Yucca as a supplement for horses

The Yucca is a plant whose root is used for phytotherapeutic purposes. The Yucca is also known as the palm lily and is also used as a houseplant. In the root of the yucca, these active ingredients are found: triterpenoid saponins such as tigogenine, chlerogenine, yuccagenine, kammogenine, sarsasapongenine, markogenine, higogenine, neotigogenine, hecogenine, gloriogenine, smilagenine, and traces of diosgenine. It also contains polysaccharides, vitamin A, many vitamins of the B-complex, and the minerals calcium, potassium, phosphorus, iron, manganese, and copper.

Yucca filamentosa L, Yucca augustifolia

Type

Anti-inflammatory

• Diuretic and blood-purifying

• Pain, swelling, joint stiffness

Main effects on horses

Yucca is a supplement that can be used for various indications in horses. Yucca is mainly attributed with anti-inflammatory properties. This is because yucca is a precursor of the body's own cortisol. Therefore, yucca has an effect on osteoarthritis (joint wear) and arthritis (joint inflammation), reducing pain, stiffness, swelling and inflammation. Additionally, it has blood-purifying and diuretic properties.

Scientific research on Yucca

Because Yucca is still a relatively unknown ingredient in the horse world, there are no scientific studies. However, there are many scientific studies on humans. In these studies, it was consistently found that people with arthritis had less joint pain, swelling, and stiffness.