As a person who is constantly seeking knowledge and new ideas to try, I ran across “bit butter” or “mouth butter” when going down a rabbit hole about bit fitting, bit choices, and helping a horse be more comfortable in the bridle. I’m guessing since long established companies like Effol have this option, that it isn’t a new concept, but here I am just learning about it for the first time.

Also as a person who is horse poor, I obviously don’t want to spend anywhere from $12 for a measly 2 ounces on up to 20+ for 4 ounces. Instead, I just spent $50 in materials to make, well, a LOT. I’ll have bit butter for YEARS.

Bit Butter purpose/use: To moisturize the horse’s mouth, prevent rubbing of the bit, and encourage acceptance of the bit. It also helps to heal any existing dry or split areas. Basically, it’s chapstick for horses.

To use: Apply to corners of the horses mouth directly. Can also be applied to the bit where it comes in contact with the corners of the mouth.

Ingredients:

• 2 oz Beeswax
• 2 oz Shea or Cocoa Butter
• 3 oz Mango Butter
• 2 oz Jojoba Oil
• 1.5 oz Sunflower Seed Oil
• 1 TSP Vitamin E
• Peppermint Essential Oil and/or Peppermint Flavoring

Notes: I chose peppermint flavoring, from the cake making section in Hobby Lobby. I also purchased the other ingredients from Hobby Lobby, because I am an impatient human and decided I was not willing to wait 2 days for Amazon prime although the same ingredients may have been cheaper there.

Directions:

Melt the Beeswax, She/Cocoa butter, Mango butter, Jojoba and Sunflower oil in a double boiler. I used a regular stock pot with a candle making pitcher. It’s aluminum with a handle, so it’s easy to pour your melted ingredients into a jar or jars. If I didn’t have the pitcher already, I’d probably have just stuck the ingredients into a jar and put it in the stock pot with some water. Then, once it’s all melted/blended, you’re already done! You could also use a microwave, heating 1 minute at a time until fully melted using a glass or ceramic container. I used a kitchen scale to measure the ingredients.

Tip: I would not personally use something I cook with to mix this up because the wax is pretty hard to get out once it’s there and honestly who has time to work that hard cleaning? I mean, as a horse person who has time to cook either, but whatever! You do you.

Once melted, add the vitamin e oil, peppermint oil/flavoring and stir. I used a wooden kebab stick that I found in the pantry, among all the other sad kebob sticks that never kebab-ed because I guess I had good intentions to make delicious kebabs that never came to fruition because, horses.

Anyway, just pour your combined ingredients into a container that will withstand high heat, I used an empty shea butter container and a glass jar. I prefer the glass jar, but who am I to throw away a perfectly good container with a lid? You can see the finished product in the picture!

Another tip: Have dogs? You can use a variation of this same recipe to make Paw Balm to moisturize their paw pads! Just leave out the peppermint flavoring. FYI peppermint essential oil is TOXIC to dogs. If you choose to add any essential oils to either the bit butter or paw balm, make sure it is safe for the animal you intend to use it on. I actually don’t hate the way my hands feel after using it on my dog, and all ingredients are human safe so if you want to use it as a heavy duty hand cream, by all means go for it.