Too much ragwort!!

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horses17

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hello everyone , just wondering if I can get some information on the facts about ragwort and what can be done about reporting a case to someone.

There is a yard near us that has a big 15acre field. Sectioned into paddocks, ALL of them are riddled with ragwort, at least every square meter has a good amount of ragwort in it. The worst part is that it's been like that for a month and there is at least 15+ horses grazing on it and there's been no attempt to remove any of it.
My daughter and I have been keeping an eye as we both think it's time for it to be reported. The grass isn't great so we are worried it won't be long before they start eating the plant!

Any facts about who to call would be great! We don't want to report it and we aren't interested in drama but we are very very concerned.
 
It depends. As you said the grass is bad so could be an issue but in most cases the horses won't go near it if they have access to any kind of grazing, and for the most part will prefer the dead ragwort. Ragwort has been a major issue in our area this year and we have had to leave it in some of the fields until the field is being rotated and we can pull it then - it's more dangerous imo to pull it and risk getting the seeds everywhere. However the fields are well rotated and the horses are not short on grass, and also have bales of hay in the field, so no need for them to even consider eating it.
 
I'm not sure it's worth getting too concerned over... Horses don't usually eat ragwort and in instances where they eat enough of it to get sick (they do have to eat a fair bit), it's often because the ragwort's been uprooted and bits have broken off and been accidentally consumed. I know some ponies who have lived in ragwort-ridden fields year after year and never have a problem. Now if it were my horse, I'd get it removed ASAP to be safe... But that doesn't mean I'd necessarily report them. Not actually sure if you even can really... People are saying defra but to what end? What would they do? I think if it's a welfare concern WHW or RSPCA maybe? Not sure they'd do anything. Maybe it's best to just speak to the owner? If they know someone is concerned it might give them the push they need to get off their lazy behinds and pull it out (or employ someone to do it).
 
It's not illegal to have it growing on your land - as long as there is plenty of grass available they won't eat it. If there isn't enough grass and they are eating it then that is another matter. What is prohibited is allowing it to spread to land used for making hay - it is more palatable that way. Only the owner of the affected land can report it though, a passer by can't. It also has to be within a certain distance (I think 50m)
 
An extract from NFU's website:

What to do when ragwort is found on someone else’s land
Where ragwort is found the first step is to identify the land owner manager. Then contact them directly to resolve the issue.

If this approach doesn't work, complaints can be made to Natural England and enforcement notices can be issued requiring landowners to take action to prevent the spread of these weeds.

Natural England will investigate complaints where there is a risk that injurious weeds might spread to neighbouring land. It gives priority to complaints where there is a risk of spread to land used for grazing horses or livestock, land used for forage production and other agricultural activities.

I am guessing that they would be able to take action regarding the ragwort already growing on grazing land. Worth a call to them.
 
With just about every motorway bank looking like a field of rape, which is the responsibility of the Highways Dept, does anyone honestly think that NE or DEFRA will pay any attention, at all and to any complaints? :)

Alec.
 
Having tried to get my direct neighbour to remove their, you cannot get anyone to take action if it is further than 50m from your own property. You cannot just randomly report people - they won't listen. I have been trying for 2 years to get DEFRA to poke my neighbour without success. I spend many hours ragworting my hay fields due to spread from next door :(
 
horses17 said:
hello everyone , just wondering if I can get some information on the facts about ragwort and what can be done about reporting a case to someone.

There is a yard near us that has a big 15acre field. Sectioned into paddocks, ALL of them are riddled with ragwort, at least every square meter has a good amount of ragwort in it. The worst part is that it's been like that for a month and there is at least 15+ horses grazing on it and there's been no attempt to remove any of it.
My daughter and I have been keeping an eye as we both think it's time for it to be reported. The grass isn't great so we are worried it won't be long before they start eating the plant!

Any facts about who to call would be great! We don't want to report it and we aren't interested in drama but we are very very concerned.
Click to expand...

I have done what you are thinking of and I turn to Natural England for help. They took details and my photos and contact the offender and after a few updates when things slipped he topped the field and topped it again. https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/natural-england. We are monitoring it in case he forgets next year but they are very helpful. pm me if you want an email address direct.
 
HGA-12 said:
I have done what you are thinking of and I turn to Natural England for help. They took details and my photos and contact the offender and after a few updates when things slipped he topped the field and topped it again. https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/natural-england. We are monitoring it in case he forgets next year but they are very helpful. pm me if you want an email address direct.
Click to expand...

I might contact them too as DEFRA have been worse than useless!
 
I reported a field of it (with mares and foals grazing in it - an next to no grass) to BHS, never heard anything back from them but the horses were moved about a week later and the field topped (that was years ago and the field hasn't been the rape esq. sea of yellow since) it could have been co-incidence that they decided after months to sort it - but I suspect the BHS called round and had a word.
Can't hurt to report them on welfare grounds.

Totally agree - government agencies (railways, highways, MOD etc) are the worst at managing it so they'd be in a lot of bother if they started to try and go after private people!
 
Horses will eat ragwort if they are in fields that are infested with it in winter .
One of my first cases when doing welfare was a horse in very poor condition he had eaten ragwort in winter.
Poor boy .
 
Apparently some horses can get addicted to it, though it is unusual. I know someone who caught their horse eating it from the barrow as she ragworted - well fed horse. Also, if there is a lot it is inevitable that some will get broken off & once it is dried it is palatable.
 
Alec Swan said:
With just about every motorway bank looking like a field of rape, which is the responsibility of the Highways Dept, does anyone honestly think that NE or DEFRA will pay any attention, at all and to any complaints? :)

Alec.
Click to expand...

DEFRA have delegated the enforcement of the Weeds Act to Natural England, so you are wasting y our time chasing them (don't know the position in Scotland). NE have acted on my complaint, sent out people to inspect and verify, written to the landowner and prepared to serve him with a hefty fine if is isn't cleared (it pretty much has been, so the system does work). I raised the point with them about highways etc and they said to remind the local council of their legal obligations under the Weeds Act and involve your local councillor (so long as unlike mine they are not about as much use as a chocolate fireguard).
The legislation only provides for it having to be eradicated if it is within 100 metres of other grass land (not necessarily your own) and you do have to supply them with details of who owns the land, but we should all report any we are concerned about, then we might have a chance of getting it under control.
 
Landowners, all so often, have land which has been designated as an ESA or a SSSI, they'll hide behind the stipulation that weed killers are not used, but they tend to look rather blank when it's pointed out that injurious weeds and their treatment come under a compulsory regulation that they be dealt with, and that even then, a derogation can be applied for which will override any grant aided conditions.

My neighbour, not 100 yards away, but 40 yards has cattle turned out on an ESA site, which he sublets to a grazier, and neither of them deal with the ragwort problem. The seeds are now lifting daily, and in clouds, and with a prevailing southerly wind, so the seeds settle on our grazing. This Spring I spent a great deal of money spraying which did no more than lessen the problem, and very soon I'll bring my breeding ewes home from their summer grazing, and they'll clear it up. Three years ago the neighbour and I had a blazing row and I asked why i should have to spend £2k per annum, to protect myself from his laziness. He did something about it then, but hasn't since and the problem's returned. I suspect another set-to with him is on the cards. I'm sick to the back teeth with the lazy little scrotum, as I pointed out to him previously.

Alec.
 
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