Ragwort has been subjected to a campaign. These pages are a start at demonstrating how false
information has been supplied to the public and the politicians. There are many more examples
which are being compiled.Often the people doing this are not acting in any dishonest way. They are often just repeating false information they have heard and often there are examples where it is clear that they do not understand the science and statistics properly and consequently just get things wrong.
The British Horse Society August September 2000 produces an article falsely describing ragwort as an "environmental disaster in Oxfordshire"
British Horse March April 2001
A very bad article in the newsletter of the British Horse Society. It is full of incorrect explanations of a non-existent increase in ragwort. Very importantly it admits that the campaign was started without any known cases of poisoning! It also makes an absurdly ridiculous statement that 10% of horses might have poisoning.
2002 Your horse Magazine prints an article encouraging people to write to their MPs with false or poor information.
November 2002 Early Day Motion in Parliament
This contains false information about horse deaths, and the law. It even has bad use of English.
British Horse Society Press release 20th December 2002
This contains poor statistics putting large apparently unjustifiable numbers on horse deaths and false statements
about the law.
Jonathan Djanogly MP 21st March 2003 Making a speech repeating the dodgy statistics and making a bizarre false claim about the Cinnabar Moth.
Shona McIssac MP 21st March 2003 also making the false and bizarre claim about the cinnabar moth.
Baroness Masham 17th October 2003 Again with the dodgy statistics and incorrect information about ragwort distribution seed production and distribution
Professor Derek Knottenbelt writes an article in Country Illustrated magazine Summer 2004 It is an article full of inaccuracies and falsehoods. There are too many to list here. In the honest opinion of the author of this website it is the worst of all the articles.
Dinah Harris Oxford Mail 12th August 2004 The British Horse Society's Oxfordshire Welfare Officer writes a hysterical letter to the press with falsehoods and inaccuracies frightening people about ragwort.,
British Horse September October 2006 The British Horse Society publishes false scary material in its members newsletter
The Daily Mail 5th August 2007 Printed a story with massive exaggerations of horse deaths Incorrect facts about ragwort abundance and seed production and a general panic inducing tone.
2007 The Horse and Pony Care Bible in Association with Horse and Hound published Contains a crazy claim that the Cinnabar Moth which relies on the plant for its natural food is being poisoned by it.
Veterinary Times Vol 40, No 20 May 24, 2010 The crazy poisoning claim for the Cinnabar Moth is repeated with false claims for seed production.
Professor Derek Knottenbelt The Yorkshire Post 4th September 2011 A well-known anti-ragwort campaigner writes a seemingly very inaccurate letter on ragwort
British Horse March April 2015
Another very bad article in the newsletter of the British Horse Society. It uses emotive language to stir up hatred with a false description of how a vet should diagnose poisoning.