At my wits end - what to do next?

webble

webble

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Long story short I bought my mare two and a half years ago aged 7, she had had a foal and been brought back into work all fine. After around three months I started having a few napping issues with her and difficulty getting her to stand still etc etc.

I have tried various calmers and supplement, a variety of tack had back, teeth and tack checked on a regular basis all with no real difference. At Christmas this year after gradually getting worse she reared up in had, struck out at me and then charged around the school like a loon, scaring a novice who was in there having a lesson. I had the vet out who after a through exam and her rearing and striking at him too concluded that the behaviour was hormonal (which we had suspected anyway) and put her on regumate. It took a few weeks to kick in but had a great effect and for a couple of months she was great. The last two months however she has slowly been regressing, the behaviour is pretty much triggered by other horses, her tail goes up and she charges around bouncing and squealing. It happened this morning and she bolted down the field with me. I am ashamed to say I bailed and she b*****ed off home, luckily up a quiet single track road. It also occasionally happens when bringing her in from the field too and she will half rear strike out and run backwards. I have more or less cracked this by using a control headcollar and a bucket but it isnt ideal.

I am going to have a chat with the vet later but we have pretty much narrowed it down to hormones rather than pain and she is always very tarty when it happens and I am at the end of my tether of what to do. Whilst I am no Grand Prix rider I am not bad and I dont think it's my riding that is the issue or that anyone else would be able to manage her much better or prevent the explosions. Does any one have any suggestions please please please?
 
What's her behavour like in the field - with other horses?? I would want her ovaries scanned for a Granulosa Theca Cell tumour (one ovary will be bigger than normal - the other much smaller.) It's a relatively common cause of bad behaviour in mares because the tumour excretes testosterone and makes them think they're a stallion.

She would need to have the tumour/ovary removed by surgery if that's the case - her behaviour will get worse!
 
Another recent poster was having similar problems with their mare and it turns out she has a tumour on one of her ovaries. Definitely worth getting a scan IMO - I will try to find that thread but many posters had experienced similar issues.
 
JanetGeorge said:
What's her behavour like in the field - with other horses?? I would want her ovaries scanned for a Granulosa Theca Cell tumour (one ovary will be bigger than normal - the other much smaller.) It's a relatively common cause of bad behaviour in mares because the tumour excretes testosterone and makes them think they're a stallion.

She would need to have the tumour/ovary removed by surgery if that's the case - her behaviour will get worse!
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She is out with one other mare who she is dominant over. Thank you for that, she is almost stallion like although i have worked with easier stallions! Something like that would explain the regumate being a temporary fix I suppose. I spoke briefly to the vet this morning but he was with someone and is calling me back later so fingers crossed
 
Youve had good advice but could also ask vet about having marble fitted if her ovaries are ok. I had one fitted to mare who was extremely cranky and felt it was related to her hormones, like you we used regumate first. The marble acts like coil tricks the body into thinking its pregnant hence no more hormones.
 
cellie said:
Youve had good advice but could also ask vet about having marble fitted if her ovaries are ok. I had one fitted to mare who was extremely cranky and felt it was related to her hormones, like you we used regumate first. The marble acts like coil tricks the body into thinking its pregnant hence no more hormones.
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Before today that was my plan. Did you find the marble more effective than the regumate?
 
JanetGeorge said:
The marble kids them into thinking they're in foal - so they don't come into season. It's unlikely to work any better than Regumate - just - IF it works (and some chuck them out) - it's cheaper and less hassle than the Regumate.
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The regumate doesnt seem to be working so well now and hopefully the scan will come up with a reason why but if not will give this a go flipping horses who'd have em!!
 
webble said:
The regumate doesnt seem to be working so well now and hopefully the scan will come up with a reason why but if not will give this a go flipping horses who'd have em!!
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The reason Regumate would stop working is if it IS a GTC tumour. Initially, the altrenogest would damp down the testosterone, but as the tumour grows (and more testosterone put out) it would cease to work.)
 
JanetGeorge said:
The reason Regumate would stop working is if it IS a GTC tumour. Initially, the altrenogest would damp down the testosterone, but as the tumour grows (and more testosterone put out) it would cease to work.)
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I know I kind of want it to be that because then I will know and we can look at solutions but at the same time I dont because it will require surgery
 
webble said:
I know I kind of want it to be that because then I will know and we can look at solutions but at the same time I dont because it will require surgery
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If it's not a HUGE tumour (and it's unlikely it's huge if she foaled a couple of years ago) they can do it as a standing op. And while it will cost, so will trying to find other answers if it's NOT the problem.
 
I posted on a thread in Veterinary about this, my friend's mare was not as bad as yours but was getting worse, she was scanned normal, in the end she had her ovaries removed and she is a much nicer person now. Before she was difficult to ride and with other horses. She had it done standing at Rossdales and the recovery was reasonably quick and easy. She had tried everything before she got to that stage but is so glad she did it and the vets did say that a lot more mares would be better off with it done, like we geld a colt to make them more manageable.
 
webble said:
Well after a lot of mither getting her sedated later the scan showed the beginnings of a tumour :(
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It's a good thing Webble (though I realise not for your bank balance lol!)...it's the beginning of an end to all your worry and her probably feeling awful too. :-)
 
Could you try the marble method?
Trick her body info thibking she is in foal.

There are other calmers too with could work with regumate, but its a combination of the hormone treatment/calmer and her learning she is not. allowed to behave this way, I know that's harder said than.done.
 
As awful as this seems, it's fantastic that you've got a diagnosis now, instead of several inconclusive tests down the line. It may seem the most expensive option, but knowing straight away will save you money on diagnostics. Fingers crossed that it will be a straightforward operation for you both.
 
smellsofhorse said:
Could you try the marble method?
Trick her body info thibking she is in foal.

There are other calmers too with could work with regumate, but its a combination of the hormone treatment/calmer and her learning she is not. allowed to behave this way, I know that's harder said than.done.
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The marble wont treat a tumour and if regumate isnt working a marble is less likely to she will need an op to remove it
 
Fides said:
There is a thread somewhere that it went fab and she has her lovely horse back :)
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Nope thats not me but fingers crossed it will be soon :)

The vets scanned mid June and thought tumour but bloods all came back normal. We left it a few weeks and scanned again today overy looks slightly larger than before and the other is very inactive. Vet has suggsted removal and is getting back to me with the options. It is likely to be a standing sedation so fingers crossed fairly straight forward
 
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