Ragwort!

[Esmae]

We have a neighbour farmer with a small field that is so full of it I would think it could be seen from outer space. He is the most unpleasant awkward man on planet earth so there is no chance of him clearing it. We've asked him every year for over 20 years and it just gets worse. I personally pull any that I see on the roadside verges within about a mile or so of our property and that does make a huge difference, but blimey it is a job you could do without.

 

[PurBee]

If anyone has any tips and hints on how to motivate other liveries to assist in ragwort pulling, I would be delighted to try them. At the moment, we have dug around three tonne bags full, and the novelty is wearing off. As we have about as much again to clear, we really can't afford to stop.

Sounds harsh but to motivate them to take ragwort poisoning seriously, tell and show pictures of ribby horses with severe sunburnt faces and dull coats, that can barely walk straight - thats the end result of a knackered dying liver from eating ragwort.
Theres a rescue on my fb that has just rescued a poor pony thats devastatingly ill with confirmed severe liver damage, highly likely caused by ragwort.
Ragwort, unlike many other liver toxic plants, actually kills-off liver cells and they won’t re-generate.
If any field is grazed low - which most horse fields tend to be, this temps most horses to try eating the bitter acrid leaves of ragwort, whereas normally they’d not bother if there’s plenty of grass.

Well done for digging up so much. Maybe have a ragwort-pulling party or bbq?!

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

Sounds harsh but to motivate them to take ragwort poisoning seriously, tell and show pictures of ribby horses with severe sunburnt faces and dull coats, that can barely walk straight - thats the end result of a knackered dying liver from eating ragwort.
Theres a rescue on my fb that has just rescued a poor pony thats devastatingly ill with confirmed severe liver damage, highly likely caused by ragwort.
Ragwort, unlike many other liver toxic plants, actually kills-off liver cells and they won’t re-generate.
If any field is grazed low - which most horse fields tend to be, this temps most horses to try eating the bitter acrid leaves of ragwort, whereas normally they’d not bother if there’s plenty of grass.

Well done for digging up so much. Maybe have a ragwort-pulling party or bbq?!

Or give them hay so many people think oh it's summer the horses stay out 24-7 on bare fields with very little to eat so they end up eating things they shouldn't.

I was on a yard years ago and in summer the horses could live out and around October or November they had to come in at night, so many liveries just left their horses out until the very end without feeding anything else a few years running the horses out there broke out of the field, I honestly think they were starving and looking for something to eat they never learned and same happened year after.

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

I've given up and just recruited a ragwort puller to do a field for me tomorrow, see what he's like, if good he can do the rest of the 15acres.! He's starting at 6am, I will drop by after work to check but seems honest enough. Never known it so bad.

F**k doing that in this heat he must be keen

 

[Highmileagecob]

Woohoo! Suggested an intensive blitz on the field the first weekend following next week's forecast rain, followed by a barbecue. Enthusiastic promises from the usual names, and plans afoot to clear the remaining acres. At least we will be able to exclude those who are not willing. Thanks for the suggestions.

 

[pistolpete]

I’m still pulling it up on my own. It’s so time consuming. I’m not going to give up. Only seven acres

 

[AShetlandBitMeOnce]

Would a blood test from the best looking at liver fuction be able to tell you if they are likely consuming ragwort? I try to keep as on top as possible as they have plenty of grass, but there are some immature small plants out there..

 

[dorsetladette]

I've given up and just recruited a ragwort puller to do a field for me tomorrow, see what he's like, if good he can do the rest of the 15acres.! He's starting at 6am, I will drop by after work to check but seems honest enough. Never known it so bad.

How did he get on? If you haven't broken him could I have his details ️

 

[nagblagger]

How did he get on? If you haven't broken him could I have his details ️

I am waiting for him to get back to me for a quote for the other mega acres so i might have put him off.
Will pm you his details.

 

[pistolpete]

Two acres clear. Woohoo!! Five to go .