how poisonous is st john's wort?

[Marilyn]

as the question says really...part of our field was previously untouched until we arrived and as I am extending the horses' grazing I keep seeing the leaves...I do try and pull them out but I am curious...

 

[arwenplusone]

This might seem like a silly question buut do you mean St John's wort or Ragwort? (Ragwort is sometimes referred to as St John's wort...)

Eitherway I think both are pretty lethal to all grazing animals

 

[Marilyn]

definitely st john's wort not ragwort...I have been pulling st john's wort up as best as I can but as we have some grassy lumps I am worried I mightg be missing some bits. The flowers are not present but the leaves are

 

[arwenplusone]

I think St John's wort causes skin lesions, hight temp, iritability/rashes and mania (running in circles etc).

I do not think it is as lethal to the kidneys as Ragwort and it does have symptoms.

(But I am not a vet so please don't take my word as gospel!)

 

[Marilyn]

there's not much there and I pull it out when I see it but thought it was worth asking...

 

[mollymurphy]

http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/horsecare/1370/36104.html

http://www.horsedata.co.uk/StJohnsWort.htm

I dont think it's as serious as ragwort, but you still dont want them eating it. I doubt they'd CHOSE to eat it unless their grazing is very poor.

Lou.

 

[Marilyn]

you can't win can you? I pull out ragwort and keep an eye open for anything suspicious but there's always something... :-(

 

[Marilyn]

also, re: St. John's wort, one of my many horsey books says it can actually help horses!

 

[Enfys]

Read this, very informative:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._John's_wort

 

[Marilyn]

Thank you...oh dear...it does say large does though doesn't it?

 

[Charlie77]

(Sorry a horror story)
My friend sold her pony a couple of years ago, any way cutting a long story short she had a bad reaction to it (it was in the new owners field) & ended up with liver or kidney problems, sorry I forget which! She's doing ok now though, still on medication though! The pony was in her late teens & also had other problems COPD & Laminitis so I guess that might have made her more vulnerable?

 

[Marilyn]

Oh god!