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Post by kunuma on May 1, 2008 20:43:48 GMT 1
Last year was a bad one for loads of ragwort, but this year is already even worse, it is coming up faster than I can pull the wretched stuff. Today I found the horses had been eating it!" I have never known horses to eat young ragwort before, ever, and I was really shocked, especailly as they had just gone into that field so were not that hungry!! I'm wondering if the stuff has started to be less bitter and they are more likely to eat it, or if my two charges have just gone senile!
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Post by haffyfan on May 1, 2008 21:19:39 GMT 1
That is worrying Kunuma...esp if lots of grass.
We are quite lucky as surrounded by crops so the fields are very well looked after but my absolute bug bewar is the amount of people who just appear to not be arsed to pull it up. I am shocked at how many horses are in fields full of the stuff. Do they not know the dangers or don't they care?
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Post by seahorse on May 1, 2008 21:26:53 GMT 1
It sounds like it may be a bad year for hay, I am oppsssed with the dam stuff, as the Surrey County Council and who ever is in charge of M25 do nothing about it. Also a lot of set aside here
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Post by Claire on May 1, 2008 21:36:28 GMT 1
Used to have absolutely loads of the stuff in the fields round here, used to spend hours pulling it up, strangely enough it seems to have got less and less here, but then again less and less fields so not as many seeds kicking around I suppose.
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Post by kunuma on May 2, 2008 22:26:04 GMT 1
I finished up crawling around the field with nail scissors this afternoon, the plants are so small and flat to the ground, but still really hard to pull up Whichever one was eating it is still doing it, so obvoiusly not a mistake, it must be the little one, I have looked after the older one for years and she has never done it before. So I have to correct myself, I have never known horses to eat it before EXCEPT for one - take a bow Berry - you are unique!
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Post by exmoorfan on May 3, 2008 8:55:39 GMT 1
The trouble with digging them out is it encourages the plant roots because it likes disturbed soil..Which is why we see it on rough areas .I used to dig small seedlings out with a garden trowel but you end up digging half the field up..!! Set aside has a lot to answer for...One plant produces millions of seeds so what hope do you have ..Its a losing battle where i live.. Do you wear gloves kunuma.? I'm sure you know it dangerous for us too.? No one told me that as a child when the local riding school used to get us kids to pull hers for her..!
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Post by seahorse on May 3, 2008 22:33:15 GMT 1
another great tip I used in the stud was rock salt in the hole, it burns the roots, we only ever had a few bits, the area I am in now is a night mare noone cares
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Post by exmoorfan on May 4, 2008 18:52:03 GMT 1
I had forgotten that seahorse...Also dishwasher salt if you don't have rock salt..
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Post by kunuma on May 5, 2008 13:08:12 GMT 1
HELP I am at my wit's end with this pony - she is actually seeking it out! I can only think that she has learnt to eat it because she did have a rough life before she was rescued, although I never caught her at it last year. She is finding the new plants before I can, and eating them straight away. I am thinking I will have to put a grazing muzzle on her, BUT do you think that will just make it harder for her to eat the grass and easier for her to eat taller weeds like ragwort? ANY suggestions gratefully received.
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Post by exmoorfan on May 5, 2008 20:35:56 GMT 1
A muzzle makes it harder to eat short grass so if the plants are shorter than the grass you should be ok...I know some do develope a taste for it..Can you have a word with the owners vet for advice and also ask them to do a blood test to detemine how much damage she has done..? Do you feed hay in the summer.? That may help..Old hay is often better than new grass anyway at this time of year....Good luck kunuma, its worrying I know..
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Post by kunuma on May 6, 2008 16:51:58 GMT 1
I had forgotten that seahorse...Also dishwasher salt if you don't have rock salt.. You put salt in dishwashers? ? Is it the same as ordinary salt? - having just dug up 20 plants in a 5ft square - I'm trying the salt thing.
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Post by haffyfan on May 6, 2008 18:29:06 GMT 1
I had forgotten that seahorse...Also dishwasher salt if you don't have rock salt.. ...is this why i had to replace mine? Kunuma..just a thought...can you leccy fence them into a clear area of your land? Remember to wear gloves as it's really toxic too. I think that I read Proffessor k..... ate some (like you do) to prove a point and the small amount he caused a small amount of liver damage.
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Post by exmoorfan on May 6, 2008 20:08:55 GMT 1
Apparently dishwasher salt cleaner is the same..!!!! ?? Don't have a dishwasher except me...lol
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Post by kunuma on May 6, 2008 20:41:43 GMT 1
It's like mushrooms, every time I think I have a clear bit - it appears from nowhere! I had a nightmare in which it was floating around the horses field like a turnip on howrse!!!!! ;D
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Post by haffyfan on May 6, 2008 21:31:56 GMT 1
Hope you caught it then......god we need to get out more...you for posting that and me for understanding ;D. Have we officially joined the virtual horses nerd brigade now then I caught a piece of cloud yesterday!
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