ragwort and topping...?

[oliviacharley]

Ive been offered a place at a really nice yard where I can graze my horses in their own paddock, however there does seem to be alot of ragwort....
The farm is a 600 acre site but on arriving all I could see was yellow really....
some of the paddocks were free from it and looked really nice.....
The farmer has advised me that I would need to pull it and treat it ( they supply the products ) but im a little worried as they mentioned before I move in they would top the field that has lots of ragwort in it!!

Im concerned because this is not really treating the field and I dont know how safe it will be for my horses to be grazed there....
Some of the other fields do have quite a bit of ragwort and are left by the other owners but I would really want to treat mine and get the ragwort out....
Any advice about topping and ragwort issues would be great as I would be moving from a field I have been renting for 4 yrs and its quite a big move for me....

 

[MurphysMinder]

If they top the field and leave the ragwort lying you will have to pick it all up. It is at its most dangerous like this, when it is growing it is not particularly palatable to horses, but when cut and dry they are very likely to eat it with tragic results. The only way to really clear ragwort is by pulling, if you spray it you will have to collect in all the dead plants, and keep the horses off until you have done this. If there is a lot of ragwort on this land I think I would think twice about moving my horse there.

 

[spottybotty]

Topping it will not get rid of the ragwort it really does need to be pulled up first then topped!There is an old saying One years weed seven years seed so if you are the only one treating your paddock you could be fighting a losing battle?

 

[Jane_Lou]

Mine are at a really well run DIY yard on a farm and everyone keeps on top of ragwork in their own paddocks, the farmer will top your field for you if you want but won't until it is totally clear of ragwort. Despite these efforts, I still dig out half a bucket full of small plants every week from my 2 acre paddocks! if you look around the farm there is no site of a single flowering plant but it still keeps coming, seeds must blow in from adjacent land I assume. Based on this, if there is a lot on the farm and in the other paddocks you could well be fighting a loosing battle.

 

[hadfos]

Think it sounds like a hell of alot of work,and it will be problematic yr upon yr especially if none of the other is removed from around the farm,certainly wouldnt top it until all ragwort removed,losing battle springs to mind....however only you can decide to leave what you know and take that leap into the unknown

good luck whatever you decide,think if it were me i'd be staying put

 

[henryhorn]

It's more palatable when it's dead, so topping is not acceptable.
We spent ages last week digging ours up but there were numerous small rosettes that we realised would return next season as they were baby plants but too widespread to get them all.
Your only option is to electric fence off an area and pull that part, burning the ragwort afterwards. Be gentle with the plants once pulled as the seeds drop off easily.
You can spray for it but not at this time of the year, and it won't be cheap, but talk to the farmer, you never know, if you pay for the spraying he might do it at the right time.