Also in SY - Devil mare!

[Sophiesmum]

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I'll try to keep it short. We have owned Mare A for 20 years (she is 22), she is usually only turned out with 1 other horse (also ours), and she is always most positively dominant, but not horrid. She has been on her own, in a strip paddock, since we lost our last horse (4 months ago). She has a lone gelding one side and a mare and gelding the other side. We just bought a new horse (mare), and after stabling next to each other and hacking out together tried to put them together. New mare went to geldings side of field and is in season, and the old mare went ballistic! She was absolutrely furious and chased Mare B away. Then she chatted to the gelding and then galloped from the top of the field to the bottom to have a go at Mare B. In the end I separated them and have put the mares next to each other, and swapped them around so they were out at night with no other horses near them. This morning the old mare is still being evil, and trying to get the new girl over the fence. She squealed her way in as she bounced along behind me. Mare A has always had what I consider more stallion tendancies - she always poos in one place, and yesterday when Mare B had a poo, Mare A went over and pooed on top of it.

Has anyone tried any of the stroppy mare type feedstuffs with any positive results?

Any other advice?

I am off out now but will check back tonight.

Thanks

 

[Bennions Field]

I too have a very stallion like mare, she's cycling regularly etc and show great interest in the geldings next to her (there all mine) but she's very definately the BOSS of the other mare she's out with, herding her around and stopping her talking to the boys. its a real shame as one is her son who she's been with for last 19 years:-(. I have gone to seperate paddocks as my stroppy mare got so awfull she damaged the nerve in her shoulder and cannot now ever be ridden, she's still on just rising four, so still very young.

She started being stroppy when she turned 2, I had to take my one gelding out of the group due to colic surgery, so she stayed then with the one mare (didnt have the 2nd gelding then) when I tried to re introduce the gelding once he could go back out the young filly started to attack him, she wouldnt let him near his mom, and also wouldnt let the other mare near him!! very perculiar, Asked the vet and he said it was possibly due to spilting the group up, but said she would settle back down, but she hasnt. I'm worried as I'm hoping to put her him foal this summer (I'll seperate her again nearer the due date) Hopefully this will settle her back down, she's much worse during the summer, ie when she's cycling, which she's regular as clockwork.

it will be interesting to hear what others have to say, I've already tried my mare on moody mare (global herbs) and oestrous (NAF) they did help keep her a little calmer, but dont seem to have stopped her 'bossing' everyone around, and that includes my dogs!!!