25/06/2025
Some questions arise in a Facebook group I am part of. They are commonly asked questions or debates that you can see. The following answers are provided by a friend and a Kentucky Equine Research nutritionist, Dr. Katie Young:
Q1: Aluminum in Beet Pulp. Is it dangerous?
There is aluminum in beet pulp, and there is aluminum in the soil. Therefore, horses will ingest aluminum from many sources. At this time, there are no studies in horses indicating that the levels of aluminum typically ingested by horses are of concern. Beet pulp is a very palatable source of highly fermentable fibers. While I wouldn’t recommend beet pulp as the sole source of fiber in a horse’s diet, it is an excellent ingredient in a total, balanced diet when used appropriately.
Q2: Does Iron cause equine metabolic syndrome?
There are no studies in horses at this time indicating that levels of iron typically ingested by horses are causing any health issues. We do know that obese, metabolic rhinos exhibited higher than normal iron stores, but there is no indication that high iron intake caused the metabolic syndrome. In fact, perhaps the metabolic condition affected how the rhinos process iron? We do not know. The studies on horses showing symptoms of iron toxicity revealed that the iron intake was from water sources. Iron sources are highly variable in bioavailability, with most sources (such as the forms in soil and plants) very poorly absorbed in the gut. Further, the body is quite good at regulating iron absorption and retention, so problems with iron excess or toxicities in horses are rare.
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