount.

According the the link Ali2 provided, the amount is so negligible that there is too little to specify.

 

[Cyberchick]

I feed Fast Fibre now and I/Horse love it. I have fed Speedibeet in the past and certainly wouldn't hesitate to feed it again however I can easily feed a nice big bowl full of FF by feeding 1 and a half scoops a feed which means he has maintained his weight superbly and I have had comments on how well he's looking and good coat etc.

 

[Kenzo]

Well I feed both together.

 

[NELSON11]

Well I feed both together.

Me too

 

[Kenzo]

Me too

Yeah but you soak em both together?

 

[tabithakat64]

I've fed both Speedibeet and Fast Fibre and am sticking with Fast Fibre this winter.
It's something I can feed my fat cob a handful of to put his supplements in as well as being able to use it to help keep condition on my aging lami prone pony.
It's quicker to soak than speedibeet which is great when I'm in a real rush

 

[ShowJumperBeckii]

my horse went off speedy beet and shes gets VERY skinny in the winter so someone said try fast fiber.... but now everyones saying its good for fat horses? :S

 

[Rollin]

When I lived in the UK SB was much more expensive than ordinary sugar beet - so why use it. I buy non-molassed SB bought from my local agri-merchant. With 13 to feed it makes a difference.

So why do you feed speedibeet?

 

[TGM]

When I lived in the UK SB was much more expensive than ordinary sugar beet - so why use it. I buy non-molassed SB bought from my local agri-merchant. With 13 to feed it makes a difference.

So why do you feed speedibeet?

Because normal molasses sugar beet is about 20 per cent sugar and therefore not good for anything with laminitic or fizzy tendencies - Speedibeet is only 5 per cent sugar. There are brands of cheaper unmolasses long soak beet available but unforunately none of my local feedstores stock them.

 

[peanut]

Well I feed both together.

Why? And what else do you put with it?

 

[NeedNewHorse]

I absolutely love fast fibre. I have been through so many chaffs and such like trying to find something my mare will eat to put a host of supplements in and she was just never interested, especially as I wanted something without molasses in. Fast fibre for me is great because I don't want anything to fizz her up and nor do I want something sugary as she is a good doer (not a fatty though) and she loves it. Never seen her scoff her whole feed before so I am sticking with this now, she doesn't turn her nose up at anything I put in and simply loves it. So yep I am well impressed with it,

But its horses for courses in your case
x

 

[TGM]

Why? And what else do you put with it?

I don't know Kenzo's reasons, but I have fed the two together as well. Fast Fibre is supplemented with vitamins and minerals, and is low sugar/low starch and makes a nice mash, so a great feed for my suspected Cushings veteran apart from the fact it is low calorie, plus a bit boring taste-wise for her. So I mixed it with Speedibeet to up the calorie level, make it more tasty whilst still getting the benefit of the vit/mins in the Fast Fibre. (Speedibeet is not supplemented with vit/mins).

 

[Kenzo]

Why? And what else do you put with it?

Extra fibre through winter basically.

They have portion of each in a morning feed with plenty of Hi Fi Lite.

Evenings I reduce the portions of SB and FF but then mix with a scoop of Alfa A oil and High Fi Light with half a scoop of Bailey No.6's but only into the evening feed.

You can use as much High Fi Lite as you like as it can be used as a hay replacer, but because my two already recieve hay, it's a form of adding a good source of fibre without worrying about the extra suger content which you'll aready get in good quality hay.

The Alfa A Oil helps to keep the weight on but also gives enough slow release energy along with the endurance mix.

I use No.6 because it's also low starch, however you have to bare in mind that it will also add condition to a horse if they are not fit or in regular work, but this enable me to keep a nice balance of energy and weight, if there not in regular work, I simply cut out the mix.

Works for my two anyway.

 

[Laura Jenkins]

I absolutely love fast fibre. I have been through so many chaffs and such like trying to find something my mare will eat to put a host of supplements in and she was just never interested, especially as I wanted something without molasses in. Fast fibre for me is great because I don't want anything to fizz her up and nor do I want something sugary as she is a good doer (not a fatty though) and she loves it. Never seen her scoff her whole feed before so I am sticking with this now, she doesn't turn her nose up at anything I put in and simply loves it. So yep I am well impressed with it,

But its horses for courses in your case
x

I put Happy Hoof none molasses with my mares fast fibre and supplements she loves it, and is a really good doer and she has the bare minimal

 

[Pinkvboots]

A thread from 2010

 

[Laura Jenkins]

Yeah but the feed hasn't changed? Why does it matter how old it is? People are still asking questions and searching about the differences. Just like so was.

 

[teacups]

I found it interesting too and would not have spotted it otherwise.

 

[Squeak]

What has most definitely changed is the price of speedibeet! I paid £22 for a bag at the weekend

 

[Errin Paddywack]

What has most definitely changed is the price of speedibeet! I paid £22 for a bag at the weekend

Wow!! It has gone up here but not that much, £18.49 at Tower Farm Saddlers.

 

[Orangehorse]

My horses didn't like Fast Fibre. They're not that keen on Speedibeet either but one bag lasts me a whole winter as they only get a bit to mix in their vitamin supplment. I suspect that if it was molassed they would gobble it up.

 

[Squeak]

Wow!! It has gone up here but not that much, £18.49 at Tower Farm Saddlers.

I checked online when I got back and it seems to vary from 18 - 23! I'm very glad one bag lasts for so long, just hoping it goes down again before next winter.

 

[criso]

I use the long soak unmolassed sugarbeet from Trident, costs me £10.45 a bag. Just have to be organised to make sure I soak for the following day.

 

[holeymoley]

You could try the beet made by Simple Systems. I feed it as an extra to my laminitic in the Winter if he's looking a bit poor. It has no fillers or anything so perfectly safe. You could also try a bit of linseed which is a safe way to condition them a bit.

 

[Jambarissa]

I changed from SB to FF because SB wasn't interesting enough in the summer to get my mare to eat her meds.

They do much prefer FF, which is not necessarily a good thing because all are pretty good doers.

I do have an issue with all these quick soaking feeds. I theorise that SB v. real sugarbeet is similar to a smoothie v the whole fruit. Same ingredients but being wizzed up really fine makes it easier to break down and possibly a higher insulin response and less suitable for fatties.

It's just a theory, but I'm trying to recreate my feeds using the same ingredients in a more natural state. It's not easy though.