Höveler Pur.Muskel — The Targeted Hero for Muscle Support
If you want one product built specifically around the goal of supporting muscle development, Höveler Pur.Muskel is the muscle building feed for horses that leads this list. Everything about its label points at the same purpose. It carries 20% crude protein with a stated 160 g/kg digestible crude protein, so you know a meaningful share of that protein is usable. It names the three amino acids that matter most — lysine 0.85%, methionine 0.25%, threonine 0.6% — instead of hiding behind a single crude figure.
What makes it stand out further is the energy profile. At 5.8% starch and 4.1% sugar it is a genuinely low-starch option, drawing more of its 14.1 MJ/kg digestible energy from its 15.0% fat content. That combination — high usable protein, named amino acids, low starch and sugar — is exactly what a horse needs to have the raw material for muscle without a carbohydrate spike. It is alfalfa-free and FEI-suitable, which matters for competition yards and for horses that do not tolerate alfalfa well.
One important detail: Pur.Muskel is a supplementary feed with no added vitamins or minerals. That is by design. It is meant to sit alongside a balanced base ration or a vitamin/mineral balancer, delivering concentrated protein and amino acid support in small daily amounts. Because it is fed in grams rather than kilograms, a 44 lb bag lasts a long time. At $52.99 for that bag, the cost per feeding is modest. It supports topline and muscle development when paired with appropriate work; it does not promise to build muscle on its own.
Höveler Original Sport — Performance Fuel That Supports Muscle Metabolism
Where Pur.Muskel is a concentrated top-up, Höveler Original Sport is a full performance muesli you feed as part of the daily ration. It is the right companion when a horse needs everyday energy to do the work and amino acid support for the muscle that work builds. Its label shows 15.1% crude protein with lysine at 1.0% and threonine at 1.0% — notably generous figures for those two amino acids — plus added vitamin E, an antioxidant associated with muscle function and recovery.
Original Sport carries more starch (15%) and slightly more sugar (4.6%) than Pur.Muskel, reflecting its role as a performance energy feed, with 12.6 MJ/kg digestible energy and 9.0% fat. It also includes Diamond V yeast, which supports digestive function, and it is soy-free and FEI-suitable. In short, it is built to fuel a working horse while supplying amino acids that support muscle metabolism and recovery. For a horse whose diet needs both the fuel and the protein in one bag, at $49.99 for a 44 lb bag it is a sensible core feed. As with any feed, it supports — it does not guarantee — muscle outcomes.
Named Amino Acids, Not Just a Protein Percentage
This is the criterion that separates a real muscle building feed for horses from a generic high-protein product. When you pick up a bag, look for lysine, methionine, and threonine listed as named percentages. If the label only shows crude protein, you cannot tell whether the protein is in a form the horse can turn into muscle. Höveler Pur.Muskel (lysine 0.85%, methionine 0.25%, threonine 0.6%) and Original Sport (lysine 1.0%, threonine 1.0%) both pass this test. Use their published numbers as a benchmark for anything else you consider — and never trust a percentage that is not printed on the label.
Digestible Protein, Not Just Crude Protein
Crude protein measures the total nitrogen in the feed; digestible protein estimates how much the horse can actually absorb and use. A high crude protein number attached to a poorly digestible source does the muscle little good. This is why Pur.Muskel's stated 160 g/kg digestible crude protein is genuinely useful information — it tells you the quality behind the quantity. When comparing feeds, favour those that publish a digestibility figure over those that show only the raw crude protein headline.
How a feed delivers energy affects both temperament and metabolic comfort. Lower-starch, lower-sugar feeds provide calmer, steadier energy and are gentler on horses that are sensitive to rapidly fermentable carbohydrate. Pur.Muskel sits at just 5.8% starch and 4.1% sugar — a genuinely low-starch profile — while Original Sport, as a performance feed, runs higher at 15% starch and 4.6% sugar. Neither is automatically "better"; the right choice depends on the horse. But knowing these numbers lets you match the feed to the individual rather than guessing.
Fat is a cool, sustained energy source that lets a feed carry calories without leaning on starch. It supports condition and provides fuel for work and recovery. Pur.Muskel's 15.0% fat is a large part of why it can be both energy-dense (14.1 MJ/kg) and low in starch. Original Sport carries 9.0% fat alongside its higher starch. When you want energy without fizz, a higher-fat, lower-starch profile is worth seeking out.
Supplementary Feed vs. Complete Feed
Understand what job the bag is meant to do. A supplementary feed like Pur.Muskel — with no added vitamins or minerals — is designed to top up a diet that is already balanced elsewhere, delivering concentrated protein in small daily amounts. A performance feed like Original Sport is fed in larger quantities as part of the core ration and adds vitamin E and yeast. Neither is a mistake, but feeding a supplementary product as if it were a complete feed, or vice versa, is. Check the label's classification and feed it for what it is.
Feeding Rates That Match the Workload
A muscle building feed for horses only works if it is fed at the right rate for the horse's work level. Both Höveler feeds publish clear feeding tables by workload (see the tables below). Pur.Muskel is fed in grams — 30 to 100 g per 220 lb of bodyweight depending on work — while Original Sport is fed in larger amounts, 250 to 600 g per 220 lb. A feed with vague or missing feeding guidance is harder to use correctly. Favour products that tell you exactly how much to feed for your horse's size and workload, and use a calculator to remove the guesswork.
Suitability for Your Situation — FEI, Alfalfa, Soy
Practical suitability decides whether a feed fits your yard at all. Competing under FEI rules? Both Höveler feeds are FEI-suitable. Managing a horse that does not tolerate alfalfa? Pur.Muskel is alfalfa-free. Avoiding soy? Original Sport is soy-free. These are not marketing extras — they are the constraints that determine whether a feed is even usable for your horse. Read the ingredient and suitability lines before you fall in love with the nutrition panel.
Brand Track Record and Support Behind the Bag
The company behind the feed matters, because consistency and formulation expertise are built over decades, not seasons. Höveler has been making horse feed in Germany since 1905 — more than 120 years of formulation experience. Just as important is the support you get when buying. Through bifid, these feeds come with a 9.0/10 rating from 24,098 reviews, a 24/7 vet team you can ask about feeding your individual horse, and a 30-Day Money-Back Guarantee if the feed is not right. A long-standing brand plus real buyer support is a criterion in its own right.