News stories
Stay vigilant against the yellow peril
Horse owners need to understand the risks ragwort presents to horses if eaten.
With more than 1,000 acres of its own land at the Sanctuary, Redwings staff know just how tenacious this plant is and that it can and will spring up anywhere. Now the charity is offering help to horse owners with comprehensive advice on spotting the plant and dealing with it correctly.
A ragwort plant in full flower
Ragwort contains chemicals that permanently damage the liver of many animals. Equines are particularly susceptible to ragwort toxins and in the worst cases ragwort poisoning can lead to total liver failure and an unpleasant death. The liver damage caused by ragwort is permanent and incurable.
Desmond was rescued after prolonged exposure to ragwort
Although the liver is very resilient and can function even after two thirds of the organ has been destroyed without any apparent symptoms, the more liver has been damaged through a horse's life, the less reserve there is left. Damage to more than 65% of the liver will bring on the symptoms of serious disease, often very suddenly, and by this time there is often little that can be done to prevent the fatal consequences of liver failure.
So serious are the effects of exposure to this voracious plant, that the Redwings Welfare team have produced updated advice on how to spot ragwort and how to deal with it effectively.
View the Welfare Issues pages and find out more.
