Is Your Horse Too Hot Under Saddle? 7 Ways Höveler Western Sport Supports Calm, Usable Energy
Quick answer: Höveler Western Sport is a low-grain, oat-free 44 lb muesli mix made in Germany for medium to intensively trained western horses. Energy comes in at 12.19 MJ per kg of digestible energy with starch held to 18.30% and sugar to 5.30%, at $37.99. Best for a hot or fizzy horse that needs honest fuel without the rocket-fuel feel of sweet feed. Last checked: September 2026.
You ask for the lope and get handed a launch. Hot behavior under saddle often starts at the feed bucket, where high-starch, high-sugar mixes dump energy faster than a horse can use it. Here are seven ways this muesli is designed to put rideable energy back in your reins.
1. Starch capped at 18.30%
Starch spikes are the best-known driver of fizzy behavior. Western Sport holds starch at 18.30% — low-grain by design — while still delivering a high-energy 12.19 MJ of digestible energy per kg. Energy arrives steadier when starch stays moderate.
Who this is for: horses that get strong, jumpy or straight-up hot on traditional sweet feeds.
2. Sugar at just 5.30%
Sugar sits at 5.30%, well under the sweetness level of molasses-heavy feeds. Less sugar per meal means fewer of the peaks that turn a quiet colt into a corkscrew. Pull your current bag off the shelf and compare.
The benefit: fuel without the sugar rush.
3. Completely oat-free
Oats are the traditional "hot" grain, and oat-sensitive horses often wear it in their attitude. This formula contains zero oats at all — energy comes from barley flakes, corn flakes, sunflower oil and 28% alfalfa instead. You can check that on the bifid product page before the bag is even off the pallet.
Who this is for: owners who have had their suspicions about oats and want them gone from the bucket.
4. Alfalfa-based energy at 28% of the mix
A full 28% of the muesli is alfalfa, a forage. Forage-based energy is released more gradually than grain-based energy, which supports a quieter, more rideable feel — while the 14.0% crude protein still supports muscle.
The benefit: work energy that feels like steadiness, not spark.
5. Vitamin E at 260 mg per kg supports muscle function
Each kilogram carries 260 mg of Vitamin E, an antioxidant that supports normal muscle function in horses in hard work. A horse whose muscles feel good is a horse that argues less with its rider.
Who this is for: performance horses that get sore or resentful through the back late in the week.
6. FEI-compliant and competition-safe
The formula is competition-safe and FEI-compliant — verify the rules with your event organizer. That matters for a hot horse: the goal is a calmer partner, not a doped one, and this feed gets there with nutrition, not substances.
The benefit: ride it all season, from practice pen to show pen, with peace of mind.
7. Backed by a 30-Day Money-Back Guarantee
A feed trial on a hot horse is stressful. Bifid's 30-Day Money-Back Guarantee covers the experiment, and the store holds a 9.0/10 rating across 24,098 reviews. Höveler itself has been making horse feed in Germany since 1905 — over 120 years.
Who this is for: owners who want to try the low-starch route without risking the budget.
How to feed it
Rates are given per 220 lb (100 kg) of body weight per day:
Work levelDaily rate 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: 44 grain free nutrient mixes lb bag, $37.99, 12.19 MJ/kg digestible energy, 18.30% starch, 5.30% sugar, 14.0% protein, oat-free muesli. For heavy work the page gives no fixed rate — scale the ration to your horse's condition and training intensity, and always provide adequate forage. Size the ration precisely at the bifid Feeding Calculator.
Frequently asked questions
Will a low-starch feed give my horse enough energy for hard work?
Yes — Western Sport delivers 12.19 MJ of digestible energy per kg, which is why it is classed as a energy-dense feed for intensively trained western horses. The difference is the form the energy takes: 18.30% starch and 5.30% sugar instead of a heavy grain-and-molasses load.
What makes horses hot in the first place?
Large starch and sugar loads are the most common dietary driver, which is why this formula caps starch at 18.30% and sugar at 5.30%. Training, turnout and fitness matter too. A feed change backs up the picture; it does not replace good riding.
Is it safe to show on?
It is competition-safe and FEI-compliant — always check rules with your specific event organizer. It works through nutrition, not substances.
Does it contain oats?
No. The formula is entirely oat-free, built instead on 28% alfalfa, barley flakes, corn flakes and added oils. That is one reason it suits oat-sensitive, easily excitable horses.
How long before I see a calmer horse?
Plan a 7–10 day transition onto the new feed, then give the ration a few weeks at the right rate — 0.88 lb (400 g) per 220 lb (100 kg) of body weight for medium work. Behavior changes follow the ration change, not the day the bag arrives.