DANDELION ROOT (Taraxacum officinale) *Organic herb for horses - liver-loving, gut-feeding, detox-delivering powerhouse

Here’s where you’ll find dandelion in our supplement support for horses:

• BioCARE - for antimicrobial cleansing
• BreathePlus - for deep respiration support
• EyeTonic - restorative support for sensitive or challenged eyes (ERU)
• JSTTonic - helps manage the musculoskeletal challenges of arthritic changes
• LiverCARE - protects and supports detox pathways and metabolic balance

💧Organic Dandelion Tincture

Our human-grade, certified organic tinctures give you a ready-to-absorb potent source of phytonutrients at the highest-strength available, for immediate absorption straight into the bloodstream and to the body’s cells.

• Taraxacum officinalis Radix
• Decocted 1:3 45%
• Organically cultivated

~ Feed Guide - 6ml/100kg bodyweight, daily in feed.

🌿Organic Dried Dandelion Root

Grown, harvested and dried without the use of agri-chemicals, non-irradiated and GMO free - see our Quality page for Quality Management & Certification Documents.

• Taraxacum officinalis Radix, Cut
• Fairwild Organic
• Origin Poland

~ Feed Guide - 5g/100kg bodyweight per day, i.e. 25g for a 500kg horse.

Functional Nutritional Value

Constituents: Vitamins A and B. Leaf: calcium, potassium, iron, carotenoids, coumarins. Root: potassium, calcium, phenolic acids, taraxocoside, inulin.

Advisories

• Dandelion Root is a gentle but effective bitter and liver-supporting herb, traditionally used to help maintain natural detoxification, bile flow, and digestive comfort.
• Because bitters stimulate gastric secretions, introduce gradually over 3–5 days, especially in horses with known foregut sensitivity.
• Best fed alongside ad-lib forage, which helps buffer normal stomach acid during bitter herb use.
• Suitable for short- or long-term nutritional use as part of a liver, metabolic, or digestive-support routine.
• Monitor comfort in horses with a history of digestive flare-ups, as bitters naturally increase stomach activity.

Cautions

• May theoretically increase clearance of water-soluble medications due to its digestive- and liver-stimulating effects.
• Exercise care when used alongside strong hepatic medications (e.g. long-term NSAIDs or antibiotics) — supportive but should be monitored.
• No known clinically significant interactions at normal equine feeding levels.

Contraindications

• Not recommended for horses with active gastric ulcers or suspected foregut pain, as bitters may increase stomach acid output.
• Avoid during pregnancy or lactation, as traditional herbal texts recommend caution with bitter tonics.
• Not suitable for horses with bile duct obstruction or known gallbladder disorders (rare in horses, but listed for completeness).
• Use with caution in horses on multiple liver-metabolised medications, as increased bile flow may influence absorption or processing.

The humble weed with a hero complex

If there were ever a plant that deserved a public apology, it’s the dandelion.

Gardeners groan, horses nibble, and children (and let’s be honest, most adults) can’t resist blowing those fluffy white seedheads into the wind like nature’s original confetti - while poor dandelion quietly gets on with being one of the most generous, nutritious herbs we’ve had alongside our feet all along.

From its bright golden flowers to its deep, stubborn taproot, dandelion is resilience personified. Medieval folk even nicknamed the bare flower head a “priest’s crown”, which tells you everything about its staying power. This plant digs in - literally - pulling minerals up from deep in the soil in a way most surface-dwellers can only dream of.

Herbalists, unsurprisingly, love it. Because while many see a weed, herbal tradition sees a food, a tonic, and a full-body spring clean , all rolled into one sunny little powerhouse.

Not just a weed - a whole larder and apothecary in one plant

Every part of the dandelion has something to offer, which is delightfully inconvenient for anyone still insisting it’s just a lawn pest.

The leaves, especially in spring, are mineral-rich, slightly salty, and famous among herbalists for their gentle diuretic action. Unlike pharmaceutical diuretics, which can flush out precious potassium, dandelion leaves actually give back what they help release - a kind of herbal “take one, leave one” system that only nature could design.

The roots are a different personality altogether: bitter, earthy, excellent roasted for a coffee alternative (without the jitters), and rich in inulin, a prebiotic fibre that feeds the good gut microbes. Traditional herbalists have used dandelion root to support digestion, liver function, and those sluggish-between-seasons feelings that tend to creep in after winter.

And then we have the flowers- cheerful, tonic, and historically used to make dandelion wine, which, depending on the recipe, is said to lift the spirit both symbolically and… well… quite literally.

Indigenous communities across North America used dandelion extensively too: as a springtime nutrient burst, a food after the lean months, and a support for everything from skin conditions to appetite issues. They all knew its value long before Western herbalism caught up.

A root with a soft spot for the liver

Dandelion root is widely loved as a liver and digestion tonic, the sort you reach for when the whole system feels a bit boggy or “stuck.” Its bitterness isn’t just for show - those bitter compounds nudge the liver to get bile flowing again, which can help things move more smoothly through the digestive tract.

Herbalists often reach for dandelion when they see signs of:

• Sluggish digestion
• Skin niggles linked to poor detox clearance
• Hormonal heaviness (the liver helps with hormone metabolising)
• After-rich-foods discomfort
• A general sense that the system needs a reset

Traditional Chinese Medicine uses dandelion to “clear liver heat,” while Ayurveda prizes it for its cooling, cleansing nature. Same plant, different continents - but remarkably aligned wisdom.

Modern curiosity meets old wisdom

Research into dandelion root shows what herbalists have observed for generations:

• Inulin-rich roots feed beneficial gut bacteria
• Leaves support fluid balance thanks to their clever potassium content
• The plant as a whole contains compounds with natural calming and soothing qualities
• And some early studies suggest it may influence the body’s normal insulin response

Commission E in Germany even gave it official approval for uses such as digestive sluggishness and supporting healthy bile flow.

The plant that does it all

There are dandelion folk remedies for practically everything - from fresh sap dotted on warts, to roots roasted as a coffee, to leaves simmered in soups. Symbolically, it’s long been the plant of hope, persistence, and transformation- qualities that mirror its role as a tonic for many “stuck” states in the body.

As herbalist David Hoffmann beautifully put it:

“Dandelion is a most valuable general tonic and perhaps the best widely applicable diuretic and liver tonic.”

And he’s not wrong.

Dandelion is the herbal equivalent of that unassuming friend who quietly shows up with exactly what you need - nourishment, grounding, or a gentle nudge to get things flowing again.

A humble weed, perhaps. But a pretty awesome one.