Can they eat it? / Beet pulp
Can horses eat beet pulp?
Yes, soaked.
A good fiber source for hard keepers and seniors with poor teeth. Soak shreds or pellets until soft; dry pellets have caused choke.
Why
Beet pulp is the fibrous material left after sugar is pressed out of sugar beets. It is mostly digestible fiber, so it gives a horse slow-release energy through hindgut fermentation without the sugar spike of grain. It is a good source of calories for hard keepers and for seniors with poor teeth who struggle with hay. The main hazard is physical: dry shreds or pellets swell when wet and can lodge in the esophagus, causing choke. Soaking until soft removes that risk.
How much is too much
For a 1,000 lb horse, a typical serving is about 1 to 2 pounds of dry beet pulp, soaked to roughly twice its dry volume, split across meals. A handful of dry pulp is far too little to matter and a whole bag at once is too much. Ponies and miniatures need only a fraction of that, often a few ounces dry. Horses with metabolic issues should be fed only plain, unmolassed pulp in amounts a veterinarian or nutritionist approves.
Horses
For full-size horses in work or at pasture, beet pulp works well as a fiber supplement alongside forage, especially during heavy work or when calories are needed. Soak it thoroughly, at least 30 to 60 minutes for shreds and longer for pellets, until it is soft and moist. Feed it in small meals and keep water available. Plain, unmolassed pulp is preferred. Always keep hay as the base of the diet.
Ponies and easy keepers
Ponies and easy keepers do best with a small amount of plain beet pulp, if any, because they can gain weight easily and beet pulp still carries some residual sugar. Seniors with poor teeth may benefit greatly, but soak it until it is very soft. Insulin-resistant or laminitis-prone horses should only have unmolassed pulp, and only with guidance from a veterinarian or equine nutritionist about the amount.
Safe alternatives
Soaked alfalfa cubes or pellets offer fiber and protein for hard keepers. Soaked hay pellets or chopped forage provide the chewing and fiber horses need. For seniors, a complete senior feed formulated to be soaked into a mash can replace a portion of the forage. Always soak these products until soft and feed them with plenty of water.
Questions people ask
Can horses eat beet pulp in hay?
Beet pulp is not a hay, but it can be mixed into a meal. Soak it first and feed it alongside hay, not as a replacement for forage that the horse needs for gut health.
Is beet pulp safe after frost?
Frost does not make beet pulp toxic. Keep it dry and stored well, and discard any pulp that smells sour or shows mould, since that can cause colic.
How much beet pulp can a foal eat?
Foals should not eat beet pulp until they are weaned and eating forage well, and then only under a veterinarian's or nutritionist's guidance. Never give dry pulp to a foal.
Safe for horses means: fine as an occasional treat, prepared as described.
General information from veterinary guidance, not a diagnosis. If you are worried, call your vet or a pet poison line: ASPCA Animal Poison Control (888) 426-4435. Charges may apply.
Written by Hoofdeck editors · updated Nov 13, 2026 · from ASPCA Animal Poison Control, Merck Veterinary Manual and university extension guidance.