Can horses eat too much clover?

Unlike the relatively non-toxic red and white clovers, alsike clover is known to cause two more serious conditions in horses: photosensitization and big liver syndrome. Long-term exposure to the alsike clover may lead to big liver syndrome, which is the progressive destruction of the liver.

Can a horse have too much clover?

Clover's energy, protein and fiber content make it a good feed source for horses. Mold-infected clover can cause slobbers, liver damage and bleeding in horses. Mold grows when the temperature is above 80 F and the humidity is above 60 percent. Bleeding only happens in horses eating moldy sweet clover hay.

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.

Can you have too much clover?

For some, however, eating too much clover or being exposed to unhealthy clover, can create a number of problems. Such problems include extreme obesity, increased salivation (slobbers), and even conditions of lactation in non-pregnant horses.

How do you treat clover poisoning in horses?

The toxin slaframine can be found in pasture or dried hay. Once identified, the fungus can be effectively eliminated by removing the horses from the infected pastures and using a pasture-friendly broad leaf herbicide to eliminate any remaining broadleaf plants, such as clover.

Ask the Vet - Clover slobbers and slaframine poisoning in horses

Does clover cause liver damage in horses?

Unlike the relatively non-toxic red and white clovers, alsike clover is known to cause two more serious conditions in horses: photosensitization and big liver syndrome. Long-term exposure to the alsike clover may lead to big liver syndrome, which is the progressive destruction of the liver.

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.

What happens when horses eat 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.

What effect does clover have on horses?

If these infected clovers and resulting mycotoxins are ingested by the horse, they can stimulate profuse salivation and induce a condition known as “slobbers.” Excessive salivation usually begins several days following initial consumption of the fungus-ridden plants and is generally self-resolving, once the offending ...

Is clover high in sugar for horses?

When pastures are deficient in nitrogen, clover has a competitive advantage because it makes its own nitrogen. Clover can be very high in sugar and starch and is not a good forage for horses with EMS. Thick, properly fertilized grass will keep clover from taking over.

Does red clover cause liver damage?

However, alsike clover (Trifolium hybridum) and red clover (Trifolium praetense) are considered toxic when infected with the mold Cymadothea trilolii that causes Black Blotch disease in clovers. When mold-infected clovers are ingested by horses, photosensitivity (sunburn) and liver damage can occur.

Can 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.

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.

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

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.

Why do horses eat clover?

Red clover has always been regarded as a most acceptable clover for horses because of its summer growth habit. Always select a low oestrogen variety as infertility has been reported in broodmares grazing high oestrogen varieties. Sub clover is a self-regenerating annual with winter spring growth habit.

Is clover good for pasture?

Clover is a valuable addition to any pasture or hay mix. Being in the legume family, they supply lots of high quality protein, relative feed value, and other nutrients and they're very palatable, too.

What does a horse sick field look like?

An over grazed field or “horse-sick” field will have a rather patchy appearance and evidence of rampant weed growth, possibly with parched, bare soil in places with no grass growth at all. The former are likely the places where you find the majority of horse droppings.

Is clover High in protein?

Clovers are a popular legume, they produce an abundant crop, fix nitrogen, and grow in a wide range of soils and climates. They are palatable, high in protein and nutritious forage for livestock and wildlife, and they work for either pasture or green manure.

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.

Which clover is toxic to horses?

Alsike clover, in either hay or pasture form, is poisonous to horses. It can trigger a severe skin reaction to sunlight or it can kill horses within 24 hours of exposure. The alsike clover plant contains a toxin, thought to be an alkaloid, which damages liver cells.

Are clovers poisonous?

While wild clover is considered poisonous to humans in large quantities, in small quantities, clover is both edible and potentially beneficial to your health.

How do you get rid of horse slobbers?

No treatment for slobbers is necessary except for changing the horse's food and limiting its access to pastures that contain infected fungi. Mowing the pasture can help control infected plants and promote healthy regrowth.

Why is my horse salivating excessively?

This excessive salivation usually results from horses eating clover infected with Rhizoctonia leguminicola fungus. The fungus produces slaframine, an irritant that makes horses salivate heavily. Unless it's excessive, this overproduction of saliva isn't harmful, and will disappear as the clover becomes dormant.