Owners should be very aware of this plant both in pasture and baled hay/haylage. Poisoning with ragwort is a common cause of chronic liver disease in horses. It is just as toxic when cut and dried, since this is when the plant loses its bitter taste and will be even more palatable. Unless there is no other feed available it is unlikely a horse will eat this plant. Because of its bitter taste, horses and ponies are only likely to eat ragwort if pasture is meagre. Ragwort's effects are cumulative and even if death does not occur horses will get very sick. A horse would have to eat a large number of lamb's quarters for the toxin to take effect. image003.gif A ragwort seedling lurks amongst grass and clover. Eating small amounts of ragwort over time will have the same effect as eating a lot of it all at once. As fast as I dig it up several more appear, and I really am fighting a losing battle. However, broken or discarded pieces of the plant can then die and become much less bitter, meaning horses can easily re-eat them again as they graze the area. It is widely accepted that the plant loses its unpleasant taste when it dies, but it … Younger plants can taste less bitter than mature ones so it is possible that horses may consume ragwort without realising it. “While most horses won’t immediately choose to eat ragwort due to it’s bitter taste, some develop a taste for it if nothing else is available. The ragwort in my field is getting beyond a joke. Eating ragwort is toxic to the horse’s liver. your horse doesn’t eat ragwort, and you cannot assume that they will choose not to eat it. https://equinenaturalhealth.co.uk/ragwort-poisoning-in-horses While horses and donkeys may instinctively avoid eating Ragwort, this is not always the case, particularly when grazing is sparse. An even greater danger lurks in poor quality hay or haylage containing dried ragwort which is much more palatable to horses. A BHS survey completed in 2014 focused on ragwort control and the main findings of this research were: 20% of the respondents knew personally of instances where horses had been suspected or confirmed as having been harmed by ragwort poisoning. Symptoms include lethargy, photo-sensitivity, weight … The effect can be cumulative, meaning the toxin builds up in your horse’s liver. Ragwort has many other names but common amongst … Ragwort causes more of a problem when dried in hay, as horses can't easily avoid it and may inadvertently eat large amounts. No is the answer..I was involved with fighting Whipsnade Zoo a few years back as they have the Bison paddock full of it.. and A Bison had died at another Zoo I found out from ragwort poisoning,.. many think Sheep are OK but that is because many go to market before affect is discovered.. 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