7 Reasons Höveler Original Sport Fits a Quarter Horse in Work
Quick answer: Höveler Original Sport is a reduced-starch sports muesli with special yeast and added amino acids, formulated for horses in regular work. It holds sugar to 4.6% and starch to 15% while delivering 12.6 MJ/kg DM digestible energy — a profile that suits the easy-doing quarter horse with a real job. The price is $49.99. Last checked: September 2026.
Quarter horses are famously easy doers that also, increasingly, hold down serious jobs — from ranch work to timed events to long days in the saddle. That combination is the feeding challenge: the metabolism says "careful", the workload says give me more. Höveler, making horse feed in Germany since 1905 with over 120 years of expertise, built Original Sport around that exact balance. Here are seven reasons it fits the breed.
1. Sugar at 4.6% for an efficient metabolism
Quarter horse metabolisms are thrifty, and sugar is the number to watch first. Original Sport measures just 4.6% sugar and 15% starch, keeping the concentrate in reduced territory.
The benefit: work nutrition that respects the breed's efficient engine.
Who this is for: quarter horses that hold weight easily but now work hard enough to need a real ration.
2. Energy from fiber and oil: 16.4% fiber, 9.0% fat
Fuel comes from alfalfa, green meal, linseed oil, and sunflower oil — 16.4% crude fiber and 9.0% crude fat — rather than a heavy grain load. Slow-release energy suits long working days.
Who this is for: quarter horses asked for consistent output across hours, not just minutes.
3. 12.6 MJ/kg DM digestible energy when the job ramps up
Speed events and hard ranch days need fuel on demand. Digestible energy is 12.6 MJ/kg DM (11.0 MJ/kg DM metabolizable), with heavy-work feeding at 1.32 lb (600 g) per 220 lb (100 kg) body weight daily.
Who this is for: quarter horses in busy seasons whose rations must scale with the calendar.
4. Gut support with 0.7% Diamond V yeast and prebiotics
The 0.7% Diamond V inactivated yeast and fructooligosaccharide fiber support digestive comfort — helpful for a breed often fed around a busy schedule.
Who this is for: quarter horses whose routines shift between pasture, trailer, and work.
5. Amino acids at 1.0% lysine for muscle and stop
A working quarter horse uses his hindquarters and topline hard. Original Sport adds lysine 1.0%, threonine 1.0%, and methionine+cysteine 0.93% on 15.1% crude protein to support muscle function.
Who this is for: quarter horses in disciplined work whose power needs nutritional support behind it.
6. High vitamin E and grape seed antioxidants at 0.5%
Hard work adds oxidative load; the formula is high in vitamin E and includes grape seed meal at 0.5% for antioxidant support.
Who this is for: quarter horses in intense or repetitive work weeks.
7. Complete, transparent, and guaranteed
The full analysis is published — calcium 1.2%, phosphorus 0.6%, magnesium 0.7%, sodium 0.6% — and the feed is soy-free and made in Germany.
Who this is for: no-nonsense owners who want every number on the label and a trial period behind it.
How to feed it
Rates are per 220 lb (100 kg) of body weight per day, with forage always alongside. For an easy-doing breed, begin low and let the workload scale the rate:
Work levelFeed per dayHay per day Light work0.55 lb (250 g)3.31 lb (1.5 kg) per 220 lb body weight Medium work0.88 lb (400 g)3.31 lb (1.5 kg) per 220 lb body weight Heavy work1.32 lb (600 g)3.31 lb (1.5 kg) per 220 lb body weightKey specs at a glance: 4.6% sugar, 15% starch, 12.6 MJ/kg DM digestible energy, 16.4% crude fiber, 9.0% crude fat, lysine 1.0%.
Work out exact amounts with the Feeding Calculator, and scale the ration with the calendar.
bifid backs orders with a 30-Day Money-Back Guarantee and a 24/7 licensed vet team, store-wide satisfaction is 9.0/10 across 24,098 reviews, and the full label is published on the Höveler Original Sport product page.
Frequently asked questions
https://sites.google.com/view/low-starch-horse-feed/Is a performance feed too rich for a quarter horse?
Not as formulated here — sugar is 4.6% and starch 15%, and rates start at just 0.55 lb (250 g) per 220 lb (100 kg) body weight daily at light work. Feed for the workload and monitor condition.
My quarter horse gets hot on grain. Will this?
The energy comes from oil and fiber instead of heavy starch, a profile designed to support level behavior in work. Introduce it slowly and watch your horse's response.
Does it support the muscle a working quarter horse uses?
Yes — 15.1% crude protein with added lysine 1.0% and threonine 1.0% is designed to support muscle function when the work is there.
What if it does not suit my horse?
The 30-Day Money-Back Guarantee covers the trial, and the 24/7 licensed vet team can help fine-tune the plan.