What is Speedi Beet? Speedi-Beet is a pure unmolassed sugar beet pulp treated by a patented process that includes Micronization. What is Micronization? Micronization is a process where infra red rays causes the water molecules present in all feedstuffs to rapidly vibrate and heat up, causing water vaporisation and expansion. The almost instantaneous heating and vaporisation disrupts fibre, including that encircling the cells allowing "locked-in" nutrients to become available for subsequent digestion. How does Speedi-Beet soak so quickly? Once sugar has been extracted the pulp is dried and compressed into dense pellets. Water can soak through the closely impacted fibre only very slowly. With Speedi-Beet the manufacturing process forces the fibres apart, allowing greater accessibility to water. It s like cardboard converted to blotting paper. Why does Speedi-Beet have greater nutrient availability than beet pulp? Not only does the manufacturing process of Speedi-Beet force fibres apart it also disrupts them. Non-fibrous nutrients that were encapsulated by fibre are now available to the digestive enzymes and the available surface area of the fibres is increased allowing more gut bacteria to attack and ferment them. What are the correct proportions for soaking? The recommended proportion is one part of Speedi-Beet to five parts of water by weight. For example 250g of Speedi-Beet should be soaked in 1.25kg (or 1.25litres: 1litre of water weighs 1 kg) of water. The amounts aren t too critical. When first using Speedi-Beet, weigh out the amounts and judge the amount to scoop for subsequent feeds. Does it matter if I use too much water? No. Speedi-Beet can soak up to at least seven times its own weight, more than sugar beet pellets. The final mix will be a bit sloppier, but it is a good method for getting extra water into your horse. Can I prepare enough for two feeds (i.e. over 24 hours)? Yes. There is no problem, except perhaps during very hot, humid periods where there may be a slight risk from mould growth. This, though, is true for all feeds. The nutrients will remain unaffected. Can Speedi-Beet cause Colic? As mentioned in the previous point there is little swelling when Speedi-Beet is soaked, either before feeding or in the stomach. The problem with sugar beet pellets is the slowness of soaking. If fed dry the outside will swell up with water but the centre will remain impacted for a considerable time. If incompletely soaked, or fed dry, this impaction may cause gut motility problems that lead to Colic. Speedi-Beet soaks quickly and regularly and turns into a friable product that can flow easily along the gut. Won t the sugar cause problems? Sugar beet pulp may be molassed and can contain up to 20% sugar. Speedi-Beet is only manufactured from unmolassed beet pulp, with typical levels of 5%. This sugar (sucrose, 50% glucose and 50% fructose) is not only highly digestible but also (due to the manufacturing process) highly available, and is entirely absorbed in the small intestine. In fact sugar absorption is essential to help active amino acid (protein) absorption across the gut wall. Problems may occur if too much sugar (or starch or fructans) is fermented in the hindgut, but this will not occur with Speedi-Beet. Is this why it is good for laminitics? Yes. One of the many causes of laminitis is thought to be due to too much acid production (especially lactic acid) in the hindgut. Lactic acid is absorbed but cannot be metabolised as quickly as other fermentation products such as the volatile fatty acids. Its build up causes conditions in the body that can lead to laminitis. In addition, acid conditions in the gut can change the microbial population and this may lead to toxic fermentation products. Fermentation of Speedi-Beet produces good levels of volatile fatty acids, but levels of lactic acid lower than hay or oat fibre. What about Cushings Syndrome? Cushings Syndrome is associated with hyperglycaemia (too much glucose circula
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