Calm Down: Ahleri Muzzle Butter Product Review

I have the perfect man (gelding) who is tall (17 hands), dark (bay) and handsome (every judge thought so) but he has one small flaw (ok, a few flaws like bad feet and allergic to flies but we can manage those). The flaw I am talking about is Shooter’s obsessive pacing during turnout. Granted it doesn’t happen all the time and there are some days I can predict it (windy, cold, loud noises, annoying flies) and other days when it’s gorgeous out and he starts pacing for no reason.

Let me back up and tell you a bit about our turnout situation. Our horses are fed their grain in the morning and then get turned out with their hay bags in a big grass turnout pen. All three are turned out together (we used to keep them in separate but joining pens) and they usually come in btw noon and 3 pm depending on weather. When it is really cold and windy or really hot they come in early and they are never out when it is raining or snowing. My other two horses never pace and are totally content to be out.

Shooter on the other hand will randomly start pacing the fence and get increasingly more agitated if you don’t go get him. He will start run pacing and then almost go into a trance, eyes not blinking, veins bulged out. As soon as you put the halter on him and walk him into the barn you can see his whole body relax and he lets out a deep sigh. He loves being in his stall (never paces in there) and doesn’t care if he is the only horse in the barn. I can leave the others out and he is happy. We have tried leaving him out in hopes he would get over it, he never does and just makes himself sore from the torque of turning and pacing. We thought maybe he wouldn't pee outside and that is why he wants in but, I have seen him pee outside many times. There are days when he doesn’t pace at all. It’s a mystery that I have discussed with my vet and horse communicator to no avail.

I just hate that on a beautiful day I have to put him in at 9am because he is pacing so, I am always on the lookout for “calming” remedies that might help him. Needless to say I was thrilled when I found Ahleri Muzzle Butter At-Ease Formula. It has rave reviews and is virtually impossible to get a hold of because it sells out immediately when it is released on Fridays. I had to set an alarm on my phone to remind me.

What exactly is muzzle butter? It is a soft, wax like stick that has scientifically-backed ingredients that are proven to provide a calming effect. You rub it on their nose and the essential oils provide an aromatherapy blend that the horse breathes in. The calming effect can last up to 3 hours and you can re-apply as needed.

What are the ingredients in Muzzle Butter? Corn Starch (thickening agent), Coconut and Olive Oil, Candelila Wax, Cocoa Butter, Baking Soda, Lavender, Vetiver, Patchouli and Vanilla Oil. It has the consistency of a lotion body bar or soft natural deodorant and it smells amazing. It goes on the nose smoothly and stays put without being greasy or sticky. It is clean and non-toxic.

How does it work? The magic is in it’s blend of essential oils. Lavender Oil has been used and studied for years as remedy for anxiety. You can find lots of scientific studies that point to it’s effectiveness as a calming aid in humans, horses and other animals. I particularly liked this study done at the University of Arizona where horses were startled by an air horn and then one group was exposed to lavender aromatherapy and one group was not. The horses’ heart rates were measured before, during and after and the horses that inhaled the lavender had their heart rate return to normal quicker than the other horses. This is a great article that details this study as well as another. Ahleri goes into a little more detail on their blog on how Lavender Oil works but I found this bit interesting: Lavender releases a vapor called linalool, which, when smelled, activates certain sensor proteins in the brain, releases a compound called linalyl acetate and produces a calming effect. Previously, it was thought that linalool was absorbed into the bloodstream through the lungs, but new research proves that it heads straight to the brain through smell. It stands to reason that if Lavender can help induce a sense of calm then stressful situations my be better handled by a horse that has a little help from lavender.

Vetiver Oil has also been shown thru studies to lower heart rate, induce deeper breathing, as well as decrease mental fatigue and increase focused alertness. Also ticks don’t like it and it can help warn off the nasty buggers.

Patchouli Oil does not have the anti-anxiety studies like Lavender and Vetiver but it has lots of anecdotal evidence as a calming agent but according to Ahleri they primarily use it for it’s well-documented antimicrobial properties. Disease-causing bacteria use things like biofilms and virulence factors to effectively colonize a host and overcome its defenses. A recent study observed that patchouli oil was able to disrupt biofilms and some virulence factors. Patchouli helps keep the muzzle butter clean and free of bacteria.

Vanilla Oil is used as a binding agent to help lock in the lighter essential oils.

Does It Work? That is the big question and I think the answer is yes. I personally have seen the effects of lavender on myself. If I am feeling anxious and I get a whiff of lavender I immediately feel calmer.

We have used the Ahleri Muzzle Butter every day for a few weeks on Shooter before turnout and I can report it has really cut down his pacing and so far has eliminated any frantic, anxious, run pacing. There have been many days he has stayed out until 2-3pm (which was unheard of for him) and on those rare, few days he did start pacing it was a leisurely pace down the fence and some times he did that for a few minutes and then went back to grazing. I am a big fan and will keep using it on him.

I can see how it can be really helpful to calm a horse that gets anxious with the farrier/vet or trailering or traveling to new places. I can also see myself using it on my horse before a ride on a cold, windy day. Now if we can just get Ahleri to make a human version to use before going in the show pen!

Any cons? You have heard all the pros but there is really only one con and that is due to the nature of the butter/wax it does need to be kept somewhat temperature controlled. It gets really hard when it is cold and I remedy that by keeping it in our heated barn office and I can see how it could get melty when it gets hot. Other than that I really think it is must-have for every horse person.

You can buy Muzzle Butter At-Ease Formula ($24.99) at Ahleri.com

On a fun side note: The creator of Muzzle Butter, Laurel, told me she got the idea for Muzzle Butter after talking to her friend about her spooky, nervous horse. Laurel’s family has a history in essential oils and knew about the science behind aromatherapy and wondered if that could be applied to horses. After doing some research she did discover there were lots of reputable studies done with horses and from there the idea popped into her head. Also check out their instagram for lots of great horse content (@ahleriequineproducts).

Not an ad, just a fan who found a product that helped her perfect man.