Anyone else's mare turned evil?

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Mitchyden

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My arab mare who is the herd leader has turned evil overnight. She has always been a temperamental leader who doesn't like to be crossed but yesterday evening she decided to try and kill the gelding at the bottom of the herd. She literally glared at him from 50 yards across the field and if he so much as moved his head or legs, she galloped at him with her ears flat back and attacked him including running him into the electric fence several times.

I'm assuming she has come into season but you can't normally tell with her although last year around the same time, she had a similar turn. She suddenly decided one day that she was a stallion and kept rearing up and striking out at anything that came near here.

Also both yesterday evening and tonight, she has not eaten her tea and has been very restless, constantly walking around and generally looking uncomfortable

If all of this is because she is in season, why does she only display this behaviour in the autumn? Anyone else with this problem?
 
At this time of year, most mares will be in transitional oestrus. A transitional season can be 'stronger' than normal so mares show more reaction. But I would suspect your mare may have a haemorrhagic follicle (one that has got bigger - ready to ovulate - and then stuck!) These can be painful and make mares bad tempered. If her behaviour persists for more than a week, it would be worth getting her ovaries scanned - a shot of PG will normally shift a haemorrhagic follicle - although they often DO go of their own accord.
 
Definately get her scanned. A Granulosa Theca cell tumour,o n the ovary, can cause agressive and male like behaviour in mares. It can easily be removed by laperoscopy and does not spread. Bristol Vet School do an all in very reasonably priced package for ovary removal if this is the problem.
 
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