It is well known that ragwort can cause serious damage to horses’ livers. Horses usually choose not to eat ragwort when it is growing as it is said to be unpalatable but they will sometimes eat wilted ragwort in fields or in hay as it is loses its bitterness. Never pull out plants and leave them where horses can reach them because they are more likely to be eaten.  Also if the grazing is poor and there is nothing else available then they will possibly be tempted to eat ragwort as a last resort. The more ragwort they eat, the worse the damage will be.

Unfortunately the damage caused by ragwort is irreversible. The liver is very good at coping with a certain level of damage and so many horses with mild liver damage caused by ragwort appear completely healthy. However they can deteriorate very quickly and dramatically if there is any further damage. Liver damage will cause weight loss as well as loss of appetite and other vague signs but in some severe cases the liver damage can be fatal.

Prevention:

We advise horse owners to remove ragwort from fields that horses graze in and to be particularly careful to make sure there is no ragwort growing in fields from which hay is cut. More information about ragwort removal can be found on the BHS website.