If eaten, ragwort can cause irreparable liver damage in horses. | Photo: Courtesy World Horse Welfare

With the poisonous plant ragwort emerging now and ready to flower in July, World Horse Welfare is reminding British owners to take steps to remove any plants from fields and paddocks that their horses have access to.

Chief Field Officer Claire Gordon is urging owners to remove the plant which, if eaten, can cause irreparable liver damage to horses.

“It’s vital that your horse doesn’t eat ragwort, and you can’t assume they will choose not to eat it,” she says. “Spraying in April and early May while the plant is growing is the most effective way to eradicate it from your pasture, but you must be able to rest the field after spraying