Learn to recognise ragwort, yew, oak and acorns, sycamore seeds, foxglove and bracken. Remove them from grazing, never dump hedge trimmings in the field, and call your vet at once if you suspect poisoning.
The most dangerous plants
Yew is among the deadliest, with even a mouthful able to kill quickly. Ragwort damages the liver over time and is often eaten when dried in hay. Sycamore seeds and seedlings cause atypical myopathy, a frequently fatal muscle disease. Oak and acorns, foxglove, and bracken are also seriously toxic.
Check your grazing
Walk your fields regularly and learn to identify these plants in every season, since they look different as seedlings, in flower and dried. Ragwort is most palatable and dangerous once cut and wilted, so never leave pulled plants in the field.
Remove them safely
Dig ragwort out by the root with gloves and dispose of it away from horses, as it stays toxic when dead. Fence horses away from yew, oak and sycamore, and pick up acorns and seeds in autumn. Never dump hedge or garden trimmings where horses can reach them, as wilted clippings are especially tempting and dangerous.
Reduce the temptation
Well-fed horses on good grazing are less likely to eat toxic plants, but hunger drives risk-taking, so never let paddocks get bare. Provide enough forage year round, using a slow feeder to keep forage available without waste.
Act fast if you suspect poisoning
Signs vary but can include colic, weakness, muscle tremors, dark urine, breathing trouble and collapse. Poisoning is an emergency, so call your vet immediately, keep a stocked first aid kit to hand, and if you can, identify the plant to help diagnosis.
