5 Weight Reasons to Choose Höveler Western Sport

Quick answer: Höveler Western Sport is an oat-free, low-grain muesli for medium to intensively trained western horses, delivering 12.19 MJ digestible energy per kg and 6.10% crude fat in a modest daily concentrate amount — from 0.55 lb (250 g) per 220 lb (100 kg) of body weight in light work. The 44 lb bag costs $37.99. Best for horses in work that need dense, usable nutrition in the bucket rather than ever-larger scoops. Last checked: September 2026.

Holding weight on a horse in real work is one of the quiet worries of horse ownership — the ribs that show up in week three of a training block, the topline that fades with the calendar. The answer is rarely "more scoops"; it is denser, better-built nutrition. Here are five reasons Western Sport is formulated for exactly that.

1. 12.19 MJ of digestible energy per kg — density, not volume

Weight is an energy equation, and Western Sport starts with density: 12.19 MJ of digestible energy per kg, with 11.21 MJ convertible energy. Because the energy is concentrated, meaningful amounts start small — 0.55 lb (250 g) per 220 lb (100 kg) of body weight in light work, 0.88 lb (400 g) in medium work. A working horse gets genuine fuel without a bucket that looks like a grain bin. For horses that get full on bulk before they fill out, that compactness is the whole game. The energy density is printed, so hold it up directly against what you feed now.

Who this is for: horses that physically cannot eat enough of their current low-energy feed to hold weight in work.

2. 6.10% crude fat from sunflower and linseed oil — the weight-builder's energy source

Fat is the most concentrated way to put condition on a working horse, and Western Sport carries 6.10% crude fat with sunflower oil and linseed oil in the ingredient list. Fat energy supports weight without loading the ration with starch — starch sits at 18.30% and sugar at 5.30% here. That means you can send calories toward the ribs without nudging the metabolism toward fizz or digestive upset. It is the trade every good weight program makes. The percentage is published on the page, next to the oils that deliver it.

Who this is for: owners who have been down the jug-of-oil road and want it balanced inside the feed already.

3. 14% protein with 107 g/kg digestible crude protein — weight that lands as muscle, not just cover

There is weight, and there is weight in the right places. Western Sport supplies 14.0% crude protein with 107 g per kg digestible crude protein, plus named amino acids — lysine 0.58%, threonine 0.53%, methionine+cysteine 0.46% — and 28% alfalfa, which the page ties to muscle development. A weight program fed on calories alone refills the fat cover while the topline stays hollow. This formula supplies both the energy and the structural material, so gain lands over the hindquarter and back too. The digestible protein figure is printed on the label for exactly that comparison.

Who this is for: horses whose weight regain has always looked ribby-and-hollow rather than filled out.

4. Oat-free, low-grain, with inactivated brewer's yeast — a gut that keeps gaining

Weight programs fail when the gut pushes back, so Western Sport removes the usual provocations: no oats, a low-grain base, and inactivated brewer's yeast — one of the page's named highlights — alongside 16.7% crude fiber and 28% alfalfa. The page lists "suits oat-sensitive horses" among its highlights. A hindgut working smoothly converts more of every pound of feed into condition, week after week. Höveler has made horse feed since 1905 — over 120 years of expertise — and this kind of gut-led construction is where that experience shows. Steady digestion is the motor behind steady gain.

Who this is for: oat-sensitive or grain-sensitive horses whose weight attempts keep falling apart on digestive upsets.

5. Feeding rates that scale with the work — and a refundable trial to prove it

Holding weight across a season means fitting the ration to the demand, and the table makes that simple: 0.55 lb (250 g) per 220 lb (100 kg) of body weight in light work, 0.88 lb (400 g) in medium work, with heavy work directed to adjust by condition and training intensity, forage always alongside — the page publishes no fixed heavy-work rate. Weigh the ration instead of scooping; weight programs live on precision. The 44 lb bag costs $37.99, and bifid backs the trial with a 30-Day Money-Back Guarantee, a 9.0/10 store rating across 24,098 reviews, and a 24/7 licensed vet team. Give it one honest block and judge the tape, not the marketing.

Who this is for: owners ready to run a careful weight program on a feed they can return if it underperforms.

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 your horse's condition and training intensity, with adequate forage always provided.

Key specs at a glance: muesli mix, 44 lb bag, $37.99; 12.19 MJ digestible energy per kg, 6.10% crude fat, 14.0% crude protein with 107 g/kg digestible crude protein, 28% alfalfa; oat-free.

Work out the right daily amount with the bifid Feeding Calculator.

Frequently asked questions

Will Western Sport put weight on my horse?

It is formulated as a high-energy feed at 12.19 MJ digestible energy per kg with 6.10% crude fat, designed for medium to intensively trained horses. Weight gain comes down to the whole ration, workload, and the individual horse. For heavy work, the page says to adjust the amount to condition and training intensity with adequate forage always alongside — no fixed heavy-work rate is published.

How much should I feed a working horse that needs to gain weight?

Per 220 lb (100 kg) of body weight, the rates are 0.55 lb (250 g) in light work and 0.88 lb (400 g) in medium work. Adjust upward by condition and training intensity for heavier work, make sure forage stays adequate, and set a starting figure with your vet or bifid's 24/7 licensed vet team. Weigh the ration rather than scooping by eye.

Is it high in starch, which can worry some weight-gain programs?

No — Western Sport contains 18.30% starch and 5.30% sugar in an oat-free, low-grain base, with energy also supplied through 6.10% crude fat and 16.7% crude fiber. The page describes it as a high-energy, low-grain muesli. It is designed to deliver calories without a starch-heavy load.

Does it contain soy or oats?

It is oat-free. It does contain 1.5% soy extraction meal, so it is not a soy-free https://horse-feed-without-soy-ruxt415.silverstonebrief.com/posts/hard-keeper-that-won-t-hold-weight-9-ways-hoveler-western-sport-helps feed — factor that in if your program excludes soy.

What does the 44 lb bag cost?

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