Dangers of Ragwort
___ Ragwort is the number one poison killer for horse's ______
Ragwort advice / links
This article from www.defra.gov.uk
DEFRA details how to
How to Prevent the Spread of Ragwort.
This article from www.defra.gove.uk
DEFRA details the
Ragwort Control Act.
This article assists in the identification of Ragwort Ragwort Identification (click here)
Ragwort will kill 1,000 horses this year, Animal welfare organisations warn that horse owners are putting their horses at risk by remaining apathetic to the dangers of ragwort, despite more than 1,000 horse deaths from the weed each year.
According to the National Equine Welfare Council (NEWC), Britain is in the grip of the worst plague of ragwort for more than 20 years, in spite of last year's introduction of the Ragwort Control Act. But getting the critical message of the dangers of the killer yellow weed across is still a massive challenge to vets and welfare bodies.
“Ragwort is a thug — there's no other weed like it,” said ragwort expert, Prof Derek Knottenbelt from Liverpool University. “It is the most hideous stuff in the world, bar none.”
Ragwort wreaks havoc in a horse's liver, resulting in the delayed onset of chronic, progressive liver failure. Build-up of toxins can result in brain disease, with dramatic side effects such as mania and blindness.
A small intake of the toxic weed over a long period is just as damaging as a large intake on a single occasion, according to Prof Knottenbelt, who says many horse owners still harbour the misconception that horses don't eat ragwort.
The biennial weed is one of the most common causes of poisoning in horses and cattle, killing thousands every year, and its effects are cumulative, so that small intakes over a long period of time have the same effects as one large intake.
Ragwort contains alkaloids, which are poisonous to livestock as well as humans, and causes potentially fatal liver damage in horses. Symptoms include loss of condition, poor appetite, lethargy and photosensitisation (sunburn).
The most recent data available for ragwort deaths in Britain dates back to 2002, when some 6,500 animals were believed to have died as a result of ingesting the killer weed.
The introduction of the BHS-backed Ragwort Control Act in 2003, has made it easier for DEFRA to act on complaints about ragwort and compel councils, public bodies and landowners to clear the poisonous yellow-flowering plant.
Under the revised procedures for investigating ragwort, DEFRA issued 41 enforcement notices in 2004, compared to 11 in 2003. A DEFRA spokesman said that in most cases, the notice had resulted in the weeds being cleared.
The BHS reported a surge in calls after the ragwort code of practice was launched in July 2004 from people asking how to complain about ragwort.
The DEFRA website advises: “First approach the owner/occupier of the land on which the weeds are and ask them to take steps to clear the weeds.”
For ragwort alongside motorways or trunk roads, the complaint should be referred to the Highways Agency (tel: 08457 504030), and for minor roads, the local highway authority (see telephone directory). For ragwort on railway land, call Network Rail (tel: 08457 114141).
If this fails, complainants should complete the four-page Weeds Act complaint form (north of England: tel: 01270 754262; south: tel: 0117 959 8622; ask for Weed 2 Rev 7/03).
For further information about ragwort, contact the BHS welfare department (tel: 01926 707807) or visit: www.bhs.org.uk
Ragwort is also dangerous to us human's - always wear gloves when pulling the weed's up and where in flower where a mask as you can ingest the toxins through the skin and respirations.
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25th July 2008
