Dandelions are a natural part of a horse's diet and are often sought out in favor of other plants in the spring. The following explains WHY they love them so much!
BENEFITS IN THE EQUINE DIET
Highly nutritious
Dandelions contain Vitamin A, thiamin, Riboflavin, Niacin, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, Folic Acid, Biotin, Boron, Magnesium, Copper, Potassium, Phosphorus, Molybdenum, Zinc, Triterpenes, Inulin, Tocopherol, Pantothenic Acid and a host of other Flavonoids and Phenolic Acids. Every part of the dandelion is safe for horses to eat: flowers, leaves, stems and roots.
Anti-inflammatory
The root of the dandelions botanical name, “Taraxacum [Officinale]” speaks to its usefulness and means ‘anti-inflammatory’.
Cleansing and balancing tonic
Dandelions are historically known as a non-toxic, non-irritating diuretic and as a tonic for liver and kidney health. Dandelion root is also helpful to balance blood sugar levels for borderline Diabetic horses.
Milk stimulant
Dandelion is well known for stimulating milk production in lactating mare’s.
*This is a personal blog. Any information herein is not to be construed as medical advice.
Source
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5553762/
