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Hi Carolyn,
  I assume the question you're asking is do I think your post was FBT and if 
so, why?
  The first phrase of your post was, "If soaked beet pulp is such a problem".  
Here
you are setting up a straw man (a logical tool which is not part of the original
question but which can be easily disproved).  The objective is to discredit the 
straw
man and when you have done so successfully, then by implication you have 
discredited
the original argument.  Next you proceeded to shoot down the straw man by 
stating
that no one else on Ridecamp has encountered this problem, including THE Susan
Garlinghouse.  This being true, you have now successfully defeated the straw 
man.
However, Patty didn't say that feeding BP was a big problem or a common 
problem.  She
said that HER horse had suffered from eating it.  So while you demonstrated that
feeding BP is not "such a big problem", you have said nothing that shows that 
Patty's
horse DIDN'T get sick from it.  Thus if Patty's horse's guttural pouches were 
full
of BP (I assume with four flushings, a licensed veterinarian can tell the 
difference
between packed grain, packed hay and packed BP), you have also failed to prove 
that
BP is never harmful.
  Next you made reference to Patty's vet's cryptic "seen the wrecks".  Without
further elaboration by the vet, this statement brings nothing to the issue at 
hand
and once again, you inject a correct statement that the vet's negative take on 
BP
"appears to be one persons opinion".
  You then state, "I, PERSONALLY, will continue to feed this WONDER FOOD" 
<<emphasis
mine>>.  The implication here is that only a fool wouldn't use this wonderful 
food.
  So, because 1) BP-packed guttural pouches is not a big problem, 2) Patty's vet
doesn't like the stuff, 3) Patty might be unreliable because she overreacted by
stopping all feeding of BP, and 4) you PERSONALLY think BP is great, you totally
dismissed Patty's warning.  The reason this is FBT is that your dismissing the
possibility that feeding BP might be harmful is not based having proved that BP
didn't harm Patty's horse but rather on the above four reasons, none of which 
go to
the heart of the question.

  As an aside, we were coming into winter and my two horses were not carrying 
the
weight they needed.  So in late August I started feeding BP, along with corn 
oil,
oats and corn.  I was making a nice mash but now because of Patty's post, I will
revise my formulation to include enough water to make a gruel instead.
  BTW, I had an old brood mare (27).  This was before beet pulp was in common
usage.  Like you, I had a devil of a time getting her to eat so I finally threw 
in
the towel and just fed her straight alfalfa which she LOVED.  Despite its 
hazards,
the alfalfa kept the old lady happy and in good weight for her remaining years. 
 I
suspect that you too will feed your hard keepers what they will EAT and be 
happy that
they look and feel good.


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