Sugar beet is actually a vegetable that looks rather like a turnip and weighs around 1-2kg. It’s grown specifically for its high sugar content that is extracted from the flesh. The remaining fibrous root pulp is used in animal feed, and is normally mixed with molasses. However, unmolassed versions are available too, for those who aren’t keen on adding molasses to their horse’s feed. Regarded by nutritionists as a ‘superfibre’, feeding it can offer many benefits:

•      It’s a readily available source of calcium.
•      When unmolassed, it is low in sugars and starch.
•      It’s excellent for hydration as ‘sloppy’ sugar beet can help sustain overall water intake, and sugar beet water is known to encourage competitive horses to drink.
•      It’s recognised as a high-energy feed, due to its digestible energy content. However, soaked sugar beet will have a diluted fibre and nutritional content, so to enable you to get the full benefit as a concentrate feed, ensure you weigh/scoop it out prior to soaking. Unsoaked beet should never be fed as it can take up moisture from saliva and swell in the throat. If swallowed, dried sugar beet can expand in the stomach and lead to colic.

Unmolassed sugar beet can be fed to horses/ponies who are prone to laminitis, intolerant to sugar or who already have sugar in their diet. Molassed sugar beet can help heighten energy levels, which will be beneficial to horses in hard work or those who need to maintain/increase their weight.

If you’re thinking of adding sugar beet to your horse’s feed but you need help with quantities and suitability, most feed companies offer free advice through the phone or by email…or give us a ring and we’ll talk to you about the options available through efeed.