beet pulp

["shelton" <dshelton@cyberhighway.net>]

Several winters ago I fed my horses pelleted beet pulp. They loved it and I
didn't have any problems. The next year since they had enjoyed it so much,
always ate it first, I decided to feed beet pulp again. I'd been feeding it
for about a week, when I wanted to go have their teeth floated. Got one
horse in the trailer, he got very excited, jumping around trying to rear,
basically freaked out as soon as I closed the partition. After 1/2 hour he
came out of the trailer totally drenched with sweat. I never gave them beet
pulp again. He'd never acted like that before or since. At the time I
thought it was the sugar in the beet pulp, but now I know there's little
sugar left in it.

What could have caused him to act like this, could it have been the beet
pulp or just a coincidence? I've always wondered if when proccessed it could
have been contaminated with some of the stuff they put in cow feed that is
deadly for horses. Could that have caused this behavior? I want to start
feeding beet pulp again in anticipation of doing my first distance ride this
year but have to say I'm a bit nervous.

Any advice? Are there brands/packagers of beet pulp that are recommended?
I'm in Idaho.

Cheryl