Does Feeding Sugar bet in the morning give a horse colic?

Murphy458

Murphy458

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May 22, 2003
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Question is in the title. A lady up the farm where I keep Reema said the other day to my sister - ''Oh you should not feed sugar beet first thing in the morning as it gives them colic?'' I have never heard of this so I am asking if this is true.
She also went on to say dont give her the water the beet is soaked in - now i would have thought that the water would have the nutrians sp! in it and would not harm the horse.

All answers welcome
Thanks for reading
 
never heard that - my boys get sugarbeet in the morning and i use the water its soaked in to wet down the feed - perhaps it is an old wives tale?
 
All of the 10 horses here have sugar beet in the mornings. Horses have come and gone over the past 15 or so years, all with a similar feeding regime and only one has had colic - a NF pony who found her way to some acorns!

I only soak it in enough water to make it 'sloppy', so there is no excess water, but the extra water will do them no harm, and as you say, contains a lot of the nutritional content.
 
What a lot of twoddle I say!

Have never heard of not feeding it in the mornings - please ask her her reasons for this - I am intrigued.

As for not feeding the water from it - sloppy sugar beet is one of the best ways to keep horses hydrated on long journeys or ill when they happily turn down water but cant resist sloppy SB and its water?
 
Lol I wouldn't take advice from this lady, however good her intentions, she is talking a load of rubbish! Feeding sugar beet in the morning and feeding the juice is absolutely fine :) I make mine nice and sloppy to wet the feed down.
 
Thanks for the replies, I had a feeling it was fine to feed her it just wanted to check.

gypsygold - I will ask her why she thinks sugar beet in the morning gives them colic.
 
wait till after march and Ill be able to tell you how much of the nutritonal content of sugar beet ends up in the water, thats what im doing my dissertation on at uni!! :D
 
Horses arnt like us they eat all the time so morning or night, it doesn't make much of a difference because they are eating all the time. Unlike us who sleep over night, most of us wouldn't get up and have chips and a bar of chocolate for breakfast :p
 
I love collecting horsey wives tales, this is a good one, like it.

I shall add this one! :D :D
 
As mentioned, horse eat most hours of the day & night - as beet is high fibre too, i don't see what difference our concept of "morning" makes to them / the odds of causing colic.

Ours have it every pm with _all_ the water to dampen their chaff.
 
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