Who uses sugar beet happliy?

[Stella]

I wonder this because the head lad at the yard told me today that he has been adding it to Flora's feed this week. He said he realises he should have asked me and wanted to know its okay. He should have asked, but he was only trying to be helpful! She really likes it and no doubt benefits from the extra energy as she is out all day and in a big barn (big gaps at each end, so the wind blowing through) at night in the winter. I have read lots of stuff on another forum about people being concerned about the molassis and so using Speedi Beet. I'm not really concerned about that because apparanlty, at 5% mollasis in 10lbs of the stuff, there is less than in 3 apples. However, I've also read lots of concerns about horses turning into loons when given sugar beet.

So, do I deprive the lovely Flora of this enjoyable addition to her tea in the interest of keeping her sensible or do lots of you feed it to ridden horses without a problem?

 

[kirstyfk]

My horses have always had sugar beet use it to bulk up there feed as well as it gives them a nice coat snd it has never turned any of our horses in to loons.

 

[piebaldsparkle]

Many horses are fine on sugarbeet, and if yours is fine, feed it.

However mine is sugar intollerant, so it goes straight through her like a dose of salts, so I would have know within a couple of days if someone had started feeding her sugarbeet and would have been very peed off.

 

[S_N]

I use it for my mare and her 9 month old foal. I will see how she is on it as she comes back into work and if nec. change it to un-molassed. Nothing's concerning me atm! I'm on my 2nd bag this winter!

 

[mrdarcy]

I was told never to feed it to my Andalusian - apparently its like giving them crack cocaine.... they're very sugar intolerant.

I've always fed it in the past though and still give it to my Arab who he an idiot whatever he gets fed

 

[teapot]

All the RS horses/ponies get it in their feeds - great for slow releasing energy & this includes an andy

 

[Stella]

[ QUOTE ]
I've always fed it in the past though and still give it to my Arab who he an idiot whatever he gets fed

[/ QUOTE ] I guess if he is that way inclined and no different on it, that must be a good sign

 

[koscat]

We feed them to our horses here. All of them love, espceially our pure bred Andalucian stallion!!

He doesnt act like a loon either nor do the others, so I would say feed it.

Problem is with us is that we have to travel over 200kms to get it as no one supplies it around here!!

 

[Ferdinase514]

So long as I feed the unmollassed version - no probs. So either Speedi Beet or the cheaper Sugar Beet Pulp (made by D & H).

 

[wizzi901]

I have fed it for years, dont like the speedibeet personally prefer pellets but each to their own.

My oldie TBX gets it and the ponies, however, the one time we fed it to the pure TB, his head fell off!! So never again. The others can have ooodddles and they are fine.

If you can feed it without high jinx I think it is a nice addition to their feed.

 

[TGM]

I've fed it in the past with no problems - only reason I don't feed it now is because I can't be bothered to soak it

.

 

[Benjamin]

Even with the dawning of speedibeet TGM??? LOL

I feed Benj speedibeet for its low sugar and high fibre content.
Cannae feed him ANY mixes as they affect his brain cell!

 

[TGM]

[ QUOTE ]
Even with the dawning of speedibeet TGM??? LOL

[/ QUOTE ] Yup - can't be ar$ed with that either - especially on frosty mornings!

 

[WelshRareBit]

I feed sugarbeet to no ill effects . It doesnt fizz Murphy up x

 

[miamibear]

I give speedibeet because i dont like the sugar content in sugar beet. Im not saying its no good altogether, i have fed it in the past just no good for old horse as he was a bit hot headded! I have just kept on with it with new horse.

Plus i like the fact it soaks in 10 mins!

xx

 

[ExRacers]

I feed sugarbeet (soaked pellets) to both my ex racer TBs & find it keeps the weight on nicely without blowing their heads off at all!

 

[Sparklet]

I have always fed sugarbeet in winter - this year I have moved over to speedibeet for convenience and because I love the idea of feeding a warm tea when the ground is icy.

Horses loooooovve it.

 

[MillionDollar]

I use sugarbeet, have had no problems at all in fact had great results, and i've used it on very different horses from my cob to my WB.

 

[Kelly1982]

I have always fed my horses sugarbeet and so has everyone i know and its never turned any of our horses into loons.

However my last horse turned out to have a similar condition to EPSM so he couldn't take any sugar as his muscles used to seize up so now i am very weary about feeding sugary feeds and have change to speedibeat. I also wont feed moliased chaff or mixes but thats personal choice.

If she is fine on it then i wouldn't worry and i would just keep feeding it to her.

 

[susan_w]

We use sugar beet, the nuts, not speedi beet. As long as you soak for the appropriate time, there shouldn't be any problem.

I find it doesn't affect my boys in a negative way, it makes their feed more appetising and binds it. (Only use nuts and chaff with a scoop of sugar beet).

 

[Parkranger]

I used to use it on my old Saddlebred although I won't risk it with my TB - it's just not worth my life! Maybe as it's getting really cold he might get some though, but he's just not doing enough work at the moment and not dropping weight yet x

 

[Stella]

Cheers guys, I knew I could rely on you lot

 

[AndyPandy]

I LOVE the smell! It's so goooooood.

 

[Como]

I don't feed it to my Welsh D as it is 'horsey crack cocaine' for him. He becomes impossible to ride and will be a pest in the field and bully other horses. Ordinarily he is wonderful to handle, a gentleman in the field and a lovely boy to ride even alone on hacks. I wonder whether horses that become difficult in the winter also have this intolerance, but because we are so used to feeding it we don't consider it to be the route of the problem.

 

[Chex]

I've always fed it in the winter, its never made a difference to my ponio.

 

[Magicmillbrook]

We were told not to feed sugar beet to our girl, by previous owner. I got back to the original owners who said they had always fed it. We use simple systems unmollassed and she is absolutely fine, whereas mixes and chops with extra mollasses blow her brain - unmollassed sugar beet just gives a nice boost of easily digestible fibre, therefore slow release energy. Plus it is nice and succulent.

 

[aran]

I love it too.
I feed the soaked pellets. Aran loves it and it means I can get water into him as he doesnt drink much in the winter.

 

[minesadouble]

Always fed sugar beet to all my horses - from lead rein show ponies to my old ex-racer (who was not the most sensible chap) with no ill effects. Whilst not disputing others who say it turns their equines into loons it only has the same feed value as good hay so can't really understand how it has such a dramatic effect on some horses. I wonder about the sugar levels in sugar beet I would be happy to be enlightened by someone?

 

[nickie_leigh]

i have given my 3 horses speedi beet for 2 years now and they are all different from welsh to thoroughbred and they have never had a loop on it
i have found it is a good succulent for them.

 

[MagicMelon]

I used to use it all the time and never had any probs. I still use basic sugar beet soaked with lots of water for taking to shows.