-
Mares in season
Hello everyone! Does anyone have any suggestions on how to keep mares more comfortable while in heat?
This post probably seems silly to some of you but this is the first mare I’ve owned and I’m not quite sure what to think! My mare is so grumpy and difficult to work with right now and it makes me sad seeing her so unhappy! She’s extremely girthy and started nipping while I tighten the cinch and won’t stand still at all to be saddled. Even when I just go out to groom her she is very ticked off and wants to be left alone. She squeals at my gelding(an ex stud but he never messes with her) and is very interested in him. She has a very locked expression instead of the soft happy eye she used to have and is more alert in the pasture(looking for a stallion?) and ready to challenge me. I know it will pass but any suggestions for the meantime? Should I not ride her while she is in heat?
She’s a mustang so I’m not sure if that has to do with her seeming like she’s in heat all the time. She’s on pasture right now and only gets an occasional “bad”(has grains and byproducts) treat from my grandpa.
Any info is appreciated, this is a topic I want to learn a lot more about!
Many thanks!
-
2 Replies
-
The “grumpy mare syndrome” can be difficult. The first thing to determine is if it is truly an hormonal condition. This can be done by getting 10 days worth of Regumate from your vet and giving it (without spilling any because the dose is measured to the weight of the horse. Spilling = not giving the right dose). If the unwanted signs go away within a few days and remain away then your mare is acting from a hormone cause.
Note that horses in transition from winter anestrus (not cycling) to spring estrus (cycling) often have periods of “confusion” which can show as your mare here. Regumate will reset them and end all bad behavior.
If the Regumate has no effect on her behavior then you will need to consider other things. Your vet can help you with this.
How long has she been off of all grain? How much sugar is she getting in treats from grand pa as well as you and others? Is she getting hay in addition to the spring pasture? Is she getting any supplements? Being girthy and not wanting to be brushed can also be signs of gut inflammation. Consider limiting her sugar / starch / any other ingredients to zero foe a week to see if her behavior improves.
I assume you do not want her pregnant but pregnancy will also calm her. This is because of high progesterone levels with pregnancy which is what Regumate will do – raise progesterone.
Also remember that all hormones are proteins (or proteins and fat) and if your mare is chronically protein deficient she may not be in top hormone condition. No studies on this but to cover all bases it would be likely that increasing all amino acids in her diet would help – but only if sugar is decreased to decrease insulin. There are recent studies in humans showing that insulin competes against all reproductive hormones.
Try this and answer some of the questions hers and get back to us.
-
Thank you for the response Doc and sorry for the late reply!
I’m planning on having my vet out for spring shots so I will talk to him about her behavior and possible causes as well.
The only grain she’s had since I got her(last July) is in the treats my grandpa gives her. I think he gives her one quarter sized treat every 2 or 3 days or whenever he thinks to do it. I personally use alfalfa pellets as treats(dry alfalfa cubes scare me even though they probably shouldn’t) and the only reason why she’s getting “grain treats” from him is because they’re easier for her to get out of his hand and is less likely to accidentally bite him.
No hay, no supplements. We tried SBM early on but the ammonia smell from her urine was very strong, she was only 4 years old, and I didn’t see anything that suggested protein deficiency so I took her off it.
Thank you again for all the info, very helpful and interesting!
Many thanks,
Kaylee
Log in to reply.