It sounds amazing - does it really work?
Muscle building processes in a horse require protein and amino acids just like they do in humans. Our bars are the fuss-free way to make these available to your horse right after exercise when they are most effective. Feeding horses protein with MUSCLE MAX BARS delivers incredible results – just read the reviews to hear how equestrians have seen the changes in their horses after using MUSCLE MAX BARS.
How much MUSCLE MAX BAR do I feed my horse?
We recommend starting with a loading dose of a feeding a full MUSCLE MAX BARS after every exercise session for the first 3 weeks and then moving to a maintenance feeding rate of half a bar after lighter work and a full bar after heavier work.
Our MUSCLE MAX BARS are made with quality human-grade ingredients and provide your horse with amazing muscle support. For a horse in medium work a 24 Bar Box will last over a month, so we believe that supplementing with our bars is an equivalent or better cost to most horse supplements (multi-mineral, gut support etc) on the market.
Please read our Feeding Guide for more information, and read the reviews from all the equestrians who have tried the bars, and seen dramatic
changes in their horses.
How long do I have to feed MUSCLE MAX BARS to see muscle building results?
Most people see results within 2-3 weeks - we are so confident that you will see changes in your horse that you love, that we have a Six Week Satisfaction Promise... or your money back.
So long as you’re working your horse a minimum of three times per week and feeding them MUSCLE MAX BARS within 15 minutes after each session, you’ll see visible topline improvement and building results within 3-6 weeks - we guarantee it.
Which Precision Equine product is best for my horse?
We offer MUSCLE MAX BARS and Intensive Tissue Repair Powder.
These products can help your horse in different ways and depends on whether your horse requires targeted muscle building and recovery support and/or full body muscle and condition gain support.
MUSCLE MAX BAR – TARGETED MUSCLE BUILDING & RECOVERY FOR PERFORMANCE HORSES:
During exercise micro-tears develop in the muscle fibres causing muscle mass break down, this is known as the Catabolic State. After completing exercise the muscles require Amino Acid building blocks (protein) to repair these micro-tears and switch the horses body into the muscle repair and building phase know as the Anabolic State.
Feeding MUSCLE MAX BARS within 15-20 minutes after each exercise session guarantees that your horses muscles have access to the exact Amino Acids, and specifically the 3 Branched Chain Amino Acids Leucine, Isoleucine and Valine, required to repair and rebuild – just like human athletes who have a protein shake after gym and training sessions.
INTENSIVE TISSUE REPAIR – FULL BODY MUSCLE & CONDITION GAIN:
Our Intensive Tissue Repair Powder (Australia only) is specifically formulated for horses who require significant muscle mass gain and full body conditioning support by providing an ultra concentrated dose of the essential amino acids which are often low or lacking entirely in performance horse feeds due to the heat processing involved in steaming and extruding these feeds to make them safer and more efficient to feed.
The availability of sufficient Essential Amino Acids in the horses diet actually controls the ability of the horses body to build every type of tissue and repair damaged tissues, including muscles. Additionally, digestive efficiency in the foregut/small stomach of the horse also relies on a sufficient supply of the Essential Amino Acids in order to produce the digestive enzymes required to efficiently breakdown ingested food into the nutrients available for absorption by the small intestine, more nutrients absorbed in the small intestine means your horse gets more nutrition out of the feed they are already receiving.
Adding Intensive Tissue Repair powderto your performance horses daily hard feed ensures that the horses body has access to an abundance of these Essential Amino Acids to enable optimum nutrient absorption and muscle building, which supports full body muscle and condition gain.
Will MUSCLE MAX BARS make my horse hot & fizzy?
No the MUSCLE MAX BARS do not heat up horses behaviour at all.
If anything, they may help to calm horses down by reducing the muscle pain and fatigue - which can often be the cause of poor behaviour.
Feeding MUSCLE MAX BARS BEFORE vs. AFTER performance
The Muscle Max Bar can be used in two different ways to achieve two very different sets of results.
Before exercise
Feed half or a full bar 30 minutes before a XC run to provide a serious stamina boost and reduce the onset of fatigue. This is ideal for horses who are still building fitness or who are moving up to the next level and are now taking on bigger fences and longer courses as it provides a concentrated source of Branched Chain Amino Acids which can be used as energy by the muscles before they are forced to start breaking down the muscle itself to use as energy. Feeding the Muscle Max Bar before an XC run or even an SJ course is also a powerful way to reduce the risk of tying up and delayed onset muscles soreness (DOMS).
After exercise
Feed a half or full Muscle Max Bar within 15-20 minutes of completing every training and competition session to boost muscle recovery and significant muscle development. Half a bar after regular flatwork training and dressage competition. A full bar after SJ and XC training and competition (unless you have fed a full bar before, then just feed a half bar; if you feed half a bar before XC then feed a full bar after). The concentrated protein and glucose in the Muscle Max Bar work together to switch of the muscle breakdown that naturally occurs during exercise and kickstarts the muscle repair and rebuilding processes. Without post-workout supplementation of protein and glucose, muscles can continue to breakdown for up to 2 hours after completing exercise, by halting this process within 20 minutes after exercise the muscles become less depleted and start to repair much sooner resulting in maximised muscle mass gains.
By using the Muscle Max Bar both before AND after or just before OR after allows you to tailor their use to each individual horses specific needs. Some horses just need the stamina boost, some really need the muscle mass gains, and some need both. It really just comes down to what your unique goals are for each of your horses fitness and conditioning and then feeding the Muscle Max Bar at the most effective time to achieve that.
Will Muscle Max Bar help older horses build muscle and topline?
Older horses will have a harder time digesting and absorbing protein. So, the high quality and highly digestible protein provided by the Whey Protein Isolate in our Muscle Max Bars is easily absorbed by older horses’ guts. This means the protein quickly converts into muscle mass when your horse is fed immediately after exercise.
The best way for you to feed your older horse this bar is by giving them a full bar after work for the first three weeks. This will give them a big muscle building boost - really building their topline. After the first three weeks, you should only need to feed them half a bar after exercise to help maintain and steadily build more muscle.
Do horses actually need protein to build muscle?
Horses are athletes too and when we ask them to work for us, we believe that they deserve the best support to build muscle and facilitate muscle recovery. Muscle building and repair processes require proteins and amino acids in horses just like they do in us.
Our MUSCLE MAX BARS simply make these key building blocks available to your horse right after exercise when they are needed most.
If you want to understand why protein is useful for horses, have a read of our Articles.
Is there clinical research supporting the benefits of feeding a horse protein after exercise?
We have shared a number of scientific research articles here showing why horses need protein to build and repair muscle just like people do - as well as loads of rave reviews from equestrians who have seen the results first hand - pop over and have a look!
Almost all equine protein supplements are recommended to be fed within 15-20 minutes of completing exercise for maximum muscle building and recovery results. There is an increasing volume of research showing that post-exercise protein supplementation supports increased muscle recovery and repair.
If you decide to grab a trial pack and see for yourself, shipping is free.
How do I introduce MUSCLE MAX BARS to my horse?
Horses are typically more familiar with receiving treats in the paddock, rather than after work or around their feed time. So, you should try to introduce your horse to the MUSCLE MAX BARS in the paddock, so the bar is already being framed as a treat.
The MUSCLE MAX BARS has a quite different consistency to feed stuffs that your horse may be used to so giving them smaller pieces at first is the best way to introduce the supplement to your horse. Do not offer them the whole bar at once like a carrot. Break the bar up into very small, sugar cube, sized pieces and mix a few of these with a handful of their regular hard feed in your hand or a small bucket and then reduce the amount of hardfeed in the mix until the horse is eating the MUSCLE MAX BARS on its own.
Once your horse wraps their head and tongue around the bar, they’ll fall into a habit of receiving the bar immediately after work. They’ll probably start looking for the bar themselves and reminding you to give it to them. We know a few horses who break into their feed room to claim their bar if they haven’t received it as soon as the bridle has come off.
My horse won't eat MUSCLE MAX BARS, what do I do?
Sometimes when a horse first bites into our MUSCLE MAX BARS, the new taste, texture, and the amount they need to chew can overwhelm the horse, but mostend up eating it within three to four days. It’s all about getting them used to it. Here are a few suggestions to get yourhorse familiar with the bar.
Can you feed MUSCLE MAX BARS to young horses in show prep?
Our MUSCLE MAX BARS are 100% safe for use in young horses, from the age of weaning onwards. We do, however, strongly recommend only feeding half the recommended amount after each workout if your horse is young. The bars are very powerful muscle builders and it’s important to not have young horses carrying around too much extra condition, because their joints are still developing.
Do the MUSCLE MAX BARS contain any FEI Prohibited Substances? Will they show up on a swab?
MUSCLE MAX BARS contain no ingredients or substances that are listed in the FEI restricted, prohibited or swabbable substances regulations.
These bars are 100% safe for competing horses to consume.
There are many horses who are using the MUSCLE MAX BARS who have been swabbed after competition with no issues.
Do MUSCLE MAX BARS contain Molasses?
There are five ingredients in the MUSCLE MAX BARS and yes, molasses in one of them. It’s a very small amount of molasses (30mls per bar).
Sugar is a great form of usable energy and horses use a lot of energy when they work for us. Providing them with the human-grade molasses in our bars right after exercise helps facilitate muscle recovery and repair, and the sugar will be ‘burned up’ in the process.
It will not heat up your horse at all, or exacerbate conditions such as Insulin Resistance, laminitis risk, PSSM, EMS or Cushings as long as you’re using the product correctly. Check our feeding guide to ensure your horse gets just the right amount.
Is the Protein Whey Based?
The whey protein isolate in Muscle Max Bars is considered the gold standard of protein supplements - It is over 90% protein, contains excellent levels of all of the essential amino acids and less than 0.1% lactose.
It offers the most superior quantity of Branched Chain Amino Acids, which play a major role in muscle growth and recovery after exercise. It is especially rich in Leucine, an amino acid that is scientifically proven to be of exceptional benefit to the exercising horse.
The idea that dairy is bad for horses comes from the fairly innocuous discovery in scientific research that the lactose in dairy products can give some horses softer stools, (which none of our customers have reported).
Some of the protein in the Intensive Tissue Repair Powder is also plant-based.
Do you sponsor riders or events?
See Our Athletes here!
At present we are not seeking to partner in sponsorship arrangements with individuals or organisations.
Looking for our Feeding Guide?
For best results, feed the MUSCLE MAX BARS to your horse or pony within 20 minutes of completing exercise. To see visible topline building and conditioning results when your horse is in regular work, feed your horse the ‘heavy work’ rate at least three times a week. View the MUSCLE MAX BARS Feeding Guide for Horses and Ponies.
Other inquiries? Let’s chat.
We'd love to help! Please email us at info@precisionequine.com.au