Ragwort

Ragwort is one of the most dangerous plants to be found on grazing land. Lethal to horses, it is an accumulative poison that attacks the liver. It can take years to kill but it is always terminal.

The good news is that ragwort is unpalatable to horses. Only starving animals will eat its bitter leaves. The bad news is that, once dried, its bitter taste disappears and hungry horses may well tuck into it.

The solution is to ensure your horse's grazing is ragwort free. It's not as easy as it sounds. The only way to be rid of ragwort is to pull it up by the roots and burn it. It's best to do it before it seeds - July is a good time.

When ragwort has been pulled, burn it to avoid the seeds forming and blowing into your grazing.

Neighbouring pasture with ragwort infestation is a problem. Seeds are no respecters of boundaries and inevitably your grazing will be affected if the weed is allowed to flourish. If you have this problem, try having a word with the landowner. If he has cattle, it's as dangerous for his cows as it is for you horse. You could offer to pull it up for him, if the problem isn't too widespread! Otherwise, you will have to persevere and make it an annual job to pull the weed from your own land.

Ragwort isn't the only poisonous plant, either. Privet and bracken have similar properties and horses should be kept away from them.