What Can You Make for Your Dog and Horse with Shea Butter? 5 DIY Recipes

What can you make for your dog and horse with shea butter?

You can make five simple things with shea butter: an elbow balm for dogs, a balm for leather tack, a light coat rub for dogs, a mane and tail shine oil for horses, and a hoof and heel balm. Each one has its own recipe page, and every one starts with pure shea butter.

These are DIY recipes built from a few pure, natural ingredients. There is nothing synthetic in them, no fragrance, no preservatives and no fillers. They are for dry skin, cracked heels, a dull coat and everyday comfort. They are not treatments, and the last section of this page says when to call the vet or farrier instead.

Why shea butter comes first

Shea butter is rich and creamy, and it melts at about body warmth. That makes it a natural base for a balm that sits on skin. It naturally contains vitamins A and E. Many people find that a thin layer leaves dry elbows, noses, paws and heels feeling softer. That is what people report, not a medical claim.

Small licks of pure shea butter are harmless. Shea butter is a vegetable fat that has been used for cooking in West Africa for generations. A dog that eats a large amount of any fat, such as a whole tub, can get an upset stomach. So keep tubs out of reach and always use thin layers. For more on this, read our guide to whether shea butter is safe for dogs.

Why dog recipes use lick-safe ingredients only

Dogs lick their paws, noses, elbows and anywhere else you put a balm. So every ingredient in a dog recipe here has to be fine if a little is swallowed. That is why these recipes use only shea butter, plain liquid oils such as coconut oil and baobab oil, and optional beeswax. There are no essential oils, no fragrance, no cocoa butter, no kombo butter, no black soap and no red palm oil. The sections below explain each of those choices.

The five recipes

How Do You Soften Dog Elbow Calluses? A Shea Butter Elbow Balm

A thick shea butter balm for the rough, dry skin on a dog's elbows. You rub in a thin layer and let it soak in. If the skin is raw, bleeding or sore, skip the balm and call your vet.

How Do You Condition a Leather Saddle and Tack? A Shea Butter Tack Balm

A shea butter balm for conditioning leather saddles, bridles and other tack. This one is for leather, not for your horse's skin. For general leather care, see our leather conditioner recipe.

Is Coconut Oil Safe for a Dog's Skin? A Simple Coat Rub

A light shea butter and coconut oil rub for a dull, dry coat. Warm a very small amount between your palms and smooth it over the coat in a thin layer, away from the eyes.

Can You Use Coconut Oil on Horses? A Mane and Tail Shine Oil

A light shine oil for a dull mane and tail, based on a liquid oil such as coconut oil or baobab oil. A little shea butter makes it richer if you want that.

What Can You Put on Dry, Cracked Horse Hooves? A Shea Butter Hoof and Heel Balm

A shea butter balm for dry, cracked-looking hooves and heels. A deep crack, a bad smell, heat or any limp is a job for your farrier or vet, not a balm.

There are more animal recipes on the site. Our dog paw balm and dog nose balm use the same simple idea. Our guide to dry, itchy skin in dogs uses shea butter and baobab oil, and the all-purpose animal balm is a petroleum-free balm for udders and more. The pet care hub gathers them all.

What each ingredient does

• Shea butter (raw shea butter) is the base of every recipe. It makes a balm rich and creamy and gives it body.
• Coconut oil (virgin coconut oil) makes a balm softer and lighter. It melts at about 76°F (24°C), so a balm with a lot of it goes soft in warm weather. Use small amounts on dogs, because a large amount of any fat can upset a stomach.
• Baobab oil (baobab oil) is a light liquid oil that many people find absorbs quickly. It suits the shine oil and any balm you want softer.
• Beeswax is optional. It is the wax that makes a balm hold its shape in a hot barn.

How each ingredient is made

Baraka's shea butter is made by hand by the women of the Konjeihi Women's Enterprise Centre in Wa, Ghana. It is a pure, natural ingredient, with nothing synthetic, no fragrance, no preservatives and no fillers. Baraka is Community Certified Fair Trade. You can read about the women and their work in the Impact Report.

Baobab oil is made by hand in Ghana. It is not made at the Konjeihi centre. Coconut oil is a separate ingredient and is not made there either. Shea butter is the only Konjeihi product in these recipes.

Starter amounts, yield and storage

These are starter ratios, not the full recipes. Each recipe page gives its own method and amounts. All amounts are by weight, so use a kitchen scale.

• Starter balm for elbows, noses, paws, heels and hooves: 3 oz (85 g) shea butter and 1 oz (28 g) coconut oil or baobab oil. Yield: about 4 oz (113 g).
• Coat rub: 2 oz (57 g) shea butter and 2 oz (57 g) coconut oil. Yield: about 4 oz (113 g).
• Mane and tail shine oil: 3 1/2 oz (99 g) baobab oil and 1/2 oz (14 g) melted shea butter. Yield: about 4 oz (113 g).
• Hot-barn option: add 1/4 oz (7 g) beeswax to the starter balm. Yield: about 4 1/4 oz (120 g).

To make any of them, melt the ingredients together in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water. Stir until just liquid. Take the bowl off the heat, wait a minute, then pour into clean, dry tins or jars. For a smooth finish, set the balm quickly in the fridge for about 20 minutes. A slow cool can make shea butter grainy.

These recipes contain no water. Keep them in a closed tin or jar in a cool, dark place. Take balm out with a clean spatula or dry, clean fingers, so no water gets in. Make small batches, plan to use a batch within about six months, and throw it out if it smells or looks off. Write the date on the lid.

Melt-point tips for barn temperatures

Shea butter starts to soften at around 90°F (32°C). A tin left in a hot tack room, a car or a sunny window can go soft or melt. A melted balm is still usable, but it may turn grainy. Re-melt it and set it quickly in the fridge to smooth it out.

Coconut oil melts at about 76°F (24°C), so rubs made with it can turn liquid in summer. In hot weather, use less liquid oil or add 1/4 oz (7 g) beeswax per 4 oz (113 g) batch. Beeswax melts at about 144 to 147°F (62 to 64°C), so it keeps a balm firm.

In a cold barn below about 50°F (10°C), a balm can set hard. Warm a pea-sized amount between your palms before you use it. In winter you can also use 1 1/2 oz (43 g) of liquid oil instead of 1 oz (28 g) in the starter balm. Keep tins in a cool cupboard or an insulated pouch, away from heaters and direct sun.

How to change the texture

Use this rule of thumb: butters make it rich, oils make it soft and light, wax makes it hold its shape. For a firmer balm, add a little more shea butter or a pinch of beeswax. For a softer balm, add more liquid oil. For a lighter feel, lean on baobab oil. For a richer feel, lean on shea butter. Change one thing at a time, in small steps of about 1/4 oz (7 g), and write down what you did.

Patch test and safe use

Patch test first on a small area and wait a day. Stop if you see any redness. Keep every balm away from eyes. Use small amounts in thin layers, and never on broken skin. Because dogs lick, think of every dog balm as something that will be tasted. Wash your hands after you apply it.

Is cocoa butter safe for dogs?

No, keep cocoa butter off dogs. Dogs lick, and cocoa products contain theobromine, which is toxic to dogs. Shea butter is the better choice for a dog balm, which is why every dog recipe here uses it and leaves cocoa butter out. If your dog has eaten a cocoa product, call your vet.

Can I use Palmer's cocoa butter on my dog?

No, do not use Palmer's cocoa butter on your dog. The reason is the same: dogs lick, and cocoa products contain theobromine. There is a second reason too. Many human body products can contain fragrance, alcohol or xylitol, and none of those belong on a dog that licks its skin. Read the label of any product before it goes near your dog, and when in doubt, leave it out.

Can I use human shea butter or lotion on my dog?

Plain shea butter with nothing added can go on a dog in thin layers, but human lotion should not. Pure shea butter is one ingredient, and it is the one these recipes use. Lotions are different. They can contain fragrance, alcohol or xylitol, which is toxic to dogs, and a dog will lick them off. A product that says shea on the front can still be a lotion with a long ingredient list. Check that the label has only shea butter on it. Keep to thin layers, because a dog that eats a large amount of any fat can get an upset stomach.

Which oils should you never use on dogs?

Never use essential oils, fragranced oils, cocoa butter or red palm oil on a dog, and never use any oil whose full ingredient list you cannot read. Here is why.

• Essential oils: Some, such as tea tree, are toxic to dogs. There are no essential oils in any recipe on this page.
• Fragrance and fragranced oils: A dog's nose and tongue meet everything you put on its coat. We use no fragrance at all.
• Cocoa butter: It contains theobromine, which is toxic to dogs.
• Red palm oil: It stains light coats. It also stains clothing and towels.
• Kombo butter: We leave it out of every animal recipe.

We also leave black soap out of animal recipes for now. What stays in is simple: shea butter, plain coconut oil or baobab oil, and optional beeswax. If your dog has a sensitive stomach or has had pancreatitis, ask your vet before using any fat-based balm.

When should you call the vet instead of using a balm?

Call the vet for any wound, hot spot, infection, swelling or lameness, and call the farrier or vet for any hoof problem. Mud fever, rain rot and thrush in horses also go to the vet or farrier, not to a balm. These need a proper look, and a balm can hide a problem that needs real care.

Call as well if the skin is red after a patch test, if your animal licks or scratches the same spot again and again, if there is hair loss, a bad smell, heat or pus, or if your animal seems to be in pain. A balm is for dry skin, cracked heels, a dull coat and comfort. It is not for anything else.

Many pet owners use these recipes and are happy with the results. They are made from simple, natural ingredients, but they are not veterinary treatments. Your vet should always be your first source of advice for your pet's skin, paws and health.

Make it your own

These recipes are a starting point, not a rulebook. Use your judgement, be inspired, and don't be afraid to experiment. Everything here is a pure, natural ingredient that blends happily with the others. Keep to the safety lines above, and start with a small batch. Write down what you did, and see how your dog's or horse's skin responds. When you find a blend that works for you, make it again.

Quick answers

What can you make for your dog and horse with shea butter?

You can make a dog elbow balm, a shea butter tack balm, a light dog coat rub, a horse mane and tail shine oil and a hoof and heel balm. All five start with pure shea butter, and each has its own recipe page.

Is cocoa butter safe for dogs?

No. Keep cocoa butter off dogs, because dogs lick and cocoa products contain theobromine, which is toxic to dogs. Use shea butter instead.

Can I use Palmer's cocoa butter on my dog?

No. Do not use Palmer's cocoa butter on your dog, for the same reason, and because human body products can contain fragrance, alcohol or xylitol.

Can I use human shea butter or lotion on my dog?

Plain shea butter with nothing added can go on a dog in thin layers, but human lotion should not. Lotions can contain fragrance, alcohol or xylitol, which is toxic to dogs.

Which oils should you never use on dogs?

Never use essential oils, fragranced oils, cocoa butter or red palm oil on a dog. Some essential oils, such as tea tree, are toxic to dogs, cocoa butter contains theobromine and red palm oil stains light coats.

When should you call the vet instead of using a balm?

Call the vet for any wound, hot spot, mud fever, rain rot, thrush, lameness, infection or swelling, and call the farrier for hoof problems. A balm is only for dry skin, cracked heels, a dull coat and comfort.

Ready to make a batch? Baraka's raw shea butter, baobab oil and virgin coconut oil are in the shop.