I'm a Bad Mom..............

Well, I managed to poison my horses, especially evident in Kola. I think I had this info filed in the "asscrack" of my brain long ago but since it never became an issue, I forgot about it. The girls had spent an extra hour out in the pasture yesterday as I had taken Zoe to see The Dark Night in the afternoon. By the way an awesome movie and when I called them in I noticed Kola drop a bucket of "water" out of her mouth. At the time I thought she had just gotten a drink and was holding her water. I later went out in the evening to remove their masks and she did it continuously. I called the vet after a good dose of Pro-Bio. She had "Slobbers". Did a quick exam and we gave her a bucket of electrolytes, which I don't think she drank, but seems much better today. They are now locked out of pasture and early next week , Steve and I will completely weed kill anything out there. We'll play it by ear as to when they may be allowed back out there, but for now it closed indefinitely. This all makes sense as it was a very wet spring. The poor horses were beside themselves because as I waited in the dark for the vet the coyotes were circling. I have no voice today. I made myself big and loud until Steve came out with the gun and then I fired a couple of shots into the field. They must have still been out there at 0100 am when I went out to check on the animals as the goats were clamored into the same corner looking out to the field and the girls were still on high alert, although I didn't hear them yelping like I did earlier. The whole place was surrounded. In Quotes below is all about Slobbers. Poor babies!

"Slaframine poisoning (Slobbers) (Figure 1) should be considered, especially in a cooler and wetter spring or fall. Spring and fall provide ideal environmental conditions for the proliferation of clovers in pastures. The cooler wet conditions are also ideal for the growth of the fungus Rhizoctonia leguminicola, commonly known as black patch. The fungus infects red clover (Trifolium pratense), white clover (Trifolium repens), alsike clover (Trifolium hybridum) and alfalfa. The name ‘black patch' is derived from the bronze to black spots or rings observed on the leaves and stems (2). Rhizoctonia leguminicola produces the mycotoxin slaframine or slobber factor. It can be present on both pasture and in stored dry hay. The fungus persists on infected fields from year to year. Slaframine can be active in stored hay for 10 months or more; however, its biological activity does decrease. Fresh hay can contain the equivalent of 50-100 ppm slaframine, which can decrease after 10 months by 10-fold to 7 ppm. Concentrations above 10 ppm may be associated with clinical signs (3). The analysis for slaframine (1-acetoxy-6-amino- octahydroindolizine) is not readily available.
The most common clinical signs observed in horses include: excess salivation, lacrimation, colic and diarrhea. One case reports abortion in a mare (4). Clinical signs often develop 1-3 hours after consumption of the contaminated forage and subside 48-72 hours after withdrawal from the offending forage. Atropine may provide symptomatic relief of salivation and diarrhea (3).
Take Home Message
Slaframine poisoning is non life threatening.
No treatment is necessary, except changing the feed.
Clovers can be an excellent source of nutrients but are occasionally associated with excessive salivation, oral ulcers, laminitis, colic, photosensitization and liver failure."