At my wits end- Hormonal, grumpy mare!

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Baymare88

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Hi Everyone,

So I thought I would see if I can get any good advice from here, as I have tried everything else, and I am at my wits end. Sorry, it is a bit of a long one!

I have a 14 year old hanovarian x tb mare and i have had for for 2 and a half years. I loaned her for a year prior to buying her. The first 6-9 months was testing. We had a lot of down moments whilst we were still getting to know each other. This seemed to improve and we started to work as a team.

Now, she is a mareish mare. You know when she is in season, she squirts at everything, squeals at everything, starts becoming even more nappy than she already is, teeth and legs everywhere!

This was fine, I was a bit more wary when she was in season, and tried all sorts of supplements, including agnus castus, oestress, frisky mare, mag ox, stroppy mare and lots of others. I kind of put up with it and it didn't seem to bother me too much.

She has been in and out of season all winter, so have all the mares at our yard with the mild weather and this year she just seems to be worse than ever! Last summer, she was in and out of work due to lameness issues, which (touch wood) have now been resolved. MY god, when she came into season and was out of work she was a complete cow! She would be tied up on the yard, bucking, rearing, kicking, throwing the biggest trantrums I have ever seen (she had never doen this before). We took this as a sign, that because we had doen rehab work and got her hunt fit, when she came into season she was too fit and needed to be worked, so we did (she was sound for a little while) and she did the best work ever. She has not done this since being back in full work (thank god).

So, now it is winter, she has been in and out of season, she is grumpier than normal, I nearly wear her teeth as earings, so try to be on my toes. Out in the field, she seems unsettled, she doesn't seem to run around or anything, but just seems to be very vocal (even when all the horses are out and she has hay to eat). Plus, she squeals at everything! Now, last week, the gelding who is next to her (she is very attached to) somehow ended up in my mares field. Luckily, no injuries, and she seems to be doing this since then as i haven't noticed it or been told she has been like this before (only squealing when coming into season).

Could this be the weather we are having? I know they can be quite sensitive about things like that or just coming into season (yet again). I haven't seen any signs of her squirting, but just because I haven't seen it, doesn't mean it isn't a possibility. She was in season 1-2 weeks ago and she usually goes 3 weeks in the summer (like clockwork).

I'm not really sure what else to try. I have ordered another tub of frisky mare plus as she is currently on stroppy mare, but i want to see if this has any effect. The next port of call would be regumate, which I know is expensive. I have the vet coming out next month to vaccinate her, so will discuss it then.

I may have painted her in a bad light, but she does have her good points! When she was having nerve blocks and at the vets for an MRI, she was very well behaved and does have her lovely, calm moments when she will have cuddles.

I do love her to bits, and feel we do have some sort of relationship, but I'm not sure what else I can do. She does get told off when she tries to bite, or thinks about kicking (some people don't like that and tell me off for telling her off).

Her saddle gets checked regularly and was checked 2 weeks ago and she has regular physio, in fact she had a session before xmas and is having another one in February. Her teeth are being done next month as well.

Any advice, or positive thoughts appreciated.

Thanks for reading.
 
Have you thought about ovarian cysts? They can cause almost constant seasons and agressive behaviour, may be worth a chat with your vet. :)
 
My friend had a mare whose behaviour turned from calm and normal to dangerously hysterical. Turned out she had a huge ovarian cyst, which only showed up when she was scanned. Might be worth a call to the vet and getting an internal done (don't envy the vet having to do that if she's as bad as you say!).
 
We had a mare at our yard who was like this, the owner got the vet out to check her over and she was prescribed something, now for the life of me I can not remember what it was sorry. ~So if I was you I would speak to your vet and see what they have to say.
 
As per others, get vet out to scan ovaries and insides, its not expensive. If nothing in there ask to try her on regumate.
 
Thanks, this is my concern. I know other mares at our yard have been in season this winter as well. My mare is a dominant mare, so not sure if that is part of the problem or not. I'm still paying vets bills from previous treatment, so may try the frisky mare until the vet comes at the end of the month and have a chat with her. She knows my horse well as we had a fair few visits from her last year (unfortunately) along with a huge insurance claim :-(

I don't envy the vet doing it either. Is this something they can do at the yard or does she have to go in? I only ask as I don't have my own transport. I know they have scanned, xrayed and nerveblocked her legs at the yard, she only had to go to the vets for an MRI.

Don't you just love them!
 
Mine are still constantly coming in season but they are 'normal' about it.

I would definately get her scanned to make sure all is OK in there. If everything is OK then have a chat with your vet about having a marble put in - your mare will stop coming into season and will stop producing the hormones and it's a lot cheaper than regumate.
 
Thanks madlady.

She is always quite mareish when coming into season, in the field with me, she is fine. It's usually in the stable or tied up I have to be careful of her threatening to bite me. She is a mare that does like her space, she has a huge stable and can be nice one minute, but then the teeth come out the next.

I will definitely speak to the vet and have a good discussion with her and see what my options are. I know regumate is very expensive and not all vets will prescribe the porcine version.
 
I know a few who have had a marble put in - to my mind I prefer it to giving artificial hormones. They do need to be checked periodically but that can be done on a routine vet visit.
 
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