Frequently Asked Questions

Why is yucca included in equine feeds? What are the benefits of yucca to my horse?

Yucca, a plant grown in the Southwest, contains saponins, detergents that might have beneficial effects on the animal. The first benefit of yucca is the absorption of ammonia produced in the hindgut of the animal. Ammonia is produced by the breakdown of protein. Yucca apparently binds the ammonia in the manure and prevents it from being released into the air. High levels of ammonia in stalls can have detrimental effects on horses and farm workers. Yucca also apparently suppresses protozoa in the digestive tract. Protozoa can be detrimental to the desired microbial population, and therefore reducing the protozoa will improve hind gut digestion.

It has been proposed that yucca might be beneficial to horses exposed to equine protozoal myeloencephalitis (EPM), a disease caused by the protozoa Sarcocysitis neurona, but there is no research data supporting that relationship. There is also some evidence in humans that yucca may benefit patients with arthritis. However, because yucca saponins are not absorbed, the mechanism by which the patient might benefit has not been established. We use yucca primarily for their beneficial effects on digestion and binding ammonia. The other reported benefits are still waiting research support.