Ragwort stress

[Ragwort drama]

Is there anything you can do (report to) if someone is refusing to move their lami prone horse from a field full of ragwort, as "the other fields have too much grass"

 

[Shay]

You can report horses confined in a ragwort infested area to the RSPCA. But I'm not sure how much use they would be.

 

[JillA]

I'd be reporting to World Horse Welfare 08000 480180 - their field officer will go and explain the risks to them in the first instance, and then involve RSPCA if it really is a risk situation.

 

[Ragwort drama]

thank you!! I was thinking it might have been a DEFRA thing but apparently not!! As you say I'm not sure RSPCA would do anything but I will try WHW. I've told the owner I'm moving the horse and he'll have to be muzzled but I've not had a response!!

my issue is one of the other ponies keeps jumping the fence to get in with this horse! so I have to keep putting him back out!!

 

[JillA]

The control of ragwort is devolved to Natural England and they will only serve an order if the plants are within 100m of other grazing land (which is sounds as though they are). They will take time though, to visit and inspect, serve notice with a month or so for the land owner to deal and then subsequent checks etc.
Worth doing for the sake of the adjoining land if they go to seed, and for the future but won't help any horses on there atm https://www.gov.uk/guidance/prevent-the-spread-of-harmful-invasive-and-non-native-plants

 

[pennyturner]

Remember that horses will not eat ragwort unless it is dried (i.e. cut into hay). Although not ideal, the owner is probably right that the animals are at much greater risk from the grass. The ragwort could be pulled, but would need to be completely removed. Otherwise, he/she's better off leaving it be.

 

[Tyssandi]

Is there anything you can do (report to) if someone is refusing to move their lami prone horse from a field full of ragwort, as "the other fields have too much grass"

you can report to Natural England https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/natural-england
who will want a google map of the infested area - photos of ragwprt on the offenders land and of your land and you will need to mark where horses graze in relation to the ragwort.

 

[Auslander]

I've told the owner I'm moving the horse and he'll have to be muzzled but I've not had a response!!

Is this your land? If that's the case, move the horse off, muzzle it, and spray/pull/whatever it takes to stop you getting into trouble with Natural England. It's not up to her to dictate what happens on your land!

 

[be positive]

Remember that horses will not eat ragwort unless it is dried (i.e. cut into hay). Although not ideal, the owner is probably right that the animals are at much greater risk from the grass. The ragwort could be pulled, but would need to be completely removed. Otherwise, he/she's better off leaving it be.

They may eat some and have been know to get a taste for it, the toxin can be absorbed through the membranes so even if they don't eat it they can be affected with potentially serious liver damage, yes they may be more obviously at risk from laminitis but to think a starving pony will not nibble at it is a risk I would not be taking, I know of one lovely pony that died a horrific death after living on a ragwort infested field it may have just been the final straw but it should not have happened.

As for the OP this is something the YO should be taking steps to deal with, assuming it is a yard, it is not down to you to deal with other than making the point of telling of your concerns and keeping your own safe.

 

[Ragwort drama]

Its a bit of an unusual set up! we pay "livery" but its not a livery yard. Its an old farm, so I moved in many many years ago, as i had quite a few horses. I let a friend (this owner) move in as she was being evicted from her field, due to development.
This was about a year ago, since then some I've loaned out 1 horse and lost another, so I only have my 2 childhood ponies there now. and there are 4 of us there all together. it hasn't got any facilities, so its a great place for retired horses.

The farmer isn't the most helpful (although from experience that's not unusual) but finally he sprayed the fields this year, after lots of requests. I will ask him to spray that fattie paddock, if I can get the horse off! but at the moment I'm being met with refusals!

None of us have any contracts, the yard was taken on by me! everyone pay's their livery to me and I transfer it to the farmer, as he doesn't want the hassle of having a livery yard, he's getting on quite a bit now, so it was sort of us doing a favour for each other when I moved in, as he had someone looking after the place and I got a yard to myself, so I've sorted the additional liveries each time a horse of mine has left, for whatever reason! then he still gets the set amount of money each month!

 

[Ragwort drama]

Remember that horses will not eat ragwort unless it is dried (i.e. cut into hay). Although not ideal, the owner is probably right that the animals are at much greater risk from the grass. The ragwort could be pulled, but would need to be completely removed. Otherwise, he/she's better off leaving it be.

this has always been my opinion but there is too much where its been pulled over the years and the roots have not come out fully! I'd say 2/3 of that paddock is ragwort now! but it seems made to enforce grazing there when the other horses can eat a section down in another paddock, so the horse can be moved out!

 

[Tiddlypom]

Remember that horses will not eat ragwort unless it is dried (i.e. cut into hay).

This myth has led to the death of many equines. In practice, horses will inevitably take in small amounts of ragwort if they have to graze in a severely infested area. Also, some horses find growing ragwort palatable.

Ragwort poisoning is cumulative, so small amounts eaten here and there can still build up into fatal levels over a period of years.

 

[Kezzabell2]

Don't even get me started on my ragwort situation!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[honetpot]

If he's sprayed the other fields its in every bodies interest to remove it from the diet paddock or its just going to set seed.
Not the nicest solution but if you are in charge ask her to leave and find someone. Then spray the whole lot with roundup(or spot spray it) and not put anything on it until its withered and dried up, in this heat about three weeks.

 

[JillA]

Then spray the whole lot with roundup(or spot spray it) and not put anything on it until its withered and dried up, in this heat about three weeks.

OOH no!! Roundup will kill everything and then it will have to be reseeded and rested for at least a year. Spray with a selective herbicide, the grass will recover in a few weeks and you will be able to graze it as soon as the ragwort plants have biodegraded (or you have removed them).

 

[pennyturner]

You have missed the boat for spraying this year, as it is already flowering, which means it isn't growing. At this stage, you'd be better off waiting until it is in full flower, then topping it. The plant has put all it's energy into the flowers, so it will be killed off by mowing, and the root will be too weak to return. Any young rosettes which survive could be sprayed afterwards as they return to growth.

You then need to keep the horses off it until there's nothing left. Be warned - this can take months.

 

[JillA]

It is best sprayed at rosette stage, but I find that spraying will kill it so long as there is enough leaf to absorb the spray - unless the ones here in Shropshire are different lol
Or as above, top it now, remove the debris and spray when it grow back to rosettes

 

[Kezzabell2]

If he's sprayed the other fields its in every bodies interest to remove it from the diet paddock or its just going to set seed.
Not the nicest solution but if you are in charge ask her to leave and find someone. Then spray the whole lot with roundup(or spot spray it) and not put anything on it until its withered and dried up, in this heat about three weeks.

Sorry to hijack the OP thread but I wondered if you were going to give someone notice to leave, how would you go about it? Say there was no contract in place and the yard owner was happy for you to do it. would you get it done in writing or just send a text?

 

[honetpot]

OOH no!! Roundup will kill everything and then it will have to be reseeded and rested for at least a year. Spray with a selective herbicide, the grass will recover in a few weeks and you will be able to graze it as soon as the ragwort plants have biodegraded (or you have removed them).

That's the point its a bit late for a selective weed killer, and you need someone with a sprayer qualification to do it. Glyphosate will kill just about anything at any stage, yes it will kill the grass but if the ragwort is a real problem surely its better to get on with it. I thought it was the diet area so a lack of grass should not be a problem and you can each go out there and zap it.
Its also a bit late for sowing seed but we may get a wet June so you could try just harrowing it, and patching. I have to reseed some areas after winter every year and would never think of ploughing, you are just breaking up the soil structure and bringing up subsoil.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No-till_farming

 

[ycbm]

Remember that horses will not eat ragwort unless it is dried (i.e. cut into hay). Although not ideal, the owner is probably right that the animals are at much greater risk from the grass. The ragwort could be pulled, but would need to be completely removed. Otherwise, he/she's better off leaving it be.

Some horses will eat it. I have to pull it quickly when I spot it, one of mine will.

 

[hairycob]

Re the not eating live Tamworth:
1) bits will bet trodden down/ broken off and become palatable
2) I know someone who thought that until she caught her horse eating freshly pulled ragwort from her barrow. The horse was subsequently pts for other reasons and when the hunt cut her up her liver was severely damaged & it was apparent she had eaten a lot.