UK’s Horse Population Under Threat from Ragwort

Simply by driving along any motorway it is clear that European horses are under a very real threat. Ragwort, the bright yellow poisonous plant, has reached epidemic levels across the country.

World Horse Welfare is urging local authorities and landowners to take action now to reduce the numbers of this deadly plant, which has spread at an alarming rate due to this summer’s ideal growing climate. A horse that eats ragwort may be condemned to a slow and painful death from liver failure; blindness and disorientation are amongst the symptoms, which can show up after ongoing consumption of even small amounts of ragwort. Once symptoms appear there is seldom a cure for ragwort poisoning; it is also dangerous to other grazing animals.

Tony Tyler, World Horse Welfare’s Deputy Chief Executive, says: “Ragwort poses a huge risk to horse health and must be controlled properly. We work very hard to manage ragwort at our four UK Recovery and Rehabilitation centres - it is not evident and our horses are not put at risk because we control it rigorously. This plant is a hooligan which spreads incredibly quickly; once it flowers around 200,000 seeds per plant are open to the elements. Landowners and horse owners need to stay vigilant to prevent problems.”

Under the Weeds Act 1959 the Secretary of State may serve an enforcement notice on the occupier of land on which injurious weeds are growing, requiring the occupier to take action to prevent the spread of injurious weeds. The Weeds Act specifies five injurious weeds, including Common Ragwort.

Tony Tyler continues: “Any ragwort growing on or near to grazing land is a risk – horses could nibble at the plant while grazing around it and the toxins will build up over time. Once symptoms develop it’s already too late: horse owners can easily leave what looks like a healthy horse in the field at night and find a dead horse in the morning – and that horse will have suffered greatly in the few hours before it dies. Ragwort can also find its way into hay and haylage, and as it is more palatable in its dried form it needs to be controlled around land being used for forage production
too.”

World Horse Welfare is urging communities to work together to rid fields and roads around the UK of ragwort. Bearing in mind seeds are airborne, a field of ragwort that is not even adjoining grazing animals still poses a very real threat in a county that has a high population of horses. Ragwort is poisonous to humans, so anyone removing plants should wear gloves and dust masks, and follow official advice on disposing of the plants by visiting the Defra website

Source: www.ilph.org