Can horses have hay with clover in it?

Clover can be a good feed source for most horses because it provides useful energy and adequate protein and fiber. You can use clover in hay or pastures. Clovers can sometimes mold, which causes slobbers, photosensitivity (reactive to light) and bleeding.

What happens if a horse eats clover?

Unlike the relatively non-toxic white and red clovers, alsike clover causes two very serious medical conditions in horses: photosensitization and 'big liver syndrome'. The progressive destruction of the liver, also called 'big liver syndrome', is the most fatal effect of long-term exposure to aliske clover.

How much clover is too much for horses?

Some clovers in other parts of the U.S. have been associated with several health issues in horses when it exceeds 20 percent to 40 percent of a forage stand and becomes infected with fungal pathogens.

Can horses eat too much red clover?

Red clover poisoning will cause your horse to slobber excessively. Red clover poisoning is also known as Slaframine poisoning or the slobbers. It is not life-threatening and many times horses do not show any other symptoms other than excessive salivation. Red clover poisoning can affect all horses of any age.

Does clover make good hay?

Red clover is also a great choice for incorporation into older, grassy hay and pastures to improve quality and yield through frost seeding or no-till drilling.

Ask the Vet - Clover slobbers and slaframine poisoning in horses

Is clover bad for livestock?

Sweet clover contains a high level of a chemical that can be converted to an anticoagulant. Improperly curing hay made from certain sweet clover varieties such as white and yellow sweet clover can cause severe and often fatal hemorrhages in livestock such as cattle, sheep and goats.

Does clover hay cause bloat?

You may hear pasture bloat referred to as "frothy" bloat due to the large amount of froth or foam produced in the rumen, which the animal has difficulty eructating. Legumes with the highest likelihood to cause bloat include white clover and alfalfa.

How do I get rid of clover in my hay field?

What clover is best for horses?

Common white clover and Ladino white clover are the most popular legumes for horse pastures. Although alfalfa is commonly recommended, it is seldom found in pasture mixes. Red clover is also commonly recommended but most horse owners avoid it because it can cause the slobbers.

Does white clover make good hay?

White clover and red clover with one of the grasses listed in Table 2 should provide an excellent hay or pasture stand.

Can clover cause laminitis?

True. Clover and alfalfa contain relatively high levels of sugars and starch, both in pasture and as part of hay. These nutrients can start the chain of events that leads to digestive laminitis.

Is sweet clover toxic to horses?

With sweet clover hay and silage, spoilage presents a serious risk to livestock. Few large animal practitioners in Western Canada do not have a tragic story about sweet clover poisoning. Horses are particularly sensitive to mycotoxins.

Why do horses drool after eating clover?

This is known as Slaframine poisoning. The fungus infects red clover, white clover, alsike clover, and alfalfa. Slaframine poisoning is not life-threatening, but it can cause excessive salivation, The slaframine stimulates the salivary glands and causes horses to drool.

Does clover cause diarrhea in horses?

Other varieties of clover, such as sweet clover (Melilotus species) and crimson clover (Trifolium incarnatum), may also cause health problems, with toxicity signs including slobbers, colic, bloating, diarrhea, weakness, abnormal heartbeat, and abortion in pregnant mares.

What kind of hay is bad for horses?

Clover and grass hay (different types of clovers like red, white, etc.) Prone to fungus. Protein and fiber-rich. However, they are prone to fungus, and red clover can cause excess salivation in horses.

Is alfalfa the same as clover?

Alfalfa is like a clover, but has a bigger stem than grass. It also can produce higher protein levels than grass. Clover is a type of grass that does better in low ph levels, but doesn't have the yield or longevity as alfalfa. Alfalfa is more drought resistance too.

Can horses be allergic to clover?

The non-pigmented (pink-skinned areas) of the horse are primarily afflicted with clover poisoning, since they are susceptible to photosensitization. Although horses with dark skin are spared the signs of photosensitization, their livers will still suffer damage.

What is clover hay?

Sweet clover is an opportunistic plant that takes advantage of good growing conditions when they are available. In grazing situations it can be a good feed resource. When harvesting as hay, use caution in both putting it up and feeding it. Moldy sweet clover hay can be toxic.

Are dandelions good in hay?

It is just perfect for feeding as part of a natural diet, as a treat or as extra tastiness to hay for added foraging fun! Dandelion is great to help wear teeth and is the perfect product to gnaw and nibble on.

How do I keep weeds out of my hay field?

The most common herbicides used for control of many broadleaf weeds in grass hay/pasture this time of year are the plant growth regulator herbicides such as 2,4-D, dicamba (Clarity, etc.), triclopyr products (Crossbow, Remedy Ultra, etc.), and clopyralid (Stinger, PastureGard, etc.).

When can you graze clover?

When grazing red clover, turn livestock in when plants are six to eight inches tall. Remove the animals when three to four inches of the plants remain. Do not graze after September 15 to allow plants to store up reserves in the root systems. Graze again after the first killing frost.

What is sweet clover poisoning How does it occur?

Sweet clover poisoning is seen when animals eat spoiled sweet clover hay or silage. Any method of hay storage that allows sweet clover to mold increases the chance of a toxin forming in the hay. Weathered, large round bales, particularly the outer portions, usually contain the highest levels of toxin.

What does white clover look like?

There is usually a characteristic white, crescent-shaped band on each leaflet. White flowers (often tinged with pink) appear in early summer. The flower heads consist of 40 to 80 florets (individual flowers) in a cluster measuring ½ to 1 ½ inches in diameter. It reproduces by seed and by creeping stolons.

What animals eat clover hay?

Grouse, partridge, and quail eat the foliage of clover, depending on what area of the U.S. you're in. Small mammals, such as groundhogs, cottontails, marmots, and others, also eat clover.