Ragwort FAQ

Is Ragwort Poisonous?

Yes Ragwort is a poisonous plant. Ragwort contains pyrrolizidine alkaloids compounds that are poisonous to most animals. When Ragwort is eaten it is changed by the intestines and then broken down by the liver, the breakdown products formed in the liver are toxic, it is damage to liver cells that can, if sufficient ragwort is consumed  be cumulative to the point of death.

How toxic is Ragwort?

Ragwort contains pyrrolizidine alkaloids which are poisonous when eaten, these alkaloids do not accumulate in the body but they do cause liver damage if consumed in very large doses or over a period of time. It is the damage to the liver that kills. Scientific research has shown that a horse or pony would need to consume between 5 % and 25% of it's own body weight in Ragwort to succomb to Ragwort poisioning.

Will my horse die if it has eaten Ragwort?

Eating Ragwort can lead to incurable liver damage and death however a horse would need to eat a considerable amount (see How toxic is Ragwort) before this happened so if you keep your fields free of Ragwort and make sure you feed good quality Ragwort free forage this is unlikely to happen.

Will my horse eat Ragwort?

It doesn't taste good so most equines will avoid eating Ragwort in the field although some do develop a taste for it and they may eat it if there is nothing else to eat. The real danger is when Ragwort is cut and dried, it becomes much more palatable. So always make sure you keep any plants or leaves that you've removed out of reach and make sure your hay / haylage is Ragwort free.

Is Ragwort poisionous to humans?

Not unless you plan on eating it! It's the pyrrolizidine alkaloids that can cause liver damage but these are not toxic unless consumed. Occasionally some people will have an allergic reaction to Ragwort that causes dermatitis so if your're worried about this wear gloves when handling Ragwort.

I've read that there are 6,500 horse deaths a year from Ragwort poisioning is this true?

No there is no evidence to substantiate the claim that 6,500 horses die each year from Ragwort poisioning and  the Advertising Standards Authority who regulate advertisements in the UK have stopped companies selling ragwort related products from using this figure.

How many horses die of Ragwort poisioning?

There have been 10 confirmed deaths by Ragwort poisioning between 2005 and 2010.

Is it true that landowners have to remove Ragwort by law?

No there is no legislation that states that landowners must remove Ragwort from their land this misconception arises from the fact that Ragwort is classed as an "injurious" weed and thus covered by the Weeds Act 1959.

"(1) Where the minister of Agriculture fish and food (in this act referred to as ' the Minister') is satisfied that there are injurious weeds to which this act applies growing upon any land he may serve upon the occupier of the land a notice, to take such action as may be necessary to prevent the weeds from spreading."

My nieghbour has Ragwort on their land and I don't want it spreading to mine what can I do?

Firstly speak to them about your concerns and ask if they will remove it if necessary you could ask for permission to remove it yourself. If this fails you can report the matter to Defra using the following complaint form on the DEFRA website: Weeds Act 1959 - Complaint Form (WEED2/WEED2A). they will then access the risk and decide if it is necessary to issue the landowner with an order to remove the ragwort.