Sugar beet pulp for horses: soaking, sugar and the ration

What is in sugar beet pulp?

Sugar beet pulp is produced during sugar manufacture from cleaned, shredded and desugared sugar beet. The Gruber Table describes it as rich in pectin and calcium and low in protein; it is digested mainly in the large intestine ¹. The veterinary reference overview classifies it as a source of energy and fibre ².

The table values show why sugar beet pulp is often discussed as an alternative to cereals: no starch, but appreciable energy. On the other hand, it provides a lot of calcium and little phosphorus. Values from a table average do not replace the declaration of your product ¹.

How do you soak sugar beet pulp correctly?

Dry shreds and especially pellets swell considerably. The Gruber Table therefore considers soaking until fully swollen essential and gives at least 4 litres of water per kg of pulp. It cites the risk of choke and stomach ruptures as the reason ¹. The veterinary reference overview also recommends soaking shreds and pellets before feeding ².

There is no universal soaking time. One manufacturer of quick-soaking flakes gives 1 part flakes to 3 parts water and 10 minutes in lukewarm or 20 minutes in cold water for its product ³. This only applies to that product. For loose product without instructions, the table figure is your starting point, and checking before feeding remains decisive.

• Weigh the dry portion before you add water.
• Follow the instructions on the pack; if there are none, use at least 4 litres of water per kg ¹.
• Only feed once you can no longer feel any hard pieces and the mass is no longer swelling.
• Store your supply so that no horse can get to dry pulp.

• Soaking and recording hay cubes correctly

Molassed or molasses-free – what is the difference?

If molasses is added to dried pulp, the result is molassed pulp. The Gruber Table gives about 8% sugar on an as-fed basis for unmolassed dried pulp and 14 to 23% for molassed pulp ¹. Molasses-free therefore means less sugar, not sugar-free.

The American reference overview, by contrast, describes sugar beet pulp as mostly below 12% starch and sugar, even for products with added molasses, and advises asking the manufacturer for the analysis ². The contradiction with the German table values shows that the product name is not enough. Read the analytical constituents on the declaration and ask for missing sugar and starch values ⁴.

For horses with insulin dysregulation, the EMS consensus guideline recommends forage with less than 10% non-structural carbohydrates; it does not give a separate limit for sugar beet pulp. With suspected EMS or a history of laminitis, the whole ration belongs under veterinary supervision ⁵.

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What role does sugar beet pulp play in the ration?

The Gruber Table lists dried and molassed pulp in the concentrates chapter; at 10.1 MJ per kg dry matter, they are above the limit of 9.7 MJ given there, even though they are high in fibre ¹. They can supply energy without bringing starch with them. Whether a horse needs this energy at all can only be answered by comparing requirements with the current ration; a good doer usually does not need an additional energy source.

For the mineral balance, the ratio of calcium to phosphorus is important. The Gruber Table gives 1.5 to 2 : 1 as a guide value for the total ration for adult horses ¹. With 9.2 g calcium and 1.1 g phosphorus per kg dry matter, unmolassed dried pulp works out at just over 8 : 1. It can balance a phosphorus-rich bran mix, but in a ration that is already rich in calcium it can also contribute to an imbalance ².

• Calcium, phosphorus and magnesium
• Concentrates only when needed
• Understanding mash and bran

How much sugar beet pulp fits – and how do you include it in the calculation?

The Gruber Table gives a maximum amount of 1 kg dry pulp per 100 kg body weight per day ¹. That is an upper limit. The right amount depends on the gap you want to fill and on what the pulp replaces.

A freely chosen worked example, not a feeding recommendation: 300 g of dry, unmolassed pulp with 890 g dry matter per kg supplies, according to table values, around 2.7 MJ metabolisable energy, 2.5 g calcium, 0.3 g phosphorus and 23 g sugar ¹. For the same energy from oats, it would take around 240 g, which would bring about 95 g of starch with it. At least 1.2 litres of water would be needed for soaking.

For comparison, the table gives a calcium requirement of 17.5 g per day for a 500 kg horse ¹. The portion from the example already covers about one seventh of this. That is why it belongs in the same calculation as hay and mineral feed.

• Enter the dry amount, not the weight of the soaked mass.
• Note the product, added molasses and declared values.
• Record whether the pulp replaces concentrates or hay or is fed in addition.
• After a change, also check your current mineral feed.

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How do you keep the soaked portion hygienic?

The Gruber Table explicitly warns that soaked pulp spoils quickly ¹. It does not give a fixed shelf life in hours, and we are not aware of any reliable study on this for sugar beet pulp.

For soaked hay, the EMS consensus guideline describes concerns about microbial growth with long soaking in warm water ⁵. This cannot be transferred one to one to sugar beet pulp, but it argues for a short time between preparing and feeding, especially in warm weather.

• Only prepare the amount that will be eaten promptly.
• Use clean buckets and fresh water.
• Remove leftovers after the meal and do not feed any mass that smells sour or fermented.
• Do not mix an old leftover portion into a freshly prepared one.

Key takeaways

• Dry shreds and pellets are only fed once fully swollen; soaked portions spoil quickly ¹.
• Molasses-free does not mean sugar-free: according to the table value, even unmolassed dried pulp contains about 8% sugar on an as-fed basis ¹.
• Sugar beet pulp shifts the calcium-phosphorus balance; so assess it together with hay, concentrates and mineral feed ¹.

Frequently asked questions