Horses should be fed 2-2.5% of their body weight. Horses that are used in competition will likely be stabled, keeping competition horses on grass prevents owners the control over the food intake as the horses can graze as much or as little as they wish. They can also control the energy levels with the manufactured food, based on the amount they need for how much exercise the horse will be doing and the weight and size of the horse. In the Spring, sugar levels in the grass are particularly high, this would be a problem if competition horses were to graze as they would be very difficult to train and would be overly-energic. Some stabled horses may have partial access to grass however most have little or no access. To compensate …show more content…
It thrives on poor grazing and wasteland. Every plant produces thousands of seeds, these are easily dispersed by the wind. The plants take two years to fully grow. The stems are 30-100cm and woody.
Ragwort controlled by good pasture management and the use of herbicides. It can be uprooted or burned. It can be sprayed when the plant is at rosette stage (before the stem appears). Mowing ragwort down is not a good idea as it will just grow back quicker.
Due to the toxins in the plant, ragwort can cause liver failure and even death in horses. 1-5KG of ragwort in a horse’s lifetime could be fatal. Hay should not be made from fields containing ragwort, this heavily reduces the risk of horses ingesting it.
Horses will rarely eat ragwort, this is due to its bitter taste however, when it is wilted or dried they are a lot more likely to eat it.
Symptoms of ragwort include stomach pains, fast weight loss, loss of energy, sensitive skin, breathlessness, compulsive walking, liver failure, convulsions, jaundice and unfortunately even death. Diagnosis is based on symptoms and laboratory tests. Liver enzymes, bile acids and bilirubin levels in the horse’s blood can all help to try and diagnose the problem. A liver biopsy is then required to confirm diagnosis. In severe cases, treatment is usually unsuccessful however minor cases can be fed a specialised diet can help reduce the severity of nervous