I've been told that ragwort kills horses and to pull it out of the field. But I'm just curious as to how much ragwort a horse needs to eat for it to be fatal?

humm i had a horse that ate a whole plant and still was not affected but another i knew only had a mouthfull and was seriously ill

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its Greeeeny!

I think it is harmful over a period of time,it builds up in the system damaging the liver.It is harmful both fresh and dried.I think Its also illegal to allow lots of plants to grow.

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Quality steel internal stabling systems wood/plastic boards ,training pens,also kennels/catterys,mesh/bars.Quality gates/ornamental fencing.A+P FABRICATIONS(SUFFOLK)

Its lethal when the seeds get to a certain stage.
But its that deadly it is now illegal to allow a horse to graze in a field which contains ragwort so pull it up!
If you rent the field the responsibilty lies with the owner who can be prosecuted.
Best people to give you all the info on it is the ILPH.

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Lifes roads are for journeys, not destinations!

The problem with ragwort is it is a tough sod of a weed. It is more poisonous dried than it is fresh and the seeds can stay dormant in the ground for 20 years before they grow!

You want to get it before it starts flowering, and a ragfork is the best at getting it up. Also it is a myth that sheep are immune to it. It is not worth taking the risk as it is a horrible way for an animal to go as its liver shuts down.

Thanks to everyone who's responded with advice. As suggested, I looked on the ILPH page and found more good advice, here is the link. ILPH: Advice on handling Ragwort - Poisonous Plant to horses, Ragwort Plants

Ragwort poisoning is actually quite rare. You only really need worry about hay. Animals naturally avoid toxic plants. It takes far far more than a mouthful to poison a horse. The problem is that some people have wanted to talk up the problem for their own profit.
Did you know that the toxins in ragwort occur in lots of other plants? 3% of the world's plants contain them.

Several myths have been repeated in this thread. not only does it take far far more than a mouthful to do damage it most certainly isn't illegal to have it growing on your land.


See the following sites
Ragwort - Is it as bad as you think?

It gives scientific references for every point and gives a useful list of myths.

and

Ragwort, Myths and Facts

The latter site is written by a Dutch horse owner. ( This is the English language version)
She was a member of a group that wanted to eradicate ragwort because they believed it was seriously dangerous, but she asked some scientists for help and they explained that most of the stories going around were false. She was so upset by the untruths that were being told that she wrote the site to correct all the false stories.

Actually the law in the UK now is to control the amount of ragwort on your land, however it is not enforced very well by the councils. I have seen a cow die of ragwort poisoning and a horse suffering the effects. I personally don't see the point in taking the risk, my horses lives are more important to me than anything else.

It is most emphatically definitely and certainly NOT the case that the law obliges people to control ragwort on their land. Please follow the links and READ the material I provided :-)
Ragwort - Is it as bad as you think?
and specifically

Ragwort and the Law The Weeds Act 1959


Ragwort poisoning is phenomenally rare. A French study involved deliberately poisoning animals (an awfully cruel thing to do) because they couldn't find any examples in the scientific literature a later study showed only 6 cases in around 10 years. They actually suspected that there was something different about the ragwort in France. There isn't.

Of course nobody wants their animals to be harmed but statistically horses are more likely to be stolen for the meat trade, a dreadful thought, than poisoned by ragwort.

All this fuss about ragwort poisoning may be leading to more horse deaths from commoner causes that are being ignored. It is really really rare.

The only bit on here which states you are not obliged to remove ragwort on your land is dated 1959!! the amended section does not make it clear about the issue.

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Quality steel internal stabling systems wood/plastic boards ,training pens,also kennels/catterys,mesh/bars.Quality gates/ornamental fencing.A+P FABRICATIONS(SUFFOLK)