Ragwort control horse safety
Ragwort control and spray treatment services in Ware, Hertfordshire
Ragwort is the common name for one of our most conspicuous grassland weeds. It’s potentially deadly to livestock, especially horses and cattle. Common Ragwort (Senecio jacobaea) is the most prolific type of Ragwort plant and is found in all regions.
The Ragwort is often biennial, producing a rosette of leaves in the first year and flowering in the second. They produce feathery, wind dispersed seeds that can travel long distances.
Controlling and spraying Ragwort should be part of a full management programme, with a healthy thick grass sward preventing germination of this plant in the first place. However, control can be achieved by the diligent use and timing of herbicide spraying, due to Ragwort’s biennial nature – and spraying and applying the correct herbicides is included in our Ragwort treatment service.
Ragwort and horse safety – the facts
Ragwort is a common weed found in grassland. Often horse paddocks are prone to infestation if the grass sward is thin in patches. Despite the fact that the presence of Ragwort raises concerns over horse safety, the fact is Ragwort & horses can often live happily together.
This is because horses are not interested in the Ragwort plant while it is green but more so as the plant wilts or dies. Following herbicide application, there is often an increase in soluble sugar levels which also makes the plants more palatable to horses.
There is no simple Ragwort “killer” but managing the grass effectively helps manage the Ragwort plant levels. Good grazing practices and the correct use of horse paddock fertiliser will help maintain nutritious and safe paddocks.
