Sugar beet.

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Brandy

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Do you feed it and why? Just wondering. One of things that people always feed. Have asked about the yard and no one seems to be able to tell me why they feed it? They just do.

So - why do you, if you do?
 
They only have it in winter too keep the weight on them. This year they have had to stay on it a bit longer as the previous yard took it upon themselves to not put it in their feeds and to also cut down their feeds. Thus they are both looking a bit poor right now.
 
Good source of fibre (I feed speedibeet) and it helps keeps condition.

When my boy was in medium work (ridden 6-7 times) he was fed it all year round in 3 feeds per day - amount depended on how much work he had done/weight. Now he only has it in winter (retired) and the amount varies according to weight.
 
Sugar beet is a good, relatively inexpensive, source of fibre-based calories. Dry weight, it has a similar calorie count to many conditioning cubes and mixes. Molassed version has about 20% sugar, whereas unmollassed versions like Speedibeet are 5% sugar, so suitable for fizzy horses and laminitics. As it is soaked and fibre-based it keeps the gut working well, is a good way to get more water into a shy drinker, is palatable and makes a good base to hide supplements and drugs in, plus can tempt a shy feeder.
 
we feed it during the winter to both horses. One is in hard work (hunting 2x week and hacking/SJ once or twice a week) and the other is roughed off. We feed it as a source of highly digestible fibre and therefore energy. The digestion of the fibre helps to keep them warm, and the water helps to keep them hydrated.
 
I feed it all year round, (speedi beet) to my cob.Started feeding it winter 2008/09 due to lack of grass she was losing condition.

Then found out it helps her deal with the Spring grass (she's got grass intolerance), by feeding her 1/4 cup (dry measure) soaked in her breakfast and tea along with Alfa A Good Doer and Biotal Equine Gold she's been 100% better. Then read the bag and it says it helps maintain a better level of acidity in the gut, and it definitely helps my mare.
 
Mine comes in a blank bag so no nutritional info or anything which is why I asked really, handy to see why other people feed it. Used to always give a bit to the fat non fed ponies in winter along with feeding to the others that got a proper feed. Just run out and can;t get any from usual supply (cheap) for a while.
 
Its a really good source of fibre in the winter and keeps the weight on. Also it can help to balance the gut and just make everything more comfortable.
 
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