The Dangers of Ragwort

Ragwort is a toxic weed which is dangerous to our horses and shouldn’t be in the fields where they graze.

I’m afraid the excuse that “they don’t eat it when there’s lots of grass” and “they don’t like the taste of it” is not acceptable.

Horses will accidentally eat ragwort even on lush pasture and it is very toxic to their liver.

It is cumulative, so will build up over the horse’s lifetime causing more and more liver damage until a point is reached when the liver cannot cope any more and they go into liver failure.

Picking it when it is still a rosette rather than flowering (the yellow flowers are buttercups not ragwort flowers) is best to stop it spreading and also it is more likely to be eaten in this form rather than the stalky flowering plants.

Wear gloves (the toxin travels through your skin), use a rag fork and remove it by the root (as in the video). Don’t leave it on the fields because it dries out and becomes more palatable………

Click here to see Video

Advice Kindly supplied by Simon Constable Equine Vets