5 Calm Energy 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, with 18.30% starch, 5.30% sugar, and energy also carried by 6.10% crude fat and 16.7% crude fiber. It is competition-safe and FEI-compliant, listed at $37.99 for a 44 lb bag. Best for hot or reactive horses whose owners need working energy that does not sharpen the temperament. Last checked: September 2026.
There is a particular frustration in feeding a performance horse: the more fuel you add, the less usable the horse becomes. Calm energy — rideable, forward, thinking — is what truly wins runs and rides. Here are five reasons Western Sport is formulated to deliver it.
1. Oat-free formula — the first lever for a hot horse
The single most common dietary factor blamed for fizz in western horses is oats, and Western Sport contains none at all. It is oat-free by design, with barley flakes, corn flakes, and 28% alfalfa forming the ration instead. The page lists "suits oat-sensitive horses" among its standouts. If your horse turns lit up on oat feeds, removing oats is the first change any sensible program makes. This muesli makes that change on your behalf without giving up the energy a sport horse needs.
Who this is for: owners of horses that get hot, reactive, or lit up on oat-based rations.
2. 18.30% starch and 5.30% sugar — moderate figures in a sport feed
Calm energy is mostly a starch-and-sugar story. Western Sport sits at 18.30% starch and 5.30% sugar, figures that keep it firmly in the low-grain category even though it supplies 12.19 MJ of digestible energy per kg. High-starch feeds are the ones associated with sharpness and spookiness in sensitive horses. The blend also carries 6.10% crude fat and 16.7% crude fiber, which share the energy load across steadier sources. You can compare every one of those numbers against your current bag before you switch — the full analysis is published on the Höveler Western Sport page at bifid.
Who this is for: riders who want to lower the starch in the bucket without dropping the energy below training needs.
3. 12.19 MJ digestible energy — calm does not mean underpowered
The trap in feeding for calm is ending up with a horse that is quiet only because he is underfueled. Western Sport solves that with 12.19 MJ of digestible energy per kg and 11.21 MJ convertible energy, positioned by the page for medium to intensively trained horses. The energy is there and usable — it simply arrives through a wider, gentler blend of ingredients. In practice that means a horse with stamina in his work and his head still in the game. Energy level and temperament are not the same dial, and this feed handles them separately.
Who this is for: performance horses that need full training fuel but lose their rideability on conventional grain.
4. Magnesium 0.23% and a full micronutrient package in the ration
Temperament has a nutritional floor, and Western Sport covers it within the bag: magnesium at 0.23%, plus vitamin E at 260 mg per kg, biotin at 1,185 µg per kg, and both sodium selenite and selenium yeast at 0.25 mg each per kg. Owners of hot horses often purchase magnesium on its own; here it is part of the base feed. The complete vitamin and mineral package means the ration is not missing pieces that show up as behavioral rough edges. Consistent daily delivery, no extra tubs. It is quiet design in service of a level mind.
Who this is for: owners currently adding magnesium or B-vitamins onto a base feed that does not supply them.
5. Competition-safe and FEI-compliant — calm energy is legal energy
Whatever supports your horse's composure has to be legal in the arena, and Western Sport is competition-safe and FEI-compliant. That means the feed can stay the same from first prep to finals — no last-minute switches, no transition risk, no variables on show morning. Verify the fine print with your event organizer, as the page advises, but the formulation is designed for sanctioned competition. Over 120 years of Höveler expertise since 1905 stands behind it. Predictability is its own kind of calm, for the rider as much as the horse.
Who this is for: competitors who need one feed through the whole season, from the first ride to the last run.
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; oat-free; 18.30% starch, 5.30% sugar, 12.19 MJ digestible energy per kg, magnesium 0.23%; competition-safe and FEI-compliant.
Set a starting rate for your horse with the bifid Feeding Calculator.
Frequently asked questions
Will this feed calm my hot horse down?
Western Sport is oat-free and low-grain, with 18.30% starch and 5.30% sugar, and energy also supplied through 6.10% crude fat and 16.7% crude fiber — a profile designed for usable, steady energy rather than sharpness. Feeds do not tranquilize; they shape the energy a horse has to work with. Feed to the labeled rate and judge on your own horse over the coming weeks.
Is it suitable for a horse in hard work who gets fizzy on grain?
Yes, that is the horse the formula targets. It supplies 12.19 MJ of digestible energy per kg for medium to intensively trained horses without an oat or grain-heavy base. For heavy work, scale the amount to your horse's condition https://horse-feed-for-performance-kqfy867.valiantfield.com/posts/hoveler-western-sport-9-reasons-it-is-built-for-western-horses and training intensity, with forage always alongside.
Does it contain anything sedating or prohibited?
No. It is a plain muesli feed, competition-safe and FEI-compliant, so it is designed to be legal in sanctioned competition. Always verify specific rules with your event organizer as the page recommends.
What are the key nutrition numbers?
14.0% crude protein, 6.10% crude fat, 16.7% crude fiber, 18.30% starch, 5.30% sugar, and 12.19 MJ digestible energy per kg, with 28% alfalfa and inactivated brewer's yeast in the formula. Note it contains 1.5% soy extraction meal, so it is not soy-free.
How much does the 44 lb bag cost?
The 44 lb bag is $37.99. It is covered by bifid's 30-Day Money-Back Guarantee, and the store holds a 9.0/10 rating across 24,098 reviews.