BHS launches Ragwort Awareness

The British Horse Society’s has launched a new campaign, Ragwort Awareness Week, which aims to increase people’s awareness of the dangers of this plant.

The BHS has been dedicated to its annual Root out Ragwort Week to control the deadly weed. In a bid to increase the profile of ragwort they have now decided to run “RAW” – Ragwort Awareness Week.

RAW will run from 21 to 27 July and the BHS will promote the campaign at this year’s Royal International Horse Show at Hickstead, West Sussex on Thursday 24 July.

The BHS has educated the public about the dangers of ragwort with an increasing number now aware that exposure to this plant can cause death to horses, ponies, cattle and other livestock.

RAW also aims to raise political awareness and has already pushed the Ragwort Bill through to the Report Stage and Third Reading (set for 11 July) in the House of Lords.

The Private Members’ Bill, known as the Ragwort Control Bill, aims to provide statutory guidance on how to prevent the spread of ragwort through a code of practice, and the BHS is confident that if the Bill succeeds it will make a positive difference in controlling the weed.

The BHS has also produced two new leaflets, A Guide to Ragwort and A Guide to Ragwort for Landowners and Occupiers. To receive a free leaflet please send an A5 sae to the Welfare Department, British Horse Society, Stoneleigh Deer Park, Kenilworth, Warwickshire CV8 2XZ, marked “A Guide to Ragwort” or “A Guide to Ragwort for Landowners and Occupiers”.

For further information on Ragwort and RAW visit www.bhs.org.uk

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