Ragwort Removal - General Whinge!

[Geraldine]

Ragwort - it's a pain in the posterior but a fact of life when you own/loan/share a horse/pony.

It has sprung up from nowhere on our farm. The farm owners are frantically trying to get the haylage in while the weather is (so far) good. So me, hubby & our 3 year old daughter (who has taken on the role of supervisor!!) have spent about an hour or so each evening going round the farm and removing the dreaded weed. Just to give the owners a helping hand. We're not getting anything for doing it apart from fresh air and exercise!

Nice to know the other liveries care about their horses as much as I do - no one even acknowledged what we were doing tonight and the yard was pretty busy. Why should they bother when some other mugs will do it???? Grrr!!! Silly me, they pay for their horses to be there (as do I) why should they get their hands dirty.

Sorry, rant over. More vino being poured.

 

[marinitagsd]

I HATE the dreaded stuff with a passion!! We split our field and had it sprayed, just finished 3 days of debris removal! Have been battling for the last 4yrs with the stuff!
x

 

[Geraldine]

Hubby has found out some very interesting facts about it (he's in anorak mode!).

It just bugs me that no one else thinks they should help. They just look at you like you have 2 heads! If everyone pitched in it would be gone in no time.

 

[Jackson]

Ha! I know how you feel. Where my horse is on livery, there is a big 'branch' of ragwort growing in the middle of one of the front paddocks I keep mine ragwort free and hate it when others don't have the consideration to do so for their horses and the other livery horses and owners!

 

[Tormenta]

Hubby has found out some very interesting facts about it (he's in anorak mode!).

It just bugs me that no one else thinks they should help. They just look at you like you have 2 heads! If everyone pitched in it would be gone in no time.

It's a nightmare if it gets the chance to spread, well done you for bothering. Like you say if everyone pitched in you would all be on top of it and then could do general daily checks for any more that pop up. It's not so bad once you have a hold on it, I walk our fields every day spotting for any trying to pop through. Shame on some people for not realising the importance of it around horses.

 

[bumblelion]

I hate the bl**dy stuff! Last year I was pregnant so couldn't spray it and the fields were covered!! This year iv sprayed, hardly got any except one corner which I'm hoping to give another spray in the next week! Last year I had ragwort parties!!! Issued everyone with a ragfork and then did a BBQ! Although I was still out there for about 6hrs a day min all last summer!!!

 

[Tinseltoes]

Last year there was some plants in the same place as always,so last year I went in the field with a spade and dug the roots out.This year there was a few plants in the field,but not half as much as there was before and it was in different places,so dug roots out again.
There is a field down from where I live,the field isnt very big and it has a horse in it ,along with 6 ragwort plants. The owner of the field knows its there,yet fails to remove it.Grrrrrrr
I think if you share a field,everyone should muck in. (Im lucky and have a field to myself).

 

[Geraldine]

I think some people have the attitude of 'I'm paying to be here, it should be done for me' whereas I think that the welfare of my horse is my responsibility. If that means clearing the fields/farm then that's what I'll do!!!

 

[ColandMe]

I have dug it, I have bought expensive sprays, I've dug and sprayed but still it's worse every year. The problem is neighbouring fields which are rife, and no one will do anything about them. Every year it flowers then seeds spread everywhere. I called DEFRA who told me to download forms and ask my landlord to fill them in and send back, he didn't bother. Yet landlord shouts at me if so much as a rosette that i may not have noticed that day hasn't been dug up. I walk my field every day, and dig it out but it sprouts over night. thank God I'm leaving in 2 weeks as it's just a nightmare.

 

[el_Snowflakes]

I think some people have the attitude of 'I'm paying to be here, it should be done for me' whereas I think that the welfare of my horse is my responsibility. If that means clearing the fields/farm then that's what I'll do!!!

Well to be honest, Our yard owner does it all. Im really grateful that she does however I do think its part of the yard and field maintanance which we pay for. I also think it would be a bit dangerous to leave it up to liveries. What would happen if Mr x said they would do it that day and they failed to? or they attempted to but missed some? I feel better knowing that its being carried out by someone who we can all trust and undertands the importance of it.

 

[Garfield1537]

Snap I have a few liveries at my yard who watch as I break my back pulling it out the ground! Those same liveries who rarely pooh pick! To be honest all yards have them I think I will be having a polite word with them about their lazy attitudes and recommend a part livery yard as that seems to be what they want without paying!! Sorry to rant : )

 

[Dry Rot]

DEFRA - Rural Payments and Inspections - have responsibility for dealing with complaints. Google for your local office. Make your complaint by letter stating the location (OS six figure reference number if possible), owners if known, proximity to horses and other livestock, prevailing wind direction, etc. also photographs

Farmers are required to control noxious weeds under the conditions attached to the Single Farm Payment. (My big farming neighbour gets paid £1,000 per day so it is important to them! That's where your 20% VAT goes, by the way).

DEFRA inspectors have a duty to take action where they see an infestation, it doesn't have to just be on the farm they happen to be inspecting. But in my experience, most suffer from tunnel vision.

The general rule is that action should be taken where there is a danger of it spreading to land where horses graze. If the landowner won't complain, how about you (as the occupier) complaining direct?

Ragwort also has to be controlled under animal welfare legislation.

I am disappointed that more do not complain. Lots stating how much they care for horses, but when it comes to doing something, that is a different matter. It isn't really good enough, is it?

There have been plenty of threads/posts about ragwort on here with links to how to complain, so no excuses!

Government civil servants sometimes take the easiest course of action (Do nothing!) and as we employ (and pay) them, it is up to us to see they do their job. In Scotland, you should obtain a copy of publication CF1-2004 which will tell you how to lodge a formal complaint when they drag their heels. They really don't like that!

 

[Penny Less]

Went past three paddocks yesterday where I could just see the horses through the ragwort. These paddocks are never cleared horses look quite well cared for so I am
gobsmacked the owners dont seem to care enough to safeguard them from it. The Defra guidance etc doesnt work in practice I dont think. A lot of the motorways and road verges are covered with it here as well, no sign of highways agency doing anything about it

 

[minkymoo]

Our yard is ragwort free. The surrounding fields - less so. 1 neighbour who has 2 horses looks like she's growing it as a crop. The local farmer offered to sort it for her and she declined. I admit they have made a start to clear it, but have only removed a 1/4 and seem to have stopped.

Not the other side is a lady thet has far too many horses and she also has a field full of it. My YO has complained and complained and yet no-one does anything. It is so disheartening for her and for us.

It seems that people don't take it seriously enough, and yes, I am in Hampshire- the 2nd worst affected county.

 

[ColandMe]

DEFRA - Rural Payments and Inspections - have responsibility for dealing with complaints. Google for your local office. Make your complaint by letter stating the location (OS six figure reference number if possible), owners if known, proximity to horses and other livestock, prevailing wind direction, etc. also photographs

Farmers are required to control noxious weeds under the conditions attached to the Single Farm Payment. (My big farming neighbour gets paid £1,000 per day so it is important to them! That's where your 20% VAT goes, by the way).

DEFRA inspectors have a duty to take action where they see an infestation, it doesn't have to just be on the farm they happen to be inspecting. But in my experience, most suffer from tunnel vision.

The general rule is that action should be taken where there is a danger of it spreading to land where horses graze. If the landowner won't complain, how about you (as the occupier) complaining direct?

Ragwort also has to be controlled under animal welfare legislation.

I am disappointed that more do not complain. Lots stating how much they care for horses, but when it comes to doing something, that is a different matter. It isn't really good enough, is it?

There have been plenty of threads/posts about ragwort on here with links to how to complain, so no excuses!

Government civil servants sometimes take the easiest course of action (Do nothing!) and as we employ (and pay) them, it is up to us to see they do their job. In Scotland, you should obtain a copy of publication CF1-2004 which will tell you how to lodge a formal complaint when they drag their heels. They really don't like that!

I did complain to DEFRA, was told it was my landlords job to report surrounding fields not mine so i passed the forms on to him, he did nothing.

 

[Cobbysmum]

I was told the last time I complained to Defra that I had to approach the owner of the land first. As the last time we had dealings with him his wife threatened that he would shoot my 10 year old daughter, who was admittedly in the wrong for riding on his stubble headland when she was trying to stop her pony, I was slightly hesitant.

 

[Geraldine]

Well to be honest, Our yard owner does it all. Im really grateful that she does however I do think its part of the yard and field maintanance which we pay for. I also think it would be a bit dangerous to leave it up to liveries. What would happen if Mr x said they would do it that day and they failed to? or they attempted to but missed some? I feel better knowing that its being carried out by someone who we can all trust and undertands the importance of it.

They normally do remove the ragwort but at the moment they are frantically trying to cut, bale and wrap the haylage so our horses can eat this winter - which is my Hubby and I removed it from the field my horse is in and then carried on around the farm. We were shown how to remove it safely and OH has read up extensively about it.

My point is rather than everyone moaning about it if they gave up an hour of their evening it would all be done. It's obviously more fun to watch other people doing it for their horses benefit. I was hoping that seeing my 3 year old daughter pointing out to us where the next bit was would shame some of them into helping out.

 

[muddypony]

I hate the bl**dy stuff! Last year I was pregnant so couldn't spray it and the fields were covered!! This year iv sprayed, hardly got any except one corner which I'm hoping to give another spray in the next week! Last year I had ragwort parties!!! Issued everyone with a ragfork and then did a BBQ! Although I was still out there for about 6hrs a day min all last summer!!!

great idea!

there is none at my yard and when any gets spotted it gets pulled up right away as we don't have much grazing so no fields get left 'uninspected' for very long, but it feels rather like fighting a losing battle when you see so much of it growing all over the place in neighbouring fields and bridleways and all along grass verges.

 

[cumbriamax]

Our yard is ragwort free. The surrounding fields - less so. 1 neighbour who has 2 horses looks like she's growing it as a crop.


exactly there is a field with about 7 horses in about a mile from mine there must be thousands of plants all flowering & seeding.really disheatens everyone else who digs it up when we think of how many plants are seeding in other field.

as said before it actually looks like a crop.

 

[miss_bird]

My YO gave me an extra field the other day withe the words it has a bit of ragwort in it lol
Ok so in all airness about 100ish plants over 3 acres sounds a lot not realy so, so i split te field in to 4 and cleared first section then popped horses in tere now i am gradually clearing each section. Done the next one and on the 3 section i do about an hour every couple of days gues the old back a rest ) its nearly there and i can go over the sections already done each day and pop ot any the appear over night

 

[milesjess]

Ours has sprung up from no where! Field is full of the stuff

Spent hours digging it up today and I'm only half way through.

Luckily the other liveries do remove their own... Unfortunately I have the biggest field! Grr!

 

[lilaclomax]

The tracks next to our fields are cleared by the farm, the water board also clear around their unit once a year and we are meant to keep our fields clear... but the same as everywhere else there are only a few that do clear

It is my responsibilty to keep the fields poo picked and I used to spray the rosettes with red paint when I spotted them - works well in the 3 fields that people checked and cleared, one field still has the same plants in and one is now about to flower - Farmer will be putting up a note this week to all and I will cut off any flower heads I see, just hope people take note and walk their fields.

(just to note I use a quad and sweeper to clear the fields )

 

[honetpot]

Every field I take on seems to be full of the stuff. I have spent the last 3 seasons trying to get rid of it on a new paddock, even resorted to a flame thower which didn't work.
I clear sections as well so I do not get over faced by it. My daughter said to me the other day when I was moaning,' but there isn't any in that bit', yes I said though gritted teeth, because I've pulled it out.

 

[Dry Rot]

I was told the last time I complained to Defra that I had to approach the owner of the land first. As the last time we had dealings with him his wife threatened that he would shoot my 10 year old daughter, who was admittedly in the wrong for riding on his stubble headland when she was trying to stop her pony, I was slightly hesitant.

Threatening behaviour is a criminal offence and should immediately be reported to the police. That would certainly be taken into account the next time "he" applied for a renewal of his firearms/shotgun certificate, even though your statement is unsupported with evidence.

 

[Dry Rot]

I did complain to DEFRA, was told it was my landlords job to report surrounding fields not mine so i passed the forms on to him, he did nothing.

So DEFRA are aware of the problem and their inspectors have a clear duty to take action. They are failing to do what they are paid to do and the next step is to lodge an official complaint. Next time you get the response you did, I suggest you ask to speak to the team manager and then ask him/her for the address of the Central Complaints Team saying you wish to make a formal complaint. You might also like to mention that you will be writing to the Press and your MP.

Under the Data Protection Act DEFRA inspectors must not reveal the name of the person who makes a complaint so there is no excuse that there will be retaliation!

 

[Cobbysmum]

He was reported to the Police and we found out he denied having a gun and therefore did not need a firearms licence, maybe not push him to find out though

 

[lilly1]

I contacted the ILPH last year about a field full and I mean full of ragwort containing many mares with foals at foot. They were sympathetic but said as along as the horses were in ok condition nothing could be done. They did offer to send me a load of ragwort awareness leaflets for me to attach to gate. A new crop of foals are on it this year and it’s as bad as ever.

 

[ThePinkPony]

our feild has got feckloads, i walk it every day and still leave with armfuls. its just appearing everywhere.