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Re: [RC] wet foods - Susan Garlinghouse, DVM

I have a Shagya mare who can't eat beet pulp. I know it's not supposed to
happen, but it makes her really hyper/fidgety and she doesn't act right.
I've experimented with it several times and it's not my imagination--she >
really can't eat beet pulp.

Okay, I believe you. <g>  However, does the beet pulp you're feeding contain
molasses?  That can sometimes be the problem.  In any event, no worries.  As
already suggested, you can soak down lots of things---hay cubes, almost any
commercial pelleted feed, including senior, wheat bran in a pinch.  I'm not
a fan of wheat bran, but better for your horse to be eating something at a
check.  Wheat bran is usually very low on the list, though.

If nothing else, you can always just plunk a flake of hay into a bucket
before giving it to your horse (or let him play bobbing for apples, so to
speak).  And of course, the best wet foods of all are the ones still in the
original packaging, just green grass whenever and wherever you find it,
and/or plenty of fresh carrots.  Ten pounds of fresh carrots are equivalent
in energy to a pound of grain and a gallon of water and that's nothing to
sneeze at.

Another thing to consider is just adding flavoring to a bucket of water
itself.  There are all kinds of things you can do to make water more
appetizing, but it takes some experimenting.  My horses love it when I bring
them warm water in freezing weather (or they did until they went back to
California, where cold weather doesn't exist), adding some sort of flavoring
like molasses or apple juice or alfalfa sometimes does the trick.  Whatever.
Just something to consider.

Good luck!

Susan G, DVM


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Replies
[RC] wet foods, Alice Yovich