Mare is drooling and licking profusely.

[Chelley]

I just brought one of my miniature mares in from the pasture about 45 minutes ago. She lost a foal one week ago today. I have been watching her close and she has acted and been eating fine since losing the foal. When I brought her in tonight she was drooling constantly, like she took a drink and let the water drain back out of her mouth, and continually licking. I gave her a bit of grain to see if she would eat or turn it down, and she readily ate it. I have been watching her and it has lessened quite a bit, but she is still dripping drops of saliva. I googled and found that clover can make them drool profusely and also possibly some sort of fungus in the field that can cause this reaction but is supposedly not harmful. She has just been on a mixed grass field, probably with a little of everything out there, but don't really notice any large patches of clover. She was not let out on it during her pregnancy because of fescue, but has been going out on it every other day since losing the foal. None of the others are doing this...yet. From what I have found online it should be fine to just watch her. Why does all the weird stuff happen on weekends when the vet is closed?! Should I be worried? I have been so upset since losing the foal last weekend. I am paranoid and wondering if I need to call the vet at home? Any thoughts? Again, she looks/acts normal and was ready for grain, just the weird drooling.

 

[Marty]

Mine drool and blow bubbles when the hit a patch of clover

 

[Performancemini]

My guess it's clover too. We have it happen every year. It doesn't always take much to make them do it.

Some react to it more than others and I have a couple who don't react to it at all. It looks more disqusting than it is harmful

, I guess. I usually move the affected ones off that pasture or temporarily fence that section off. You can always call and talk with your vet to satisfy yourself.

 

[targetsmom]

My big horse got into something in his pasture one year (fungus or clover?) and he drooled PUDDLES. Very scary but the vet said it was not harmful. I guess I would make sure there was plenty of water handy.

 

[kaykay]

Be aware if its clover poisioning they should be kept out of the sun for I think 10 days. They become very photo sensitive when they get the clover poisioning. We had one that after the first bout got it again a year later and that episode was much worse. From then on she could not be on pasture or hay with clover.

Check her heels to see if you see skin peeling. Usually it peels on the heels first and then the head.

 

[Chelley]

I just came in from the barn from checking her this morning. She was standing in her stall eating hay and begging for her grain. There was no drooling. She looked normal. However, I didn't look close enough to notice if her heels are peeling. Would that come after sun exposure after the episode she had yesterday, as you said she can be photosensitive. How will I be able to tell if she is having photosensitivity? I started to let her out in the dry lot with the others this morning but I went ahead and kept her separated. I also didn't turn the others out yet, as I wanted to talk to the vet this morning anyway and get her opinion on what to do. None of the others ever did anything and they had been on the same pasture, but probably did not get in the same patch as she. Thanks for the info.

Be aware if its clover poisioning they should be kept out of the sun for I think 10 days. They become very photo sensitive when they get the clover poisioning. We had one that after the first bout got it again a year later and that episode was much worse. From then on she could not be on pasture or hay with clover.

Check her heels to see if you see skin peeling. Usually it peels on the heels first and then the head.

 

[drmatthewtaylor]

I agree with the consensus here that clover is pretty likely. I think the culprit is ladino or white clover.

Signs include;

drooling

diarrhea

colic

photosensitive (white haired, pink skin will blister)

founder

But usually the condition is a moderate irritation and not a catastrophe.

Dr Taylor

 

[Chelley]

Thank you! I guess if she is doing better than I don't need to do anything other than keep her out of the pasture for awhile? Can she graze out there again and will she build at tolerance or will it get worse if she eats it again? I appreciate the info.

I agree with the consensus here that clover is pretty likely. I think the culprit is ladino or white clover.

Signs include;

drooling

diarrhea

colic

photosensitive (white haired, pink skin will blister)

founder

But usually the condition is a moderate irritation and not a catastrophe.

Dr Taylor

 

[~Lisa~]

I have some of that clover in my pasture and I have drooly horses. It must not taste great as not all of them will eat it. We did just mow it and are not watering (as it is a weed pasture anyway) so should only have another week or so till it all dries out and dies anyway but it can be scary the first time you see it.

 

[kaykay]

All I know is the second time mine got it was MUCH worse than the first time. Blood pulled showed it affected her liver the second time so after that she never got pasture again as we have too much clover. Mine was probably an extreme case but I felt like I didnt take it seriously enough after the first episode.

On my mare you couldnt see the peeling heels and head until about 24 hrs later. The second time her entire head peeled. Made me feel so bad.

 

[candycar]

Only one of mine is sensitive to clover. Scared me to death the first time also! They had been eating on the lawn with no problems for weeks, then one day the drooling started.

I think it's a fungus called "Black Patch" that attacks the white clover. Around here, in the early spring and late fall it's not bad, but late June and July it will surface. If we have a cool dry spring It doesn't seem to bother them. I'm also careful about getting hay with white clover in it, first cut only, no second cut.

I finally got a lawn service to spray and get rid of it. That way I don't have to worry about when they can eat the lawn.

Maybe you can spot treat your pasture with 2-4-D and wipe it out.

The things we do for our minis LOL! Good Luck!

 

[Nathan Luszcz]

Clover! Some horses do this every year. Just watch them, its not usually an issue. You may have to plan ahead and put a bucket/shavings pile under the area they stand in all day and drooooool.