Ragwort, A Guide for all Horse Owners
Ragwort
Common Ragwort (Senecio Jacobaea) is specified as a weed under the Weeds Act 1959, largely due to its toxicity to grazing animals, particularly horses and cattle. If eaten it can have debilitating or fatal consequences with young horses and ponies most at risk.
Despite this widely acknowledged fact, every year a number of animals die as a result of damage to their liver as a result of consuming ragwort. The number of deaths attributed to ragwort poisoning vary wildly from 13 to 500 to 6,500 per year. Most horses affected by ragwort poisoning die after suffering for periods varying from a week to several months.
The Law
Whilst it is prudent to control ragwort, it is a popular misconception that either the Weeds Act 1959 or the Ragwort Control Act 2003 places any legal obligations on landowners to do so.
The 1959 Weeds Act gives the government the power to order a landowner to prevent certain weeds from spreading. The Ragwort Control Act 2003 provides for the government to produce a guide to ragwort control. Neither places a legal obligation on landowners.
The Weeds Act 1959 covers 5 specific weeds including ragwort, however they are not "notifiable" as such and there is no obligation to report their presence to anyone.
The guide aims to significantly reduce the risk posed by ragwort to horses and other grazing animals by promoting good practice, it does not aim to eradicate this native plant as it supports a number of insect species and is also a critically important nectar source for hundreds of species of butterflies, bees, moths, flies and other invertebrates.
Debate rages within different communities regarding the danger posed by ragwort and the obligations of landowners. Click below to read an article in the Telegraph (28/06/2011) following an investigation by the Advertising Standards Authority into publicity produced by The British Horse Society.
Toxic weed or an essential part of British ecology?
Identification
Ragwort is normally a biennial, present as a rosette close to the ground in the spring of its first year then growing upwards and flowering during the summer of its second year. It is important to be able to identify ragwort at all stages of its growth and further information can be found here by clicking here.
It is believed that there is a great risk to grazing animals at the undocumented stage in ragwort development - the Seedling stage. Click below to read more
Control
It may be necessary to control ragwort particularly where its presence or likelihood of spreading poses a risk to horses and other grazing animals or land used for the production of forage.
DEFRA have produced a guide on how to prevent the spread of Ragwort
How to prevent the spread of Ragwort
Should you decide to pull up ragwort plants, ensure you wear gloves and protective clothing.
Whilst control is important, the method of disposal also needs careful consideration as disposing of ragwort responsibly reduces the risk of further spread by seed dispersal and regrowth from root sections.
Ragwort Disposal Options
What you can do
Horse paddocks should be carefully managed to prevent the development of bare patches as these present ideal conditions for the establishment of ragwort. Horses are very selective eaters and they will avoid areas where they dung or urinate, leaving long course grass and if left out during the winter, poaching can encourage bare patches.
The area of grazing land should always be appropriate for the number of livestock it is to support. Paddocks should be regularly “poo picked” and stale fodder such as hay should be removed.
It is believed that some equines get to like the bitter taste of ragwort and may choose to eat it even when there is good grazing available.
Hay is a common source of ragwort poisoning. Unfortunately when ragwort is dried it loses its bitter taste and horses are no longer able to detect it. So any hay, haylage or even chaff which contains the weed will be readily eaten. It is really important to check bales of hay for ragwort as the toxins are not destroyed whent he plant dies - but it may not always be easy to recognise ragwort when it is dried and fragmented.
Why you buy hay it may be possible to check the source, ask what method of weed control was used and maybe even visit the hayfield that the hay was cut from.
Symptoms of Ragwort Poisoning
Different horses react differently to the toxins contained in ragwort. The symptoms of poisioning may not always be apparent immediately after ragwort has been eaten. It may take as long as 4 weeks to 6 months for equine liver disease to develop.
Sadly, the clinical signs may only become apparent once liver failure has already occured and it may be too late for treatment, however some horses do survive. In some cases the horse may develop a craving for fresh plant accelerating an unpleasant death.
Symptoms may include:
- Abdominal pain (colic)
- Weight loss and dull coat
- Constipation, diarrhoea
- Photosensitisation
- Jaundice (not common)
- Apparent blindness
- Collapose, coma
It may be possible to diagnose liver damange by analysing blood samples or performing a liver bioposy.
The University of Liverpool Veterinary School is developing a blood test to detect whether a horse is ingesting any ragwort. The test can therefore be regarded as an early indicator of ragwort poisoning long before any clinical signs develop. Cick here for further information
If you suspect your horse has been poisioned by ragwort, contact your veterinary surgeon as soon as possible who will discuss the best course of action.
The BHS are once again appealing to all horse lovers to take time to help complete their “snapshot survey” during BHS Ragwort Awareness Week (11-17 July 2011). If anyone spots ragwort during this period they are asked to spend just a couple of minutes filling in the form which will be available on the website during that specific week.
Lee Hackett, BHS Head of Welfare, said: “By now, everyone involved with horses should know the danger that ragwort poses. Every year animals die as a result of consuming this deadly plant yet the problem seems to be getting worse.
“Our 2010 survey was a great success and produced some fascinating results that we can use in our lobbying to get some action taken. But we need more data and we are appealing to anyone who cares about equine welfare to become involved in 2011. The survey only takes a couple of minutes to fill out but the information we obtain might just be what we need to effect a substantial change.”
If you have concerns about Ragwort on public land you can contact
Network Rail - 08457 11 41 41 - (Railway land and embankments)
Highways Agency Information Line 0300 123 5000 (calls charged at local rate)
