Matching Höveler Original Sport to Your Horse's Work Level: 7 Things to Get Right
Quick answer: Höveler Original Sport has a labeled rate for each work level: 0.55 lb (250 g) light, 0.88 lb (400 g) medium, and 1.32 lb (600 g) heavy work per 220 lb (100 kg) body weight daily. Matching the rate to real workload keeps energy where the training needs it, with starch at just 15%. Best for owners of sport horses whose workload shifts through the season. Price: $49.99. Last checked: September 2026.
Underfeeding wastes the feed; overfeeding invites trouble. The feeding table on the bag does the thinking for you, as long as you read it honestly. These seven checks keep the ration honest against the actual job the horse does.
1. Define "work level" before you pick a rate
Light, medium, and heavy are training categories, not feelings. Light work is short rides a few days a week; medium is consistent schooling or regular competition prep; heavy is intensive daily training or multi-day showing. Noting down what your horse actually does each week is the starting point. The rate flows from that description, not from wishful thinking.
Who this is for: owners who have never formally classified their horse's workload.
2. Feed the light-work rate when the week is genuinely light
At 0.55 lb (250 https://energy-dense-horse-feed-lils379.silverstonebrief.com/posts/test-driving-a-new-feed-7-boxes-hoveler-original-sport-ticks g) per 220 lb (100 kg) body weight per day, the light rate of Höveler Original Sport still delivers the feed's core package: 15.1% crude protein, lysine at 1.0%, and 0.7% inactivated Diamond V yeast. Easy weeks do not call for the top ration. A horse in light work on the heavy rate is taking in energy the training will not use.
Who this is for: owners of pleasure and hacking horses, or sport horses on easy weeks.
3. Make medium work the default for a sport horse in training
For regular dressage, jumping, or ranch work, the table says 0.88 lb (400 g) per 220 lb (100 kg) per day. On a 1,100 lb horse that is about 4.4 lb daily, backed by 3.31 lb (1.5 kg) of hay per 220 lb. This is the rate most horses in regular work should live at, and it is where the feed's 11.0 MJ/kg DM of metabolizable energy does steady, visible work.
Who this is for: owners of horses in a regular training program.
4. Bring out the 1.32 lb (600 g) rate only for real heavy work
Intensive training, eventing, or a demanding show schedule earns the top rate: 1.32 lb (600 g) per 220 lb (100 kg) body weight daily. Because the formula is reduced-starch at 15% with sugar at 4.6%, this higher rate is designed to stay gentle on the digestive system. It is a rate for a purpose, not a default.
Who this is for: owners of horses in peak training or competition blocks.
5. Move between rates in steps, not jumps
The three rates sit 0.33–0.44 lb (150–200 g) per 220 lb apart, so a change in workload should move the ration one step at a time. A horse stepping up from light to medium work gets 0.88 lb (400 g) per 220 lb, not a leap straight to the top. Stepwise changes give the gut and the eye a chance to confirm the move before the next one.
Who this is for: owners whose horses ramp up for competition season or step down after it.
6. Re-run the numbers whenever body weight changes
The rates are all anchored to 220 lb (100 kg) of body weight, so a horse that gains or loses weight has moved brackets even if its job has not changed. Re-measure with a weight tape every few weeks. A 1,100 lb horse at heavy work needs roughly 6.6 lb daily; the same horse 100 lb lighter needs about 6 lb. The hay line, 3.31 lb (1.5 kg) per 220 lb, shifts with the same logic.
Who this is for: owners of young horses still filling out, or horses coming back into work.
7. When the workload is unusual, get a second opinion
Lay-ups, race weeks, and mixed schedules do not always map cleanly to light, medium, or heavy. The bifid 24/7 licensed vet team can help place an unusual horse on the table, and bifid's 9.0/10 store rating across 24,098 reviews is the record behind that help. The 30-Day Money-Back Guarantee means changing the plan carries no risk. Forage stays alongside at every level, whatever the final answer.
Who this is for: owners of horses whose season does not fit three neat categories.
How to feed it
Work levelFeed per 220 lb (100 kg) body weight per day Light work0.55 lb (250 g) Medium work0.88 lb (400 g) Heavy work1.32 lb (600 g) Hay ration (all levels)3.31 lb (1.5 kg) per 220 lb body weight dailyKey specs at a glance: reduced-starch sports muesli, digestible energy 12.6 MJ/kg DM, metabolizable energy 11.0 MJ/kg DM, crude protein 15.1%, starch 15%. Match the numbers to your horse with the bifid Feeding Calculator before you set the first ration.
Frequently asked questions
What rate should I feed a horse in medium work?
Feed 0.88 lb (400 g) per 220 lb (100 kg) body weight per day. For a 1,100 lb horse that comes to about 4.4 lb daily, alongside 3.31 lb (1.5 kg) of hay per 220 lb body weight.
Is the heavy-work rate safe for the gut?
The formula is built for it: starch is reduced to 15% and sugar to 4.6%, with 0.7% inactivated Diamond V yeast and fructooligosaccharides in the mix. Even at 1.32 lb (600 g) per 220 lb (100 kg), the feed is designed to be gentle on the digestive system.
My horse's workload varies week to week. What do I do?
Step between the labeled rates as the week's work changes, one bracket at a time. Light weeks sit at 0.55 lb (250 g) per 220 lb, demanding weeks can go to 1.32 lb (600 g) per 220 lb.
Should I increase feed when I increase hay?
The hay ration of 3.31 lb (1.5 kg) per 220 lb (100 kg) is a fixed line at every work level, so it does not trade against the concentrate. Concentrate changes only with workload.
How do I know which category my horse falls into?
Judge by the heaviest typical week: short easy rides are light work, consistent schooling is medium, intensive daily training or multi-day competition is heavy. If you are unsure, the bifid 24/7 licensed vet team can help place your horse.