These little plants belong to the legume family. Many years ago, they were planted for cattle to eat. Many people thought that if the clover leaves were quivering, it was a sure sign that a storm was on its way.
Cloverflower heads are used in many ways. Feed the flowers to a horse with sweet itch to help clean the blood and relieve the sweet itch. If a horse has bronchitis or ailments such as nasal discharge or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, these flowers are the remedy. Use them fresh or dried or as a syrup. Mix 30g clover, 60g sugar or honey and 100ml water and boil until it looks like syrup. Put the mixture on a wooden spoon and place on the tongue, or mix it with a little molasses syrup, water it down and pour it over the feed.
Skin irritations
If you have a horse that is prone to insect bites, it is a good idea to have a bed of red clover growing nearby. Take the flower, crush it, then rub it onto the insect bite. The herb contains methyl salicylate, which helps soothe the sting or itch. You can also make a tea with the red clover and use it to bathe any skin conditions. If the skin condition is worse in the summer, cool the tea in the fridge and wash the irritated skin with the cold tea. the skin irritation is worse in winter, then use warm tea to bathe the area.
During the 1930s red clover was a popular cancer remedy. Although there is no scientific evidence of its effectiveness, it is a useful herb to feed to greys with melanoma. You can feed around 50g of dried clover a day – the flowers dry very easily. – Kim Dyson Contact Kim Dyson on 082 888 6511. |fw
