Field FULL of Ragwort and horses grazing - who would you report it to?

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hatters

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As above, I drive past a field which is FULL of ragwort, and now there are 3 or 4 horses grazing on it. Who would you report it to?
 
Mine are currently grazing on a field full of ragwort. They have plenty of grass and leave the ragwort alone. I have been waiting until the plants flowered to dig them up as I have heard that it is easier to stop them spreading when they are flowering - whether this is true or not I don't know, but if horses have plentiful grazing they won't eat the ragwort while it is growing - it becomes palatable when dead.

Perhaps the horse owners are managing their field as I am managing mine? Mine will be all dug up this week.
 
It is easier to pull up when flowering, but nearer the seeding stage. Be careful as you pull it up, any seeds will fall off and thats the next crop on its way. You are right that it is not palatable whilst it is growing and they will eat the grass, but if a plant gets snapped off and dies it then will become palatable.
 
Yes Defra. Please don't assume your horse will not eat ragwort if it has enough grass in the field. There is evidence that horses can get a taste for the bitter ragwort and WILL eat it no matter how much grass is available. Horses can also be poisoned by spores from a neighbouring field of ragwort and they really don't need to ingest very much to be affected. If you see ragwort growing near horses then please remove it in any way necessary.
 
I've got loads of Ragwort & its a race against time to get it all out before it seeds. However, if even a bit of root is left behind it will grow again. This can make the plant a Perrenial rather than a Bi-Annual.

What do you meen by 'spores' Popsicle?
 
Sorry, Popsicle, that website is utter nonsense.
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Ragwort doesn't produce 'spores' - pollen, and seeds, yes.
Pollen won't hurt your horse unless it has a pollen allergy.

S
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There's a reason ragwort is seen as the definition of all evil in regards to horse poisoning. I'm shocked that people even risk it. Have you ever seen a horse with ragwort poisoning?? It's horrible, and as you should know can't be treated, if they die of it, it's a slow painful death, distressing for all parties.

I don't know about reporting other people, the advice here seems pretty good, but i know i wouldn't have it in my field. I heard it was best to kill it or get rid of it in rosette stage?

I've seen several horses with liver failure after eating ragwort in a field with grass (and loads of ragwort for the last 15 years) and they both died during fits banging their heads off the walls.
 
Horses will eat Ragwort at any stage of it's growth.

You should not keep a horse in a field that has Ragwort in it. Ragwort is a cumalative poison and kills the horses liver cells. Once 60% of the liver cells have been killed then the horse suffers an agonising death.

There is little point in pulling up ragwort plants as the roots regenerate. The plants need to be sprayed with a chemical such as Barrier-H and allowed to die. (Each plant may need several applications). Only once it has completly died should the ragwort be pulled up and completly removed from the field (wear thick rubber gloves as it is poisenous to humans as well) and then burn it.
 
deffo pull at the rosette stage if you leave it till its flowering your too late and yes horses will eat it.

the ragwort plant is bi annual if that's the right description well it flowers every other year anyway.
my mums mare had liver problems due to grazing the stuff this we couldn't prevent as it happened previous to us owning her but we had the consequences to deal with.

if you can prevent ragwort poisoning then why not do it.

have you seen the motorway verges they are full of the stuff !! and it travels a fair way in the air.
 
i know, it always makes me angry to see how much of council land is covered in the stuff! Is it not illegal to have it on land used for grazing? Or did i make that up? Anyway, stupid council people should get rid of their share so it can't spread everywhere. I found one in one of my boxes in the garden (miles away from any grazing) and i will be pulling that up as soon as my stupid ankle is well enough to brace against the buggar. It's ingrained into me to 'destroy all ragwort'.
 
Ragwort is apparently no longer a notifiable weed so in theory no one, at the end of the day why do u need to report it to every tom dick or harry as said above the field could be under management whereby the horseowner/landowner is waiting for it to flower then pull it etc....
if u really feel you have to say something contact the landowner/horseowner first.

sorry if this makes me unpopular please dont shoot me down in flames but what people do on their land is there business.

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wear thick rubber gloves as it is poisenous to humans as well.

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Actually, I have it on good authority, it is HIGHLY UNLIKELY to get any sort of ragwort poisoning or any reaction at all from handling it... you would have to eat it and a lot of it at that to become ill.
The blisters from pulling any weeds out without gloves do get horrendous though
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FOr the last 3 years I have been pulling the ragwort up from the field at my home ! This year I'm proud to say so far only about 10 plants !! thats from what was a sea of yellow 3 years ago. My horses are moved to my mothers house which is ragwort free while we de-ragwort the field then top roll and harrow followed by weed spraying. They stay off for about a month while I do this. Horses as stated here an eat it at any stage and can like the taste of it.
 
Defra - Go to there site and there is a form you can fill in and forward to them. There is a whole load of info on there, incl info on livery owners responsibilities etc.

You might have to search a bit as the site in'st easy to follow.

Hope this helps.
 
I've just finished digging all the blooming stuff out of my field but its an ongoing battle because the seeds come in from the surrounding fields which are not managed. DEFRA has no money so are unlikely to rush out and do anything, you could contact the RSPCA but they are unlikely to be able to do much either. If its on the roadside you can contact the Highways Agency, I've had a good response from them in the past. If its Council land you should get onto their landscape dept. If its private land its down to the land owner. Responsible horse owners will go out and dig the stuff out but there are lots of people who just can't be bothered!!
 
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Mine are currently grazing on a field full of ragwort. They have plenty of grass and leave the ragwort alone.

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That is one of the most stupid comments I have read for a while. I don't understand why anyone would risk leaving it. Get a ragfork and get it out as so as you see it.

HORSES WILL AND DO EAT RAGWORT AT ANY STAGE.
 
[ QUOTE ]
Horses will eat Ragwort at any stage of it's growth.

You should not keep a horse in a field that has Ragwort in it. Ragwort is a cumalative poison and kills the horses liver cells. Once 60% of the liver cells have been killed then the horse suffers an agonising death.

There is little point in pulling up ragwort plants as the roots regenerate. The plants need to be sprayed with a chemical such as Barrier-H and allowed to die. (Each plant may need several applications). Only once it has completly died should the ragwort be pulled up and completly removed from the field (wear thick rubber gloves as it is poisenous to humans as well) and then burn it.

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The most sensible and true comment made on this thread IMO

To anyone that thinks they can leave a horse in a field of ragwart and it won't touch a bite of the stuff if there is grass as an alternative...get a grip on reality and start looking after your horse properly.
 
[ QUOTE ]
Mine are currently grazing on a field full of ragwort. They have plenty of grass and leave the ragwort alone. I have been waiting until the plants flowered to dig them up as I have heard that it is easier to stop them spreading when they are flowering - whether this is true or not I don't know, but if horses have plentiful grazing they won't eat the ragwort while it is growing - it becomes palatable when dead.

Perhaps the horse owners are managing their field as I am managing mine? Mine will be all dug up this week.

[/ QUOTE ]

You are joking? Right?
 
To the OP, I suggest you contact the WHW rather than RSPCA, they will more than likely get in touch with the owner of the horses and warn them of the dangers in case they aren't aware of them, and then keep an eye on the field to see if action has been taken.
 
It would be really helpful if Defra came down hard on highways agencies and councils as my land is sprayed and every year it comes back with a vengeance because it blows over from the verges etc.
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My lot are in a 6 acre field, most of which is fenced off with electric fencing. The bit they're in is almost free of the stuff, just spot the odd little plant every now and then. However the bleedin' stuff has popped up in the unused areas of the field so I'm planning on getting over there tonight with my Ragfork - the ground looks like concrete at the moment though, so it won't be much fun.

A friend of mine (who going away on holiday) and lives near to my horses has fields of ragwort with horses living in them. I'm supposed to be looking after their horses while there away - my OH and I will be over there with a petrol strimmer and chopping the stuff down before it seeds.
 
I wish I'd seen this post last year. I rang the RSPCA when I spotted a field full of ragwort, no grass but full of horses and foals. I'm not sure to this day if they did anything as I never past the road again.
 
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