Call for nationwide survey on ragwort

THE British Horse Society is taking a stand against the poisonous plant ragwort with a nationwide survey to assess the scale of the threat.

Almost everyone involved with horses will know about the dangers that ragwort poses '“ every year animals die painful and unnecessary deaths

as a result of damage to their liver from consuming the toxic

plant.

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Despite this, ragwort levels seem to be on the increase and the BHS has certainly seen this in the number of cases reported over the last few years.

This suggests that the laws governing ragwort (Weeds Act 1959,

Ragwort Control Act 2003) are not being enforced and that many horse owners are not taking the threat the plant represents seriously.

There is currently no hard data that can be used to support arguments against ragwort, an issue the BHS believes needs addressing urgently.

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Data is required to paint a picture of the extent of the UK's

ragwort problem and will be used to encourage better enforcement

of ragwort control.

For full feature see Sussex Horse World, West Sussex Gazette, July 14