Ulcers, colic and sugar beet

[HappyHooves]

Living on sandy soil, I regularly give the horses psyllium husks to remove the sand from their guts and hopefully decrease the likelihood of sand colic. One of the horses was recently diagnosed with gastric ulcers and, following some research of the veterinary papers, I started to add very sloppy sugar beet ( unmollassed) to the chaff feed since it was said to contain large amounts of beneficial pectin.
But, at the end of each batch that I soak I have found large quantities of sand and sometimes larger grit and small stones! In the past I used to feed a fairly thick batch of sugar beet and tipped the whole lot into the final feed and now realise that I have been dosing my horses with sand!
I have written to the supplier that I use to ask why there is so much sand in the sugar beet pellets they supply, since I would have thought that the beet, once shredded, was washed before being pelleted.
This is really a warning to be aware that sand is present in sugar beet if you are at all worried about the ingestion of sand; a known cause of colic and also a possible problem for horses with ulcers.
If anyone is scientifically minded, would you run a small test and report back on how much sand came out of your brand of sugar beet? I mixed a small mug full of pellets ( approx. 7 oz/ 150 gms) with a half bucket of water. Soak for 24 hours and stir well. If you gently pour off the beet and water you'll see what sand is left; mine leaves about a small teaspoon of sand. This might not sound much but this is a very small amount of beet!

 

[dianchi]

Ive never seen anything like that in the speedi beet that I use?

 

[amandap]

I use speedibeet and have never had any sand in it even when I've rinsed it through, before and after soaking for a pony in laminitis.

 

[paddy555]

what a fascinating post. I have stopped feeding SB to ulcer/gut problem horses as I fnd they are much better without it. I do however feed it to 3 pastures pets and I rinse it thoroughly to reduce iron and remove molasses. There is a fair amount of residuce but as I spray it with a high pressure hose spray I have never considered if it is sand.
Will have a closer look.
Presumably this is SB grown in the UK?

 

[HappyHooves]

Ive never seen anything like that in the speedi beet that I use?

I use speedibeet and have never had any sand in it even when I've rinsed it through, before and after soaking for a pony in laminitis.

Yes, I can understand you haven't seen any sand! Until I made up a really watery mix, nor had I. Give it a try and check. If the mix is not really watery you will be tipping out the sand with the beet pulp. Or maybe its because its Speedibeet - that's the flake stuff isn't it? Can you leave it to soak longer and check?

Paddy555 interesting you have stopped the SB. What aspect of the horses means you think they better without it? I feed on recommendation of the vet and also having trawled the vet papers concerning feeding post ulcers. I don't use the molassed SB. And yes, I would think this is UK SB- we're surrounded by fields of the stuff!

 

[amandap]

Yes, I can understand you haven't seen any sand! Until I made up a really watery mix, nor had I. Give it a try and check. If the mix is not really watery you will be tipping out the sand with the beet pulp. Or maybe its because its Speedibeet - that's the flake stuff isn't it? Can you leave it to soak longer and check?

Lol! I have mixed and rinsed it every way imaginable and have fed it much of the time for the six/seven years. Not one of my horses has ever had colic with or without feeding s.beet.
Speedibeet is more processed than other non quick soak beets I believe. I'll get the magnifying glass out to check for sand, thanks for the warning but I once again don't have any real worries about Speedibeet and my horses.

 

[jenni999]

I've fed both pelleted and quick soak sugar beet for many years and have never noticed any residue. I feed it quite sloppy and I'm sure I would notice stones and sand in the bottom of the bucket ???

 

[doriangrey]

I probably shouldn't admit to this, but when I have tasted (ahem) beet pulp I noticed it was gritty. I've fed it for years and have never had a horse with colic, let alone sand colic although I wouldn't like to cause a problem. Have there been any documented cases? I understand beet pulp doesn't suit all horses. Anyhow, I'm feeding beet at the moment to 2 horses, so I'll check when I make up the next batch.

 

[Goldenstar]

Ive never seen anything like that in the speedi beet that I use?

Me neither .

 

[Ella19]

I make the yard batch every day with spedibeet and very watery. Never seen any sand or stones. Are you sure someone's not knocked yours over and scooped it back in the bag or bucket?

 

[Prince33Sp4rkle]

cant comment on the sand/grit but my ulcer boy is 100% better off it, really irritates his tummy!

 

[Goldenstar]

cant comment on the sand/grit but my ulcer boy is 100% better off it, really irritates his tummy!

Out of interest was it unmolassed that irritated him.

 

[Puppy]

OP, may I ask which brand you were using?

I've never noticed anything amiss with the speedibeet I used.

 

[HaffiesRock]

I use both speedibeet and equibeet which is 24 hour soak. Never noticed any residue at all, never mind sand and stones?

 

[paddy555]

I found it helped a ulcer/gut problem horse by removing it. I replaced it with copra and alfalfa nuts.
I also removed it from a horse that I did wonder about his gut and he had just come home from horse hospital with colic. Again I put him on copra and alfalfa nuts. The copra really seemed to help their problems. The SB at best hadn't been helping them and I suspect was causing problems. They were both better without it.

The sugar beet I use is the molassed sort however it is rinsed with a high pressure spray to within an inch of it's life to remove both molasses and iron. If is just about white by the time it has been washed.

I am not suprised at your findings. I clean mine over a white bath and I always have to wash the sand and sludge out of the bath afterwards. There is usually a fair bit.

 

[paddy555]

sorry can't work out how to edit but wanted to add, happy hooves, that I tried both molassed, washed Sugar beet and also speedi beet on the gut problem horses. I am pretty sure it was not molasses but digestion of the actual beet pulp that didn't help them.

 

[vanrim]

I have had the same problem with grit in the bottom of soaked sugar beet pulp and nuts. The only product that was absolutely clean and grit free was Dodson and Horrell unmolassed sugar beet pulp and guess what - they have stopped making it!

 

[maccachic]

sorry can't work out how to edit but wanted to add, happy hooves, that I tried both molassed, washed Sugar beet and also speedi beet on the gut problem horses. I am pretty sure it was not molasses but digestion of the actual beet pulp that didn't help them.

Hmm interesting I have found the same thing with my guy, he does better on lucerne chaff than beet, can almost notice a difference overnight.

 

[Pale Rider]

Never seen sand in SB, though after researching SB, don't feed it at all anymore.

 

[doriangrey]

Never seen sand in SB, though after researching SB, don't feed it at all anymore.

I'd be interested to know why you decided against feeding beet pulp

 

[Prince33Sp4rkle]

Out of interest was it unmolassed that irritated him.

yes it was, ive never used the mollassed stuff so no idea if that would be better or worse but guessing worse as he even reacts to the sugar in equitop myoplast.

 

[tallyho!]

Speedibeet brand I have used for over 10 years and never had problems with grit or sand.

 

[Orangehorse]

Sugar beet is grown in the soil, and harvested in the winter, so when it is harvested soil clings to the roots, although it there is too much the grower is penalised. The sugar beet is tipped into water, party to wash it and to convey it into the factory. The beet is shredded and processed to extract the sugar in liquid form, which has the liquid boiled off to produce the sugar. The remaining pulp is then also dried and pelleted. (We used to buy the fresh sbp which was white, but it went off quickly so we had to fetch it from the factory at least twice a week.)

Logically, sbp is going to have some soil in it. The more processed it is, the less there will be, so the Speedibeet, which has been part cooked, and other "branded" feeds are going to be much, much cleaner than a bag just out of the sugar beet factory.

 

[doriangrey]

Anyhoo, while my beet pulp is soaking, I came across this in my search to find out if I should not be feeding it for some reason.

http://equineink.com/2009/12/13/more-debate-on-beet-pulp/

Doesn't mention sand though, and I do appreciate that it might not suit every horse just as, say, alfalfa might not.

 

[deicinmerlyn]

Is it possible that it is the water that has silt in it rather than the actual SBP?

 

[paddy555]

Is it possible that it is the water that has silt in it rather than the actual SBP?

not with mine there isn't as the private borehole water comes through a series of filters to remove anything.
Also the same water is used in yellow water buckets and there is no residue in them.

Will read the link when I get a minute but despite arguments for and against by the experts the only real way of knowing is to ask the horse. I think some people will be suprised at the improvement and with other horses it won't make a blind bit of difference. For mine it was the hind gut digestibility. I had never considered chemicals before but now I will read about them.

 

[doriangrey]

not with mine there isn't as the private borehole water comes through a series of filters to remove anything.
Also the same water is used in yellow water buckets and there is no residue in them.

Will read the link when I get a minute but despite arguments for and against by the experts the only real way of knowing is to ask the horse. I think some people will be suprised at the improvement and with other horses it won't make a blind bit of difference. For mine it was the hind gut digestibility. I had never considered chemicals before but now I will read about them.

Exactly, like the rugging thread - what works for some may not work for others

 

[HappyHooves]

Anyhoo, while my beet pulp is soaking, I came across this in my search to find out if I should not be feeding it for some reason.

http://equineink.com/2009/12/13/more-debate-on-beet-pulp/

Doesn't mention sand though, and I do appreciate that it might not suit every horse just as, say, alfalfa might not.

fascinating and as she says, there is a load of rubbish printed against the use of sugar beet. Sugar beet pulp has been shown to contain no pesticide residues, the holding water in the hind gut idea is good, not bad (recommended for endurance and XC ), and the calories it provides derive from fibre. The fibre is rich in pectin ( recommended for gastric ulcer horses) and has a good level of calcium ( again recommended for gastric ulcer horses).
For those who have suggested that somehow the sand and grit I found in the SB I use was mistakenly swept from the floor and added to the SB ( oh come on!) this is not the case! I am not surprised that Speedibeet shows little deposit, since it is subjected to greater processing. I am also not surprised to hear that those who have fed other makes for years ( as I have done) have not seen any residues. The whole point of this post was to show that, if you take the trouble to put a mug full of sugar beet pellets into a half bucket ( white not black or you will see nothing) of water ( this is far from being the usual consistency!) and leave it for 24 hours and run off the soaked beet, you may see what I do - namely sand and some small grit and gravel. If you feed at the usual rate of water/sugar beet it is far too thick to allow any residues to fall from the beet and will be fed with the pulp. This will not, as some have suggested I said, give your horse colic. But if you take precautions against ingestion of sand by your horse and are feeding psyllium for example, I thought you might have been interested enough to give this a try so that we could all compare notes and find a better sugar beet to use!

 

[Goldenstar]

I tried the soaking thing with lots of water in a white bucket as OP described with speedibeet found nothing.

 

[HappyHooves]

Yes, thanks Goldenstar, I think you were the only one who did! Sure that all the fast soak versions have been extra processed and debris removed. Will have to switch to that then. Thanks.