My garden is in, my tack room is clean and reorganized, but my house has dust bunnies.... Saturday morning is usually skirt work day around here.
I have someone bringing a mare to breed to Beamer- a 16 hh barrel mare..... that is going to be a stretch for the B Boy! But he's pretty determined, and I'm sure he will manage. I had fun riding him around the mare pasture today, bareback and just a halter. I was inspecting that pasture, because the mares have been on it for the last two years with no problems, so why the laminitis now? And I found it- everywhere it is grazed down, the clover has come on gangbusters, and of course they will eat that before the boring grass. So I plan on switching fields with one that the cows are on if that's ok with my cow guy. The alternative is to keep them off pasture completely. It isn't our land, or I'd plow that field under and replant with a good pasture mix. Does anyone know of a spray that kills clover along with other weeds- that's safe for horses?
Have a good weekend everyone- and don't forget to stop and smell the roses.
14 comments:
I am not sure what they are all used for but there is a pasture spray called graze-on and remedy. Im not sure if you can get them in BC, but might be worth checking out.
Sorry I'm no help with the pasture spray.
Those silly horses, I get the same thing here... usually its George trying his best lol
What are the bloodlines like on the barrel mare? Any chance you'll be able to post her pic?
Why don't you want them to eat clover at pasture? Just curious, long time ago, I used to feed clover hay. Is it too rich for them? What I wouldn't give for some of that in my fields out here in dry, dry New Mexico.
LOL at the 'butts in the air' vision. The Haffies do that - I've always thought of it has praying to the Goddess of Green Grass! I didn't have to mow along the fence - they did it for me, and kept it nicely clipped!
It is harder to take care of horses who can't be out on pasture - that's for sure.
Good luck!
No help with the clover...but way to go on hunting down the culprit. I have learned so much in blog land! Never would have thought clover would cause laminitis...
I am with cdncowgirl...can you tell us how the barrel mares bred? Cow and run are my favorites... (0: I bet Beamer will love the tall girl. (0:
F.V.- clover is high in sugar content, as well as nitrogen; it's way too rich for horses. Years ago I had a horse founder on all 4 feet from just an hour and a half in a clover patch. For horses like Gussie and Chickory, who aren't getting used hard, a simple grass like timothy is much better feed. Our pasture is ok for the growing horses and nursing mare who properly utilize all the nutrients they are taking in.
This seems to be a bad year for clover. My mom said that her pastures are plumb yellow with it and she is just disgusted that her native grass hay fields are as well. All that beautiful hay she had burned up and now it's a clover year. Sometimes it's enough to make a person crazy.
This is going to sound a bit weird , but find a really good pasture grass mix and seed the crap out of the area. I did that a few years ago in a few spots, the grass literally choked out the clover and dandelions.Environmentally friendly , and free of toxins
Sherry- that might work, I imagine I'd have to mow and harrow first. Would you have to use a seed drill or just broadcast?
I just broadcast and make sure it is well watered , but whatever you do esp if you till it it should work
We avoid clover...not only is it rich but it is an anticoagulant ...... at least sweet clover is. I know you never want to castrate a horse that has been in it.
Lovely rose!
We are over-run with clover here too. I'm afraid it's causing problems with both our horses and sheep, but I'm having trouble getting myself to spray it (all 26 acres :-o). Let me know what you decide to do.
GAH! Stinkin clover. It's a good thing you found it, if you had not and turned her out again...not good.
I used Grazon at Rod's place. I looked it up, and at higher concentrations it does tackle sweet and red clover. It is safe for livestock, unless they are up for slaughter. It is my understanding that it just goes right through their GI system and isn't absorbed. The thing I like is that it has residual effects for (I believe) up to 3 years. It did a amazing job in my opinion although I'm not sure how the cost would compare to seed, which isn't cheap either. Good luck!
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