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[RC] Feed - Bruce WearyCora--I don't feed beet pulp. Not because of any particular aversion to it. I have fed Purina Complete Advantage before, but not lately. At any given time the horse carries about 200 lbs of feed (or "ingesta") inside him. Far and away the great majority of that is hay and the fiber it contains. So, the horse has plenty of digestible and non-digestible fiber on board. I have fed mashes and continue to do so, but they are comprised of Purina Horse Chow or alfalfa pellets or Purina Senior. But I also feed grain and I feel better when the horse is interested in that as I know it will help keep his blood sugar levels up. The "Glycemic Index" is the measure of the effect that a feed has on the blood glucose levels. Beet pulp has a value of 1 or 2. Not much effect. Grain is in the level of 50 to 65. More effect, and more energy to run on. Frequent feedings throughout the ride help keep it there, and the horse tires less. Tom Ivers did this with glycogen loader. I like grain because I can be less precise, it is slower acting and longer lasting. I have also found they drink better when they eat. Moist feeds are good, but they will never contain as much moisture as good, long, frequent drinks of water. It's okay to keep the glucose level up in the working horse, because he's using it up. Not storing it like an idle horse, possibly leading to excitability or the risk of tying up. I don't feed grain unless the horse is working. I know many people feed a lot of beet pulp and do just fine with it. These are just my theories from what I have read and experimented with over the years. Dyna Foal is made by a company called Lakin Milling, based in Phoenix. They are a large manufacturer of different kinds of pellets. You could call them and see how wide their distribution area is. It's about 12 bucks for an 80 lb bag. Hope this helps. Bruce Weary =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net. Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/Ridecamp Subscribe/Unsubscribe http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/logon.asp Ride Long and Ride Safe!! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
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