I have used Beet Pulp as a weight gain product and
have liked it. According to my vet the main reason it helps with weight is
that it is processed and absorbed in both the fore gut and the hind gut, so the
calories present are utilized better than most grains or hays. It also
qualifies not as a grain or a hay, but rather a cross between both, which how I
understand it means that it provides denser calories than hay, but more roughage
than grain.
With horses at weight I still use it some, just not as
much, I use it pre-ride and during rides as the soaked beet pulp not only adds
moisture to their system, it is supposed to help encourage their drinking as
well. I also use it at home as an 'extra' on those cold days when I'm
not sure if the horses are drinking enough outside.
Rice Bran I have not personally used, but know
people who do and they really like it. It is very calorie dense allowing
more calories to get into the horse without huge amounts of grain.
Depending on the type you buy it can be quite expensive though. Stabilized
rice bran is much higher priced than unstabilized. From those I know who
use it, feeding unstabilized is fine, it just has a much shorter shelf life, so
you can't purchase in bulk as well. In the winter the unstabilized keeps
just fine. I know people who feed it regulalry to harder to keep horses,
and I also have a friend who used it to help when she rescued a very poor
mare. It seemed to help a lot without one having to worry about colic from
massive amounts of grain.
