very daft question

[ldlp111]

but if you , this is hypothetical btw have haylage but manage to bale up some ragwort would they eat it? because haylage has more moisture in it and horses arent supposed to eat ragwort unless its dry like in hay?

 

[Weezy]

Horse can and do eat ragwort when it is not dried - I would simply burn the haylage.

 

[megwan1]

probably they would if u see any i would pull it out!
esp as horses wont eat it if its live growing in the field but they will once its gone brown and dead

 

[Weezy]

[ QUOTE ]
probably they would if u see any i would pull it out!
esp as horses wont eat it if its live growing in the field but they will once its gone brown and dead

[/ QUOTE ]

Where do you get your information/knowledge (lack of it) from

Horses DO eat living ragwort! Granted, they choose to stay away from it if there is plentiful, good grazing, but that does not mean that you can grow ragwort and think they will not touch it, because they can and they do....and then they die.

 

[ldlp111]

its hypothetical havnt found any just wondered. we have two hay fields one which has to be checked for ragwort altho we do check both before we make hay etc.

 

[happyhack]

I was just thinking the same thing Weezy!!! lol!!

How do horses get and die from Ragwort poisoning without eating it?? Sounds like an excuse for poor field management to me.....

 

[ldlp111]

anyone know much about the spray you can use for ragwort?

 

[happyhack]

its not as good as digging it out yourself TBH.

 

[ldlp111]

hmm yeah just looked at site for it. just wondered because in an 18 acre field takes a long time to check for ragwort.

 

[ldlp111]

bloomin stuff is a nuisance dug a load up from field other day and managed to get mud in my eye lol

 

[happyhack]

Why dont you get a load of people together to do it then do a BBQ at the end of the day by way of thanks?

 

[ldlp111]

thing is i have mostly non-horsey friends who cant spot ragwort in a field with short let alone a hayfield but great idea. is that an offer lol??

 

[Kate260881]

Ragwort is actually more poisonous when dried (as opposed to a lot of other poisonous plants) and also more palatable, so if I found any in hay I'd burn the lot. We were always taught that if we found any ragwort living or dead it was to be burnt as soon as possible.

 

[emma69]

Ragwort is dangerous live in the ground, in hayledge, and in hay - horses are more likely to eat it in hay than a field because it is less bitter, but horses are silly things, and will still eat it in the field which is why it is imperative that you remove all ragwort plants from the fields, whether grazing, hayledge or hay making.

If I found ragwort in hay or hayledge, I would dispose of it (usually in a skip) - the recommendation is not to burn, as it is an irritant and airborne particles can cause irritation to humans and horses.

 

[happyhack]

haha!! Dont be cheeky!

Are you the only one on your yard then?

 

[ldlp111]

yeah got own land etc, i have two people who com over and ride my horses but not sure if they would recognise ragwort good job i do field management lol. i have one horsey friend who i may be able to tempt. my sister does know ragwort but getting her to help hmm could be difficult.

 

[ldlp111]

thats the thing ragwort is very poisonous and as we ran out of hay this year i find it hard to trust other peoples hay/haylage coz obviously who cant check every inch of it.