Super Fibres & other good stuff

Lupins & Lupin Hulls

These fibre packed, energy dense legumes.
They are considered another superfibre as they are 90% digestible!
They are low in the indigestible fibre lignin, but are high in digestible (fermentable) fibre which acts as a prebiotic (food) for beneficial fibre-digesting hindgut microbes.

They are a grest source of slow-release sustained energy, providing around 13MJ/kg of digestible energy (around the same as oats).
However they are low in sugar and starch (less than 10% combined sugar and starch), around 28-34% protein.

Lupins must be processed in some way, e.g. cooked, crushed, extruded or micronized for consumption by horses.

Sugar Beet Pulp
This is a by product of the sugar beet industry. Beet pulp is the plant material left over once the sugar has been removed. Because of the processing, beet pulp contains minimal sugar.

Sugar beet pulp is considered a ‘super fibre’. It contains high amounts of fibre that is easily digested by the hind gut micrbes of the horse, it is termed a prebiotic.

The hind gut microbes are easily able to ferment the beet pulp into energy to be used by the horses body.
It is a very good feed to aid in putting on weight, as it is high is digestible energy yet low in starch and sugar making it safe in terms of upsetting the gut.

It has almost the same energy as oats yet far lower amounts of starch. A non-structural carbohydrates (NSC) content of @8 – 12%. And high in calcium (~0.9% of DM).

Beet pulp holds moisture, making it useful for adding hydration to the digestive system.

Soybean Hulls

The outer husk of the actual soybean the hull is a fantastic source of fibre for the horse.

Soybean hulls are high in pectin and other soluble fibers. Because they are digested mostly in the hind gut and contain relatively small amounts of starch, their use in horse diets does not pose a high risk for colic and laminitis.

Uncooked soybean has a few anti-nutritional factors. The critical one is trypsin inhibitor. Trypsin is a protein-digesting enzyme made by your horse. Your horse uses trypsin to cut up protein into amino acids so they can be absorbed. Therefore all soybean and hulls must be cooked to destroy this inhibitor before feeding to horses.