Buttercups

[Tina J]

I've moved my horse to some new pasture, which is lovely, except that there are buttercups. The field is sectioned off with electric fencing, and the bit that isn't being grazed at the moment has been sprayed, but I am concerned about my chap grazing among the buttercups on the bit that hasn't been sprayed. I don't want to move him into the sprayed bit, though it is safe now after three weeks since spraying, as the grass is rather lush and he already has grass droppings on the well grazed bit he is on!

I am currently scything the buttercups and carefully raking up every last bit, but its going to take ages and I'm not sure if it will control the buttercups long term.

I have read that buttercups are poisonous to horses, hence my concern. Does anyone know which bits are poisonous? In the pasture management bit of this site it says they are not poisonous dried in hay!!

I heard somewhere that liming gets rid of buttercups (we are on clay soil on flood meadow). Does anyone know if this is true? How much do you apply? Is it harmful to the horse?

Any info gratefully received. Its a lovely meadow otherwise, and my chap gets on well with the other horse there, so its ideal apart from my worry over the Ranunculus spp.

 

[Wally]

Buttercups are not really any good for them, they will usually leave them alone so long as there is grass to eat.

If you want proper info on your soil and whether the variety of buttercup is lime tollerant, give your local agricultural college a ring. They will anylise a soil sample for you and tell you what proportion of lime to spread on your ground if appropriate and what to use longterm to rid yourself of them.

 

[lamprellsarah]

our field has sprung up with buttercups not loads, but some, the horse won't touch them though. we can't spray them as we are next to a big river (new river) and if it gets in there, there would a lot of probs!!
i do know though they have to eat a hell of a lot to become ill from them!!

 

[ros]

The poisonous enzyme in buttercups is destroyed by the drying process, so they're safe in hay. There was an article in H&H backalong which said that horses don't tend to eat them because they don't taste very nice (like a lot of poisonous plants) and the worst that usually happens if they do is that they froth at the mouth a bit and learn not to do it again!

A very hungry horse would probably have a problem, but our lot graze happily among the buttercups and we've never noticed any ill-effects.

 

[lolaelsa]

I have similar problems. I've been looking for grazing for my two chaps but everything is strewn with buttercups. Also all the pasture I see is so rich and lush - need to borrow a few sheep for a week or so.

 

[Tina J]

Thank you all. I know the pH of the land (6.7) and the species of buttercup (R. acris and R. repens ) but I have to say the local agricultural college wasn't that helpful. Their equine side just said buttercups aren't a good idea, put me through to the agricultural side, and they told me to use a broad leaf spray!

Watching carefully, I have to say, himself doesn't seem to even try to eat them, and there is plenty of grass (too much really, even for a thoroughbred!) But I have noticed that there seem few buttercups on over grazed pasture locally, so I may just borrow a large lawn mower with collecter, and try to hammer them that way, on the principal that they don't like trampling so they won't like mowing. Allocate a morning one weekend soon and just resign myself to a bit of hard work!

thanks again for the info.