# Sugar Beet or Alfa Beet



## emmiec12 (4 March 2009)

My boy is on Alfa-A Oil and Dengie have advised i feed him Alfa-Beet with it - can i just feed Sugar Beet instaed (it is cheaper) - or is there a significant differnce? 

i am feeding to increase his weight.


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## nessie1288 (4 March 2009)

We tried Alfa-Beet for this reason. It is quite different when soaked and seems more like soaked nuts in appearance. We tried it on two horses, one refused to eat it and I can't say the other one appeared to put on any weight though in fairness I only bought one bag. Have gone back to sugar beet as I can't be bothered with it for one horse.


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## Nats_uk (4 March 2009)

My horse is on Alfa-Beet. It does look "different" to normal suger beet, lighter in colour and as said before more like soaked nuts in appearance.

My horse loves it - he always finishes his feeds and often licks the bucket clean that I soak it in. It has done wonders for keeping weight on this winter (even with the distinct lack of grass) and he is looking the best he ever has.

My friend (whose horse has stomach problems) also uses especially when her horse is being particuarly picky with her food. She also soaks her hay in a very runny version of it to encourage her to eat her hay


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## Equus Leather (4 March 2009)

This is interesting.

During my training yesterday I learnt that Alfa-A is 14% protein, compared to Hi-Fi etc that's 9% protein. 14% is MASSIVELY high, and should only be fed to horses that are in hard, hard work.

That aside, we then discussed sugar-beet and alpha-beet. This is straight off the Dengie website:

"Dengie Alfa-Beet is a low sugar conditioning feed for horses and ponies.  A blend of alfalfa and sugar beet, Alfa-Beet is ideal for extra condition or energy for work, for fizzy horses and ponies as well as older horses who are having difficulties chewing."

Obviously I don't know what work you're doing with your horsey, so hope I don't offend, but alfa beet really (again) is very high in protein - 15% !!!! That's really only for racehorses/p2pers/those in really hard work again.

If you're feeding to put weight on, just stick to good quality hay/haylage rather than upping what's in the bucket.

This is only my opinion though. But I wouldn't be feeding alfa-a or alfabeet to anything other than those in serious work.


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## emmiec12 (4 March 2009)

thanks for all your help - to be honest it sounds as though good old fashioned (and cheaper)sugar beet is all i need!


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## Nats_uk (4 March 2009)

Have to say that I tried just "good quality hay/haylage" and my pony used to be on Hi-Fi and pony nuts when I first got him but due him hating being in in the winter he stresses his weight off and even with adlib hay (and very good grass) this is the only thing I have found to keep his weight on


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## teddyt (4 March 2009)

[ QUOTE ]
This is interesting.

During my training yesterday I learnt that Alfa-A is 14% protein, compared to Hi-Fi etc that's 9% protein. 14% is MASSIVELY high, and should only be fed to horses that are in hard, hard work.

That aside, we then discussed sugar-beet and alpha-beet. This is straight off the Dengie website:

"Dengie Alfa-Beet is a low sugar conditioning feed for horses and ponies.  A blend of alfalfa and sugar beet, Alfa-Beet is ideal for extra condition or energy for work, for fizzy horses and ponies as well as older horses who are having difficulties chewing."

Obviously I don't know what work you're doing with your horsey, so hope I don't offend, but alfa beet really (again) is very high in protein - 15% !!!! That's really only for racehorses/p2pers/those in really hard work again.

If you're feeding to put weight on, just stick to good quality hay/haylage rather than upping what's in the bucket.

This is only my opinion though. But I wouldn't be feeding alfa-a or alfabeet to anything other than those in serious work. 

[/ QUOTE ]
Yes but its relative to how much you feed. e.g one stubbs scoop of alfalfa is only about 400g. One stubbs scoop of a cereal mix would be much heavier than that. One scoop of fibrbeet would only be one part feed to four parts water. So although protein level is 14% in real terms you are not feeding that much.
If you are looking to gain weight i would go with unmollassed sugarbeet. Energy level is 12.5 mj/kg compared to 10.5 in fibrebeet, so for the same weght you will get more energy from the sugarbeet.


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## TGM (4 March 2009)

If you want maximum calorie intake, then feed unmollassed beet as this is higher in calories than AlfaBeet.  I suspect Dengie recommend AlfaBeet as it is their own product, and they don't produce a pure beet product of their own. 

(Mollassed sugar beet is usually cheaper than unmollassed beet, but is 20% sugar compared to 5% for the unmollassed kind.  The high sugar level of the mollassed beet can have enlivening effect on some horses, so if yours is the fizzy type you might find the unmollassed beet more suitable.)

As regarding The_Psephologist's comments about protein levels, I have answered her post on the same subject in Stable Yard:

http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/forums/showflat.php/Cat/0/Number/4114053/an/0/page/0#4114053


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## emmiec12 (4 March 2009)

thanks TGM - yes my boy can get a bit fizzy so that info has been a great help!


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## kellyeaton (4 March 2009)

sugar beet is good for weight but is high in sugar and starch so if not got a lammi or fizzy pony will work fine. alfa beet is conditioning but is used more for  elderly and lammi prone horses to put weight on them coz it is very low in sugar and starch!


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## TGM (4 March 2009)

[ QUOTE ]
sugar beet is good for weight but is high in sugar and starch 

[/ QUOTE ] That's not totally correct - mollassed sugar beet is high in sugar, but is actually low starch.  Unmollassed sugar beet is quite low in sugar (5%) and is also low starch - and can be fed to laminitics.

AlfaBeet is alfalfa and beet combined - it is lower in calories than either unmollassed or mollassed beet, but higher in protein.


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