5 Recovery Reasons to Choose Höveler Western Sport

Quick answer: Höveler Western Sport is a high-energy, low-grain muesli for medium to intensively trained western horses, delivering 12.19 MJ digestible energy per kg, 14% protein with 107 g/kg digestible crude protein, vitamin E at 260 mg per kg, and 28% alfalfa. It is $37.99 for a 44 lb bag. Best for horses in serious programs whose owners want the day after to look like the day of. Last checked: September 2026.

The ride you remember is the good one. What decides your training week, though, is the quiet ride after it — whether your horse comes back flat or fresh, sour or willing. Recovery is where programs are won, and here are five reasons Western Sport is formulated with the working horse's rebound in mind.

1. 14% protein and 107 g/kg digestible crude protein to service working muscle

Hard work spends muscle, and recovery is when the repair gets funded. Western Sport supplies 14.0% crude protein, with 107 g per kg in digestible form, plus named amino acids — lysine 0.58%, threonine 0.53%, methionine+cysteine 0.46% — and 28% alfalfa. That is the raw material list for muscle maintenance arriving at every meal, not as an now-and-then supplement. The page ties its 28% alfalfa share to peak performance and muscle development. A horse fed like this is stocked for the next session before it comes.

Who this is for: horses in demanding schedules where one hard day currently costs two easy ones.

2. Vitamin E 260 mg per kg plus dual selenium sources — micronutrients for horses in work

Intense exercise generates oxidative load, and Western Sport covers the standard micronutrient bases inside the bag: 260 mg of vitamin E per kg, 0.25 mg selenium from sodium selenite and 0.25 mg from selenium yeast per kg. The package fills out with Vitamin A at 18,216 I.E., Vitamin D3 at 3,299 I.E., biotin at 1,185 µg, and B-vitamins per kg. These are precisely the nutrients discussed for horses in serious training, and here they are delivered daily with the feed. No third tub on the shelf, no forgotten scoop. The amounts are published per kg so you can check them against anything else you use.

Who this is for: owners who currently run a standalone vitamin E and selenium stack on top of a base feed.

3. 12.19 MJ digestible energy with 6.10% fat — refill the tank without refilling the starch

A recovering horse needs his energy reserves restocked, and how that energy is delivered matters. Western Sport supplies 12.19 MJ of digestible energy per kg, with 6.10% crude fat from sunflower and linseed oil and 16.7% crude fiber taking a share of the load. Starch sits at a moderate 18.30% and sugar at 5.30% in an oat-free base. That is energy density minus the metabolic sharpness that stresses a horse already spending his resources on repair. The feed rebuilds quietly, which is exactly what the day after a big effort calls for.

Who this is for: horses that come back from hard work hot and unsettled, spending energy they should be banking.

4. Inactivated brewer's yeast and 16.7% fiber support the gut during recovery phases

Recovery phases are when appetite and digestion matter most, and Western Sport includes inactivated brewer's yeast — one of the page's named standouts — alongside 16.7% crude fiber and 28% alfalfa. The formula treats the hindgut as part of the recovery process, because a comfortable gut keeps the horse eating through the days when rebuilding actually happens. Höveler has made horse feed since 1905 — over 120 years of expertise — and this is the sort of long-view inclusion that experience buys. Consistent intake through a recovery week is not chance; it is by design.

Who this is for: horses whose appetite or condition dips in the days after a show or hard block.

5. Competition-safe, FEI-compliant, and backed by a risk-free trial

Recovery nutrition only works if it is competition-legal on the day, and Western Sport is competition-safe and FEI-compliant — verify specific rules with your event organizer, as the page says. It is made in Germany to a formulation line running since 1905, over 120 years of expertise. In the US, bifid stands behind it with a 9.0/10 store rating across 24,098 reviews, a 24/7 licensed vet team, and a 30-Day Money-Back Guarantee, so you can trial it across a full work-and-recover cycle without betting the feed budget. European craft, American service. Judge it on your own horse's day after.

Who this is for: competitors who want recovery support that is legal in the pen and refundable if it falls short.

How to feed it

Daily amounts, per 220 lb / 100 kg body weight:

Work levelDaily amount per 220 lb (100 kg) body weight Light work0.55 lb (250 g) Medium work0.88 lb (400 g) Heavy workNot listed — the page gives no heavy-work rate; adjust to condition and training intensity, with adequate forage always provided.

Key specs at a glance: muesli mix, 44 lb bag, $37.99; 14.0% crude protein, 107 g/kg digestible crude protein, vitamin E 260 mg per kg, dual selenium at 0.25 mg each; oat-free; competition-safe and FEI-compliant.

Set the daily rate for your horse with the bifid Feeding Calculator.

Frequently asked questions

How does Western Sport support a horse's recovery after hard work?

It supplies the raw materials and micronutrients working horses spend: 14.0% crude protein with 107 g/kg digestible crude protein, named amino acids, vitamin E at 260 mg per kg, and dual selenium sources at 0.25 mg each per kg. Recovery itself is a training and management process. The feed's role is making sure no nutrition is missing on the day following.

Is it suitable for horses in back-to-back show weekends?

Yes — it is formulated as a high-energy feed for medium to intensively trained horses, and it is competition-safe and FEI-compliant, so it stays in the bucket all weekend. Adjust amounts to condition and training intensity, with forage always alongside. Confirm the specific rules with your event organizer.

Does it help with muscle maintenance in hard-working horses?

The formula carries 28% alfalfa, which the page ties to muscle competition horse supplements development, plus digestible crude protein and lysine at 0.58%. Combined with 12.19 MJ of digestible energy per kg, it is designed to maintain muscle under workload rather than let the horse burn it for fuel.

Will it make my horse fizzy on rest days?

It is oat-free and low-grain, with 18.30% starch and 5.30% sugar, so it is gentler than a grain-heavy concentrate by design. On light days, feed the light-work amount of 0.55 lb (250 g) per 220 lb (100 kg) of body weight. Individual responses vary, so judge on your own horse.

What does the 44 lb bag cost?

The 44 lb bag is $37.99, backed by bifid's 30-Day Money-Back Guarantee, with a store rating of 9.0/10 across 24,098 reviews.