Effol Mouth Butter

Effol is explicit about the amount: apply generously, not in a thin film. Rub the butter into the corners of the mouth with your fingers, before tacking up and again after work. If you want to coat the bit itself, Effol says to do so just before putting it in.

Because the paste is mineral-oil based, it clings to hands and to grooming cloths. Keep a dedicated cloth nearby and close the pot properly after use. Effol asks you to store the packaging protected from sunlight, uv and heat: in the sun or on a warm tack-room cupboard the butter turns liquid.

The small 30 ml version fits in a saddle bag or a show grooming bag; the 150 ml is the size for home. Effol states no shelf life after opening and no frequency of use.

Mouth butter is for riders who want to care for the corners of their horse's mouth around bit use, and who prefer a simple product with a short ingredient list. Take the 150 ml for daily use on the yard and the 30 ml as a travel size.

If you want a balm you can also use on the nose or the lips, the Julian & Jones Horse HydraFix Lip & Nose Balsem is more broadly usable. If you are after an alternative from another brand for the same job, the Trust Mouth Balm is in the range. If it is not the mouth but the coat and long hair you are working on, look at the shine and detangling products, for instance the Effol SuperStar-Shine 750 ml.

Rub the butter generously into the corners of the mouth, before and after riding. If you also want to coat the bit, do so just before putting it in; according to Effol this improves bit acceptance. Rinsing is not needed and the butter needs no waiting time.

Close the pot properly after use and store it protected from sunlight, uv and heat. Effol gives no care instruction for the bit itself: simply clean it with water after riding.

How do I use the Effol Mondboter?
Rub it generously into the corners of the mouth, before and after riding. No rinsing needed.

May I apply the butter to the bit?
Yes. Effol writes that, applied to the bit, the butter improves bit acceptance.

What is in it?
Paraffin oil, petrolatum, paraffin and a fragrance or flavour substance: parfum in apple, aroma in banana. The official list names no more than that.

Which flavour comes in which size?
The 150 ml pot is the standard size. The small 30 ml version is the apple flavour at Effol; banana is listed by Effol in 150 ml. Ask which combination is in the shop at the time.

How much do I use each time?
Effol gives no dosage, only that you may apply generously. In practice a fingertip's worth per corner of the mouth is enough.

Can the butter melt?
It softens and turns more liquid in heat. So keep the pot closed, out of the sun and away from a heat source.

Are there any warnings on it?
No. Effol states no hazard classification and no label elements for this product.

How long does the pot keep once opened?
Effol states no shelf life after opening.

• White, greasy paste for the corners of a horse's mouth, from Effol.
• Four components: paraffin oil, petrolatum, paraffin and a fragrance or flavour substance.
• Rub generously into the corners of the mouth, before and after riding; do not rinse.
• Applied to the bit, the butter improves bit acceptance according to Effol.
• A flavour horses accept particularly readily according to Effol.
• No hazard classification and no label warnings; pH not determined.
• At Maddelin in apple and banana, in the sizes 150 ml and 30 ml.