Ragwort Poisoning in Horses

What is ragwort?

Ragwort is a yellow-flowered plant, usually found in rough or unkempt land or pastures, but becoming more widespread with global warming. From a horse’s point of view, it has a bitter taste and is not appealing… unless there’s very little else to eat! When ragwort wilts, dries up or mixes in with hay or grass, it loses its bitter taste. This is where the horse becomes more likely to ingest it.

Poisonous effects

The horse doesn’t need to take in a large amount of ragwort to cause problems. The plant poses an added threat because signs might not appear straight away; in fact, the horse may not show any signs for months, even years, after ingestion.

Ragwort contains toxins that damage the horse’s liver. A horse’s liver can function until just over half of it has shut down and this is why signs aren’t always visible straight away. The danger of this is that when signs do become visible, the horse’s condition is already very serious.

Signs of ragwort poisoning

• A yellowing of the gums and eyes
• Lack of appetite, leading to weight loss
• Red/inflamed skin that appears scabby or sunburnt
• Diarrhoea
• General disorientation or strange behaviour – restlessness, depression, circling, pressing their head against the wall

Supporting the liver

Sadly, there are no direct curative treatments once liver damage is severe, hence the need to be proactive about managing pasture and supporting your horses liver. As with many diseases, catching any potential cases early gives us the best chance of saving your horse or pony. Fortunately, a simple in-house blood test provides a really good first view as to how the liver is functioning, and can help decide whether we need further tests, and whether supportive proactive treatment is required.

Supportive supplements aim to encourage healthy liver function. If you want to discuss supplements or blood testing further, please don’t hesitate to phone our team.

Managing your pasture

Pulling up ragwort was a bit of a hot topic with conservationists this summer, as away from horses it does serve an important purpose in the ecosystems of the South Downs. So we certainly aren’t encouraging anyone to remove ragwort from land that isn’t theirs. However, if you have permission to remove ragwort from the landowner, it is still considered best to remove from any grazing pastures your horse uses. Don’t forget the plant can be irritant to skin so wear gloves and ensure you wash your hands after handling it.

If you need further help or information about ragwort and keeping your horse safe, don’t hesitate to get in touch or come and see us!