Sugar beet often forms part of horse owners’ winter-feeding armory. But, how much do you understand of its uses and benefits? Just what does it have to do with sugar?

Here are 10 facts that every horse owner should know.

  1. Sugar beet is a root vegetable, similar to a swede or turnip. The pulp fed to horses is what is left at the end of the sugar extraction process. That process produces the sugar we put in our tea!
  2. It can be an excellent source of highly digestible fibre and a valuable source of energy (calories). In fact, sugar beet is significantly more digestible than hay. It contains a similar level of energy (calories) to cereal grains and conditioning feeds, which is why it is often referred to as a ‘super fibre’. Research has suggested that when added to the ration, this product might help to improve the digestibility of some of the other components. (Author’s note: See point 6 on the effect of soaking on the energy (conditioning) power of this product.)
  3. Sugar beet processing removes most of the sugar. Therefore, if it is unmolassed, the beet pulp fed to horses is relatively low in sugar (around 5%). It is also very low in starch (1%), making it a sympathetic alternative to cereal grains. This is great for those horses prone to excitability or conditions such as laminitis. However, even if you are feeding unmolassed sugar beet, it might be advisable to soak it, throw away the water, then soak it again if your horse/pony is prone to laminitis, especially if they are severely insulin dysregulated.  
  4. Soaking times vary significantly between manufactures. The times can range from as little as 10 minutes to 24 hours for ‘pure’ beet products. Depending on their nature and the type of manufacturing, various levels of sugar beet can be incorporated into compound feeds without the need for soaking. However, always check the feeding instructions on the bag. Remember that many that feeds containing sugar beet are not suitable for laminitics or those that have insulin dysregulation.
  5. Soaked feeds can start to ferment quite quickly, particularly in hot weather. Consider quick-soaking varieties and feed immediately after soaking.
  6. Whilst its true this product is high in calories, it’s often not fed in large enough quantities to be ‘conditioning.’ Horses with a limited appetite might not eat enough of it! Soaked sugar beet contains approximately 85% water, but the increase in volume makes it easy to over-estimate how much you are actually feeding. Always weigh sugar beet (and other mashes) before soaking, especially when working out how many ‘calories’ are being added to the diet.   
  7. Although traditionally considered a conditioning feed, unmolassed sugar beet can be a useful feed good doers. A token ration e.g. a 250g (pre-soaked weight) for a 500kg horse, will help to bulk out the bucket whilst adding a negligible level of calories to the total diet.
  8. The unmolassed product can also be fed as a partial hay replacer and might be useful for some poor doers that can no longer chew short chop fibre. Whether used as a part of the ‘bucket feed’ or to replace forage, what is considered an appropriate feeding rate will vary between individuals. Speak to a nutritionist for advice on if and how much sugar beet can safely be incorporated into your horse’s diet.
  9. Sugar beet is low in minerals and does not contain any vitamins. For this reason, it should always be fed alongside an appropriate ration of compound feed, balancer, or broad-spectrum supplement.
  10. There are many alternative products on the market now, including quick-soak mashes. Those are a convenient way of providing a balanced soaked fibre feed.

Further Reading

  • Sarah Nelson
    As Product Manager for SPILLERS, Sarah Nelson is responsible for the technical management of all SPILLERS products, including recipe formulation.
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