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 Having Smokin Bandits
Posts: 4572
  
Location: Woodstown, NJ | Two horses in a 2-acre field that they've always been in. In the spring, they drool a little from the clover. This year they are drooling massive amounts. Their run-in sheds are literally full of puddles from the drool. One of these horses had a mild colic a couple of weeks ago before the drooling started full force. He had never colicked before. I've had him for 16 years. Now I know it was probably from the drooling. I walked out there and the field is loaded with clover. They are locked out of it now. They are not happy and I'm not happy that I have to feed them more hay. What can I do? If you tell me I have to rip that whole field up, it's not going to be easy. I only have a tiller. No seeder, etc.
Thank you. |
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The Advice Guru
Posts: 6419
  
| Alsike clover, causes liver failure in horses.
The more exposure the horse gets to the clover, the worse the reaction is.
If the horse is drooling. I would be heading to the vet and having liver enzymes drawn.
And sadly the only way to get rid of clover is to round up it (horses will have to be removed) let the pasture die, work it up and reseed. |
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Having Smokin Bandits
Posts: 4572
Location: Woodstown, NJ | Oh man, that is not good. I wonder if that's all kinds of clover or just the kind you mentioned Cheryl? |
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 You get what you give
Posts: 13030
Location: Texas | its called Slaframine toxicity, caused by a fungus that commonly grows on red clover, but can grow on white clover and alfalfa. The only thing you can do is get rid of the clover.
I would make sure you are providing electrolytes and plenty of clean fresh water because all of the saliva they produce can dehydrate them, especially in this heat. |
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 Hummer's Hero
Posts: 3071
Location: Smack Dab in the Middle | 2,4-D *should* get rid of the clover without killing off the grass that is there. Per the label, livestock should be kept off of it for a week after application. There is no residual, so it may take more than once. |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 670
Location: Running my kids somewhere. | 2-4 D will not harm the grasses but it will take out any broad leaf good or bad. We spray our hay fields as well as our pastures. |
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The Advice Guru
Posts: 6419
| casualdust07 - 2017-07-10 8:11 AM
its called Slaframine toxicity, caused by a fungus that commonly grows on red clover, but can grow on white clover and alfalfa. The only thing you can do is get rid of the clover.
I would make sure you are providing electrolytes and plenty of clean fresh water because all of the saliva they produce can dehydrate them, especially in this heat.
Alsike clover, doesn't need a fungus to cause liver damage. It is the clover itself, the scientists can't pinpoint the mechanism that causes the problem.
If you google alsike clover poisoning look at the Canadian websites as we have lots of it up here so there is lots of literature on it. |
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You get what you give
Posts: 13030
Location: Texas | cheryl makofka - 2017-07-10 12:40 PM
casualdust07 - 2017-07-10 8:11 AM
its called Slaframine toxicity, caused by a fungus that commonly grows on red clover, but can grow on white clover and alfalfa. The only thing you can do is get rid of the clover.
I would make sure you are providing electrolytes and plenty of clean fresh water because all of the saliva they produce can dehydrate them, especially in this heat.
Alsike clover, doesn't need a fungus to cause liver damage. It is the clover itself, the scientists can't pinpoint the mechanism that causes the problem.
If you google alsike clover poisoning look at the Canadian websites as we have lots of it up here so there is lots of literature on it.
I wasn't addressing any toxicities that cause liver damage, just the one she was asking about that causes the excessive drooling. I'm not even sure the type of clover you are talking about reaches as far South as where I live. |
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Location: Wherever the Army sends my husband | casualdust07 - 2017-07-10 12:49 PM
cheryl makofka - 2017-07-10 12:40 PM
casualdust07 - 2017-07-10 8:11 AM
its called Slaframine toxicity, caused by a fungus that commonly grows on red clover, but can grow on white clover and alfalfa. The only thing you can do is get rid of the clover.
I would make sure you are providing electrolytes and plenty of clean fresh water because all of the saliva they produce can dehydrate them, especially in this heat.
Alsike clover, doesn't need a fungus to cause liver damage. It is the clover itself, the scientists can't pinpoint the mechanism that causes the problem.
If you google alsike clover poisoning look at the Canadian websites as we have lots of it up here so there is lots of literature on it.
I wasn't addressing any toxicities that cause liver damage, just the one she was asking about that causes the excessive drooling. I'm not even sure the type of clover you are talking about reaches as far South as where I live.
I have not encountered Alsike in TX but did in TN. In addition to liver issues it causes photo sensitivity on the white markings that result in severe sun burn and blistering. I had never heard of it prior to my horses legs and faces blowing up. It was actually in the locally grown hay as two other horses are the same property that didn't have access to the hay didn't show any signs. Hauled the hay off and pulled blood and thankfully they hadn't eaten enough to cause the liver enzymes to become elevated. There was red clover in the pasture as well. Only one mare out of 7 head ever drooled. But she was known to seek it out and gorge herself on any she could find. |
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  Extreme Veteran
Posts: 403
Location: Armuchee, GA, NW section of Ga | I am up in NW Georgia, and earlier this year my horses had the drooling too. I too have/had clover in my pastures. But after spraying with Grazon we have not had any more problems. |
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 Expert
Posts: 3815
Location: The best kept secret in TX | Any update on your two horses?
Was thinking about them today....  |
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Having Smokin Bandits
Posts: 4572
Location: Woodstown, NJ | Yes, update. I called the vet. She said this is no big deal. Mow and it let it dry and then let them back out on it in a week. Keep it mowed. When it's long and thick and we have all the dew we've been having, it causes the fungus. It's red clover, by the way. It should be okay if I keep it mowed and dry. It's browning up already since I mowed. At some point in the future I'll probably work on this field but I'm happy I probably don't have to do anything now. Now it makes sense why the big adjoining field hasn't caused any drooling in the horses. We make hay there so it's always mowed.
Thanks for all your help! |
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