NOT all horse owners will have access to sheep or cattle to do the job of cleaning up your grazing fields and paddocks, therefore it may be necessary to top the pasture from time to time. This should remove excess growth well before seed heads form, encouraging new leafy shoots (tillers). Topping should not be left until the grass has become too long as a decaying mass of cut vegetation stifles the growth of new grass underneath. It is better to remove large quantities with a forage harvester and trailer. If the toppings include poisonous plants such as ragwort, it must not be preserved as fodder. Wilted poisonous plants remain poisonous and may become more palatable to horses, resulting in chronic or acute poisoning if ingested.