Pairing Forage With Höveler Pur.Muskel: 5 Feeding Rules That Matter

Quick answer: Höveler Pur.Muskel is a supplementary pellet mix — 20% raw protein, 15.0% raw fat, 5.8% starch — fed at 30–100 g per 220 lb (100 kg) body weight on top of a forage-based complete ration. The forage is never optional; the supplement is the addition. $52.99 for a 44 lb bag. Last checked: September 2026.

Forage is the foundation of every horse's diet, and Pur.Muskel is built to sit on top of that floor, not replace it. The worry most owners carry is muscle building feed for horses getting the pairing wrong — feeding the supplement as if it were the meal. These 5 rules keep the pairing honest.

1. Forage stays the base — the page gives no hay ration for a reason

The product page specifies no hay quantity for Pur.Muskel, and that is deliberate. As a supplementary feed, its published rates — 0.07–0.22 lb (30–100 g) per 220 lb (100 kg) body weight — cover the muesli alone. Forage quantity is part of the complete ration you construct around it.

Who this is for: owners who want clarity on what the bag covers and what it does not.

2. Feed Pur.Muskel on top of forage, never instead of it

Pur.Muskel exists to add targeted muscle-building nutrition — 20% raw protein with 160 g/kg digestible crude protein — to a ration whose base is hay or pasture. A horse can't live on 50–80 g of anything, and the product is never positioned as a standalone complete feed.

The benefit: a gut running on forage first doing what it was built to do, with a precision protein top-up alongside.

3. The muesli is gentle on the stomach, so it pairs cleanly with continuous forage

The formulation is alfalfa-free and gentle on the stomach, with grape seed flour and rosehip in the ingredient list. That matters when the ration around it is built on free-access forage, because the small daily dose — as little as 30 g per 220 lb at light work — won't crowd out the chewing and salivation that keep the gut settled.

Who this is for: owners of horses whose digestive comfort depends on keeping forage moving through the day.

4. Forage first, muesli at the set rate — in that order of importance

Plan the forage first, then layer Pur.Muskel at its published rate: 0.11–0.18 lb (50–80 g) per 220 lb for medium work, with a 1,000 lb horse in medium work getting 50–80 g daily. The order matters because the supplement is calibrated to complete a ration, not to set one.

The benefit: every gram of the 15.0% raw fat arrives as a top-up on a diet that already works.

5. If the forage plan is uncertain, get help before adjusting anything

bifid runs a 24/7 licensed vet team and backs the trial with a 30-Day Money-Back Guarantee, so the question of pairing forage with a supplement does not have to be solved alone. If your hay quality shifts with the seasons, keep the Pur.Muskel rate unchanged — it does not add vitamins or minerals, so it does not shift with forage analysis the way a fortified feed would.

Who this is for: owners whose hay source or pasture varies through the year and who want a supplement that behaves predictably.

How to feed it

Pur.Muskel is a supplementary feed — always added to a complete ration with forage alongside, never fed alone. Rates are per 220 lb (100 kg) body weight per day:

Work levelDaily rate per 220 lb (100 kg) body weight Light work0.07–0.11 lb (30–50 g) Medium work0.11–0.18 lb (50–80 g) Heavy work0.18–0.22 lb (80–100 g)

The feeding calculator pairs the rate to your horse.

Key specs at a glance: 20% raw protein, 160 g/kg digestible crude protein, 15.0% raw fat, 5.8% starch, 4.1% sugar — a supplementary pellet mix, alfalfa-free, no added vitamins or minerals.

What an owner said

"Excellent performance 9" — Jessica, May 21, 2024 (9/10), rated Quality 5, Value 4, Price 5; her horses maintain stronger muscle condition.

Frequently asked questions

supplement for equine muscle

Can Pur.Muskel replace hay or pasture?

No. It is a supplementary product, and the page specifies no hay quantity. Its rates — 30–100 g per 220 lb body weight — cover only the muesli; forage stays the foundation of the complete ration.

How much Pur.Muskel goes on top of a normal forage ration?

Per the published rates, a 1,000 lb horse in medium work gets 50–80 g daily — weighed on a scale, not scooped by eye.

Does alfalfa in my hay conflict with the alfalfa-free formula?

None. Pur.Muskel being alfalfa-free is a statement about its own ingredient list — meadow lyegrass, soy flakes, flaxseed, sweet lupine flakes — not a limit on the forage you feed with it.

Where do I get the forage quantities the bag leaves out?

Start with bifid's feeding calculator, and use the 24/7 licensed vet team for a plan tailored to your horse.