Category Archives: The Letter B

BEE POLLEN FOR HORSES

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What is It and Where Does it Come From?

Bee Pollen has been called one of nature’s most perfect foods.  Bee Pollen contains the male gametes of plants found as small dust pellets in the stamen of flowers.  The male germ cell of plants is the most nutritious part. When the bee lands it get covered in the pollen.  The pollen is brushed off the bees legs with a special device that is placed at the entrance of the hive by the bee keeper.

bee pollen plated

What is the Nutritional Value?

Bee pollen is packed full of antioxidants, vitamins, minerals and hormones in combination with digestive enzymes from the bees.  Scientists agree that enzymes are absolutely essential for every biochemical function of the body.

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BLACK OIL SUNFLOWER SEEDS (BOSS) for Horses

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What Are Black Oil Sunflower Seeds?

There are different types of sunflower seeds but with horses you should only feed the Black oil sunflower seeds. The striped seeds have thicker, tougher hulls that cannot be broken down by your horse’s digestive system so you should never feed them to your horse.

Sunflower seed

What is the Nutritional Value of BOSS?        

When checking my copy of the National Research Council’s book Nutrient Requirements of Horses (2007) I could not find the nutrient content for the seeds.   Sunflower meal is listed but not the whole seeds and the presence of the hull would change the nutrient levels so the nutrient content of the meal is not comparable.

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BLISTER BEETLES DANGERS FOR HORSES

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What is a Blister Beetle and What Does it Look Like?

Blister Beetles are members of a family of plant-feeding insects (Meloidae) that contain a toxic defensive chemical known as cantharidin.  This chemical protects them from predators.  Accidentally crushing a Beetle against the skin can result in a painful blister, the source of the insect’s common name. 

Blister Beetles have long (3/4 to 1-1/4 inch) narrow bodies, broad heads, and antennae that are about 1/3 the length of their entire bodies. The front wings are soft and flexible in contrast to the hard front wings of most Beetles.

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BRAN IN THE EQUINE DIET

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What is wheat Bran?

Bran is similar to other byproducts of the milling industry that found their way into livestock diets when manufacturers were searching for a profitable use for the byproducts.  When milling wheat the husk is removed before grinding the soft, inner kernel into flour. The husks are then turned into the large reddish-brown flakes known as Bran.

HappyHorseHealthyPlanet.com._Bran

Horses, people discovered, liked the taste of Bran. And millers are more than delighted to sell Bran cheaply to those who want to feed it to their horses.

What is the Nutritional Value of Bran?

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BEET PULP IN THE EQUINE DIET

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What is it?

Beet pulp is a highly digestible fiber source that is a byproduct in the processing of sugar beets for sugar.  It’s basically what’s left over after the sugar is extracted from sugar beets.

Sugar beet

Since the sugar beet industry is happy to have a way dispose of the pulp, it is one of the more inexpensive feeds available to supplement in your horse’s diet. Beet pulp is similar in energy value to oats but the energy comes from digestible fiber and not from starch making it healthier.

What is the Nutritional Value of Beet Pulp?

Beet pulp has about the same protein as a good grass hay, averaging 8 to 10%, however it is higher in calories than hay. It is a good source of fermentable fiber, is fairly high in calcium, high in crude fiber but basically has no vitamin content.

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