Be on the look-out for ragwort (From Western Telegraph)

Be on the look-out for ragwort

April is nearly here, and the spring grass will soon be fattening up the county's ponies.

But be aware, because it's not only nutritious spring grass that will be sprouting in fields and hedgerows. The earlier you catch the growth of poisonous plants in your horses' fields the better.

Ragwort is one of the most common causes of poisoning of horses and cattle in the UK.And one of the four species of ragwort begins to flower next month.

The toxins in ragwort are cumulative and cause irreversible liver damage and digestive disorders.

Once the horse is showing signs of ragwort poisoning, it is impossible for the horse to recover.

Therefore, it is vital that horse owners identify and remove the weed from horse paddocks, grazing land, and from fields which are to be cut for hay.

If you have identified ragwort growing on your land, there are a number of ways of removing it from spraying with a weed killer to digging it out.

However, if you choose to remove ragwort always wear gloves (not cotton) when handling the plant - the toxins that are harmful to horses can also easily be absorbed into the human bloodstream.

You may also like to consider wearing a face mask if removing flowering ragwort.