Best Muscle Builder For Horses

Last Updated on December 26, 2022

Do you want to find out which is the best muscle builder for horses? Horses are athletes too! Muscles can be built without supplements, both in people and in horses. That is the most important thing to remember. Horses can be perfectly fit and healthy without supplements.  However, supplements do exist that can help horses gain muscle. Muscle building supplements can be appropriate in the right circumstances, but inappropriate in others. More on that later.

I’m sure you’ve seen plenty of ads for muscle builders and protein powders for people.  But can the same concepts and products be translated into the equine world? Kind of! And, similar to artificial muscle builders for people, it’s important to understand the science behind them before you begin to experiment with them.

In this article, I’m going to take a moment to discuss when it is appropriate to use muscle-building supplements, and then I will be reviewing the top muscle-building supplements available on Horze.com.  These supplements include Pavo MuscleBuild, Havens EquiForce E+, Global Herbs Muscle Up, Blue Hors Muscle Build, HorseMaster Vitamin E, and EquiVital Muscle Builder.

How to Build Muscle

As I stated earlier, the most important thing to understand when you’re considering using muscle-building supplements on your horse is that proper musculature can be built without supplements.  Many top-performing international sport horses do NOT use muscle building supplements. They are not necessary to have a fit, happy, healthy horse.

According to EquiSearch, there are many natural factors that must be present for a horse to gain muscle before an owner or trainer should even consider using a muscle-building supplement.

These include constant access to fresh water (with salt in the right circumstances), a diet that includes sufficient calories and carbohydrates, a diet that includes sufficient amounts of protein for amino acids, and a diet that includes a sufficient amount of Vitamin E.

If your horse’s diet is lacking any of these things, his diet should be adjusted before you resort to muscle-building supplements.  His natural diet should include the correct amounts of all of these compounds to help him build muscle naturally.

However, there are situations when using muscle-building supplements can be appropriate.  Some horses have trouble keeping weight on. They seem fit but have trouble maintaining that fitness.  Muscle-building supplements could be an effective option for horses like this.

Also, horses that are rehabbing from an injury are often put on muscle-building supplements. These help a horse retain the fitness he is building without reinjuring himself, or causing unnecessary fatigue on other, healthy parts of his body.

Choosing The Best Muscle Builder For Horses

Pavo MuscleBuild

The first supplement I’ll be reviewing is Pavo MuscleBuild, available on Horze.com in a few different sizes. Pavo Muscle Build is a supplement that adds more amino acids to your horse’s diet. Remember, amino acids were one of the factors essential for muscle building.

So, if your horse’s specialized diet for some reason cannot carry the ideal amount of amino acids for your horse, then Pavo MuscleBuild could help! It is rated 4.5/5 stars on Horze.com.

Purchase Pavo Muscle Build from Horze.com at the following link.

PROS	CONS
-gives a horse additional amino acids	-mediocre price point
-decent reviews

Havens EquiForce E+

Another efficient option for adding necessary elements into a horse’s diet is Havens EquiForce E+. Havens EquiForce E+ contains large amounts of Vitamin E (hence the name), as well as six different amino acids, selenium, and magnesium.

This supplement is actually designed to help horses’ muscles recover from intense training.  So, if your horse has been horse-showing a lot, or is undergoing an intense rehab program, Havens EquiForce E+ could be helpful.  

It directly attacks the presence of lactic acids.  Anyone who does distance running is very familiar with the discomfort that lactic acids can bring.  Horses can also suffer from the discomforts of lactic acids when they’re in intensive training or any kind of large amounts of exercise.  This could come from a new training regiment, a new phase in a rehab program, or high volumes of horse showing.  

Targeting a horse’s lactic acid content can help him stay more comfortable during these situations where there is heightened physical activity.

However, it is quite expensive. Havens EquiForce E+ for only 1kg of powder.  This powder can be mixed into a horse’s normal meals of grain or oats.  

Purchase Havens EquiForce E+ from Horze.com at the following link.

PROS	CONS
Important ingredients	Expensive
Helpful for horses in intense training

Global Herbs Muscle Up

At a more reasonable price Global Herbs Muscle Up is another good option for a muscle-building supplement.

While the name implies that it might be an all-natural supplement, Global Herbs Muscle Up does not actually list or discuss the ingredients it is composed of in its ad.  So, while I can say that the name implies that it would be an all-natural, or at least partially natural supplement, I cannot confirm this.

Global Herbs Muscle Up ad states that it is intended to both build a horse’s musculature and ease his digestion and digestive tract. 

Purchase Global Herbs Muscle-up from Horze.com at the following link.

PROS	CONS
Reasonably Priced	No Listed Ingredients

Blue Hors Muscle Build

Speaking of reasonably priced muscle-building supplements, Blue Hors Muscle Build is the most reasonably priced yet!

The primary ingredients in Blue Hors Muscle Build are soya beans, Vitamin C, berries, and herbs.  Blue Hors Muscle Build prides itself on a product that is created from natural ingredients. 

Blue Hors Muscle Build is a powder substance that can be easily mixed into a horse’s grain.  This product sounds like a great, all-natural solution for an extremely reasonable price! 

When I am shopping for supplements to feed my horse, these two things are always a priority.  I always try to make sure his supplements are made with mostly natural ingredients, and obviously, they have to be within budget.  Blue Hors Muscle Build would meet both of these criteria for me!

Purchase it from Horze.com at the following link.

PROS	CONS
Natural Ingredients
Reasonable Price

HorseMaster Vitamin E

As the title implies, HorseMaster Vitamin E is a supplement that adds Vitamin E to your horse’s diet.  It also adds other important compounds such as selenium and lysine.  Remember, Vitamin E was one of those necessary muscle-building elements that your horse should be getting naturally.

But, if for whatever reason, he is not, then HorseMaster Vitamin E could be an efficient substitute. It also runs at a very reasonable price point. 

HorseMaster Vitamin E is a powder substance and can be mixed into a horse’s normal grain or oats meals.  Purchase it from Horze.com with the following link.

PROS	CONS
Reasonable Price
Mix of good ingredients

EquiVital Muscle Builder

On the more expensive end is EquiVital Muscle Builder.  But, the ingredients list for EquiVital Muscle Builder is expansive.  It includes Omega-3 fatty acids, 21 amino acids, minerals, antioxidants, and more.  

EquiVital Muscle Builder says these ingredients help a horse’s bones, tendons, and immune system, not just his muscles.  So, it’s more of an all-inclusive wellness supplement, as opposed to a supplement that is just for building muscles. 

This type of supplement could be helpful for those looking to give their horse’s an overall wellness boost, not just improve their muscle growth.  It’s a good option to improve more than one element of a horse’s health while only paying the price of one supplement.

Purchase the EquiVital Muscle Builder supplement from Horze.com at the following link.

Pros	Cons
Supports overall equine wellness	Expensive
Not limited to muscle growth

You can find more Muscle Builder supplements on Amazon:

• AniMed Muscle-UP Powder 
• Farnam Equine Weight Builder Supplement
• Formula 707 MUSCLEMX Equine Supplement

Conclusion

As you can see, there are many different options for muscle-building equine supplements on the market today! The most important thing to understand when shopping around for muscle-building supplements is that they are not necessary to have a show-fit, healthy horse.

Horses can build muscle naturally and all on their own if they have a proper diet.  These supplements only serve to fill the holes that may exist in a horse’s diet, for whatever reason.  They can also be helpful for horses that may not eat as much food or have trouble keeping weight on, and for horses that are rehabbing from an injury.

As always, if you have questions regarding changes in your horse’s diet, consult a professional.  This could be your vet, your trainer, your barn manager, and so on. You want to make informed decisions before you change your horse’s diet, not in response to changing his diet prematurely.

I hope this article helped you get familiar with some of the equine muscle-building supplements on the market today.  If so, please share this article, and share with us what muscle-building supplements you use!

FAQ’s

How do horses get so muscular?

Horses, like other mammals, build muscle through exercise and good nutrition. Horses are herbivores that draw energy directly from digesting forage, allowing them to grow bigger than carnivorous animals. The lack of meat does not mean a lack of protein, however. Horses are able to digest and use fibrous plants that other animals are unable to draw nutrients from. Horses in training working muscle development need adequate-protein and also benefit from amino acids. Some hays, like alfalfa, have a very high protein content. Horses have excellent muscle memory as prey animals that may need to flee and develop muscle with ease once worked regularly.

How do I make my horse’s topline better?

A horse’s topline includes the muscle groups along the spine. The “topline” area is improved by muscle development and will display a full and rounded appearance. Undeveloped toplines will look thinner, and concave or even swayed to some degree. This area can only be built up through muscle development- a combination of exercise and good nutrition. Toplines are typically developed best through self-carriage during riding or groundwork. Excellent tools for building toplines include cavaletti work, ground poles, uphill trot work, and riding a horse correctly engaged and on the bit. Muscle development takes time, and horses need to be consuming adequate nutrition.

Why is my horse losing topline?

Horses can lose topline for a number of reasons. The primary reason a horse may lose a topline is due to age, but many things can affect a horse’s muscles. Lack of exercise or riding means the horse will not be engaging and working those muscles regularly. A change in nutrition or lack of protein may also be a culprit for the loss of a topline. New riders that may allow a horse to work without self-carriage may notice a decrease in muscle- but also, a horse being overworked may lose topline development without proper recovery and tense muscles. Some horses may appear fuller but as they lose weight, owners will notice a decreased topline. This in fact was not a developed topline, but excess fat.

Does lunging a horse build muscle?

Lunging is a great way to develop muscle on a horse. Before a horse is broke to ride, lunging is a training tool that will also prepare them for more intense exercise through building endurance and muscle. The act of working in a circle will also help your horse develop balance and muscle tone. However, toplines are not developed from free lunging. A horse must be properly engaged and rounded through the back to build these muscles. Lunging can be increased in intensity through the use of cavalettis (mentioned above) or ground poles.

How do you build muscle in a horse’s hind end?

Ideally, a horse will propel themselves from the rear, engaging their core/barrel to develop a topline. A powerful hind end, like the key trait in the American Quarter Horse, will give your horse excellent muscling and endurance. Uphill work and forward lead transitions from a walk are excellent hindquarter development exercises. Any type of raised pole or cavaletti work will also be extremely beneficial, as are lateral movements. A horse “light in the front” and engaged will move from the rear and develop muscle at a quicker rate than horses being worked without collection. As the hind end increases in strength, a horse will be able to achieve self-carriage with greater ease.