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[RC] clover and skin issues - Lynn White

Not all white clover is bad for horses.  There are many varieties of clover and 
only one that causes the skin issues.  This variety is called alsike clover and 
it is quite easy to identify.  Alsike clover has white flowers and the leaves 
DO NOT have the “V” on them.  If you have this kind of clover in your 
pasture you probably need to consider eradicating it with some broadleaf 
herbicide.  It will take over your pasture if left unchecked. 

Here is an excellent website:

http://www.agf.gov.bc.ca/forage/alsike/alsike.htm

Clover is a nutritious forage but it does require management.  I say manage 
because if you don’t  periodically cull the stuff it will take over your 
pasture.  Clover is a legume so it injects nitrogen into the soil. It’s a 
little higher in protein than grass and horses love it.  Too much clover can 
cause a horse to colic…I know this first hand. 

I wouldn’t remove a horse from a pasture unless it had alsike clover in it. 
The bottom line is to just go out and crawl around your pasture looking at 
clover leaves until you are satisfied with what you have. 

Lynn






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