Although this looks like the ragwort that causes such anxiety for equine owners, it is in fact Oxford ragwort Senecio squalidus a species introduced from the slopes of Mount Etna in Sicily in the late 17th century. After escaping from Oxford Botanic Garden, it has spread to most parts of the UK, where it favours disturbed habitats, such as building sites, roadsides and beside railway lines. Ragwort is covered by both the Weeds A ct and the Ragwort Control Act , the latter of which provides a code of practice for preventing the spread of the plant.
While there is consensus that ragwort poses some threat to domestic animals, it is difficult to assess the actual level of danger and impossible to say how many horses and other animals are affected in the UK without more detailed research. Therefore, conservationists argue that removing a native wildflower impoverishes our natural world, and therefore should not be done.
To find out more about ragwort, The British Horse Society provides an advisory ragwort toolkit online. Sign up to receive our newsletter!
You're now subscribed to our newsletter. Already have an account with us? Sign in to manage your newsletter preferences. By entering your details, you are agreeing to Countryfile. You can unsubscribe at any time. Ragwort can damage the liver, which may eventually result in severe disease and even death.
Horses will eat ragwort if nothing else is available, if they eat it accidentally or where parts of the plant have died and become palatable. Clinical signs of ragwort poisoning — contact your vet for advice immediately:. In the equestrian sector, the person responsible for the control of ragwort could be a landowner, yard manager, tenant or livery client. Discuss any concerns with your yard manager or the landowner.
It is vital that horse owners know how to identify ragwort to reduce the risk of poisoning and help stop the vicious cycle of it growing in pasture. It is strongly advised that gloves are worn when handling ragwort. For horse owners and landowners, it can be extremely frustrating when you keep your pastures and forage production land clear of ragwort but are being affected due to the spread of ragwort from neighbouring land.
Ragwort hysteria should not be allowed to distract local councils, farmers and landowners from properly managing land and taking care of livestock. Ragwort is an important native plant that helps feed dozens of bees, moths, other insects and birds. Ten species have become extinct in the year reign of HM The Queen but even that stark loss hides the scale of the problem.
Plantlife explains that some counties in the UK are losing a species of plant every years. More in Friends of the Earth's briefing Ragwort - Problem plant or scapegoat? Sign up to our emails to keep up to date with our campaigns and how you can get involved, including whether you can help with a donation.
Is ragwort poisonous? A ragwort mythbuster. Is ragwort dangerous to animals and people? Should it be removed if you find it? Is it good for bees? Nature campaigner Paul de Zylva digs for facts among the myths. Published: 16 Nov 5 min ute read. Great tit eating cinnabar moth caterpillars on ragwort. Love lifestyle tips and news about nature? Sign up to email updates now. Related stories.
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