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![By-product Feeds for Horses: [Ingredients Guide]](https://madbarn.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/By-Product-Feeds-for-Horses.jpg)
By-product ingredients are a fixture in equine diets, either as components of a complete feed or as concentrates added into the diet on their own.
Although the term “by-product” may carry a negative connotation, these feeds are often high-quality, cost-effective options to add energy, protein or fibre to your horse’s diet.
By-product feeds usually have a better nutritional profile for horses than their original source. For example, beet pulp is a great source of soluble fibre and contains much lower starch and sugar than whole sugar beets.
This article will discuss by-product ingredient sources, explore their value in the equine diet, and review key considerations when adding a by-product feed to your horse’s diet.
By-Products in the Equine Diet
By-products are secondary products created during the manufacturing of something else. Many by-products used in horse feed are secondary products created by processing grains and other plants for human consumption.
Commodities associated with by-products for horses include flour, cooking oils, sugar, syrup, and alcohol. [1] For example, high protein wheat middlings are a by-product of wheat flour production. [2]
Are By-Products Safe for Horses?
Although not all by-products of human food processing are suitable for horses, many by-product ingredients have been used in equine diets for decades. [1]
By-products have been extensively studied as nutritional components of livestock feeds but have been studied less in horses. [3]
If you have concerns about specific ingredients in your horse’s feed, you should always consult with an equine nutritionist and your veterinarian.
Using By-Product Feeds
By-products are useful to add to your horse’s diet when forages are not adequately meeting their needs. However, there are factors to consider when choosing by-product feeds, including:
Variability
Like forages, commodities such as corn, oats, barley, and sugar beets will have natural variations in their nutritional composition based on growing and harvest conditions.
The nutritional profile of the by-products can also vary based on the processing method. There can be significant variability in products from batch to batch.
This can be a concern if mineral concentrations vary enough to lead to an imbalanced diet.
Commercial feeds sourced from reputable companies undergo routine testing to ensure their products are within certain specifications. Only purchase feeds, by-product ingredients and supplements from reputable brands that provide a guaranteed analysis for their products.
Inclusion level
Not all by-products are suitable for all horses. For example, metabolic horses and easy keepers should avoid feeds with high hydrolyzable carbohydrate (HC) content. Hydrolyzable carbohydrates are those that cause an insulin response, namely starch and ESC (ethanol soluble carbohydrates – simple sugars).
Limit the amount of high starch ingredients in your horse’s diet to reduce the risk of digestive issues, such as gastric ulcers and hindgut dysfunction. ‘Hot’ behaviour may also be attributed to high starch diets. [4][5]
You can get a rough idea of the relative inclusion of by-products in a complete feed by looking at the ingredient list. Most regulations require that feed tags list ingredients in descending order based on inclusion rates.
Storage & Handling
Some by-products are more prone to becoming moldy or going rancid. By-products with high moisture content, such as wet distiller’s grains, need to be stored in a cool, humidity-controlled environment to reduce the risk of mycotoxins impacting your horse’s health. [6]
By-products high in fat, such as rice bran, may become rancid due to lipid peroxidation. Stabilized products that are heat-treated to reduce lipase activity are preferred. This process makes the fat molecules more stable to reduce rancidity. Horses can detect molding or rancidity before we can see or smell it. Never attempt to make a horse eat a feed it has refused.
Allergies
Some horse owners are concerned about feeds that contain soy, wheat, or corn products. These ingredients are usually safe for most horses so long as they are included in a balanced ration that meets the NRC Nutrient Requirements of horses. [7]
While horses can have food sensitivities, equine food allergies are rare and difficult to diagnose. More research is needed to investigate the relevance of food sensitivities in equine feeding management. [8]
Signs of a food intolerance may include bloating or diarrhea. Horses often learn to associate a certain food with feeling uncomfortable and will refuse to eat it.
Common By-Product Feeds for Horses
By-products are usually not named as such on a feed label. In fact, horse owners and caretakers may be surprised by how many common ingredients are actually by-products.
Here’s a review of some of the most common by-product feeds in equine diets.
Beet Pulp
Beet pulp is a familiar feed room staple. This by-product is the fibrous material that remains after sugar beets are processed for sugar extraction. [9]
Nutritional Profile
Beet pulp is an excellent source of soluble fibre and energy. With moderate protein content, it is often used as a feed additive for horses that need additional calories or supplemental roughage when forage supply/intake is low. [9] The digestibility of the protein in the small intestine, where protein absorption must occur, is low for beet pulp. [10]
Nutrition Composition of Dry Beet Pulp
Values are provided on a dry-matter basis. View the complete profile for dry beet pulp in the Feed Bank. [7]
| Digestible Energy: | 2.58 mcal / kg |
| Crude protein: | 8.8% |
| NDF: | 37% |
| Starch: | 4% |
| Sugar: | 11% |
| NSC: | 15% |
| Calcium: | 0.93% |
| Phosphorus: | 0.093% |
Benefits
Beet pulp is the by-product of extracting sugars from sugar beets. This makes it relatively low in sugar and suitable for horses that need a low-starch diet. [9]
The following additional benefits make it a common feed for horses: [11][12][13]
- Highly palatable: Suitable for horses with dental problems
- Supports hindgut health: Readily fermentable to support beneficial microbes in the hindgut. It can be used to support hindgut function in horses prone to colic or gut dysbiosis, hard keepers and senior horses
- High water-holding capacity: Supports hydration in performance horses, such as endurance horses
- Low in potassium: Low levels of potassium make beet pulp a desirable feed for horses with Hyperkalemic Periodic Paralysis (HYPP)
Considerations
Beet pulp often contains added molasses, which is another product of sugar beets. This improves palatability, but also increases the sugar and potassium content of the beet pulp.
Although low levels of molassed beet pulp are likely not harmful, it is best to feed unmolassed beet pulp if possible. [7] When being fed to horses requiring low sugar and starch, beet pulp should be rinsed before and after soaking to remove excess sugar and contaminating iron.
Due to the high calcium and low phosphorous content, ensure that you feed beet pulp as part of a balanced diet. The ideal ratio of calcium to phosphorus in the total diet is 2:1. Beet pulp has a calcium-to-phosphorus ratio of roughly 10:1. [7]
Growing foals and lactating mares are most sensitive to calcium and phosphorus imblanaces. Their diets should be carefully balanced to support bone development and milk production.
Dried beet pulp is available in shredded or pelleted form. Although it can be fed dry, it is generally recommended to soak beet pulp to reduce the risk of choke and colic. [11][14]
How Much to Feed
Beet pulp inclusion in the diet can be fairly high without ill effects. However, issues with palatability and mineral balance may arise at high intakes.
Research studies feeding beet pulp at over 55% of the dry matter content of the diet show a decrease in feed intake. However, when it accounts for approximately 45% of the dry matter content, there are no changes in feed intake. [14]
A 50% inclusion level is roughly 5 kg (11 lb) on a dry matter basis. However, beet pulp yields more calories than hays, with typical levels seen in equine diets closer to 1 – 2 kg (2 – 4 lb) per day. [15]
Grain By-products
Grain by-products are widely available as remnants of the production of cereal-based flour and oils for human c