Several strategies can be employed by horse owners to reduce the risk of staggers.

This debilitating nervous condition is caused by toxin-producing fungi that live in ryegrass cells, releasing a poison that affects the muscle co-ordination of horses and other domestic farm animals.

These fungi, called endophytes, tend to be concentrated around the base of the leaf sheaf and in ryegrass seedheads. These endophytes produce mycotoxins, which can affect the part of the brain's cerebellum involved in muscle co-ordination.

Horse owners can employ a number of strategies to reduce the chances of their animals being affected.

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