CM is in a state RE her new neighbours - any advice?

Meowy Catkin

Meow!
Joined
19 July 2010
Messages
22,635
Visit site
So a couple of days ago some horses moved into a neighbouring paddock (not sharing a fence, it borders paddocks which my horses aren't in at the moment - so two fences between each group of horses). It seemed as if it was all going to be fine only yesterday CM came into season and is now walking/trotting/cantering about moving from the places that she can see them best, to the next place with a view of them. She has been standing in a ditch, jumping the ditch, playing silly buggers and generally not eating. My other two are not bothered. The new neighbour horses are not bothered. CM has just got herself in a state.

Do I just have to keep an eye on her and wait for her to come out of season and for the novelty of 'new horses' to wear off?
Is there anything that I can do?
Move paddock? They would share a fence line then so I'm not sure if that would be worse? I'm thinking squealing and legs crashing into the fence?

She's been on big and small livery yards with horses in other paddocks before and has never had an issue before. Horses regularly ride by on the lane and the bridleway which she can see and that doesn't bother her. The hunt can wind her up but not to this extent.
 

DabDab

Ah mud, splendid
Joined
6 May 2013
Messages
12,572
Visit site
I feel your pain. There are a couple of fields that border mine that sporadically have different horses in them and Arts can get very overexcited by the visitors if she's in season. Generally I just leave her too it, but have put extra fencing up on the bordering areas where there are hedge gaps to keep her back from them. After a couple of days of sillies she does tend to get bored and go back to being normal, but it is annoying. Stranger still she can be randomly obsessive with the cows that are permanent residents. Who knows what goes on in her head at times ?
 

PapaverFollis

Well-Known Member
Joined
13 November 2012
Messages
9,544
Visit site
Is there a particularly handsome gelding out there? Granny horse started going a bit daft in her old age... but only for the best looking boys. ?

The Beast on the other hand has been known to flirt with a wheelbarrow.

There's no reasoning with an in season mare I don't think. Just make the space as safe as possible and let them get on with their sillies.
 

Meowy Catkin

Meow!
Joined
19 July 2010
Messages
22,635
Visit site
Yes I did wonder about drugging her... I'm sure that vet would count it as an emergency and throw me a load of ketamine from a safe 2m. ;) :p

The new horses are two geldings and a mare, so I guess one has taken her fancy. My poor gelding can't be her type.

ETA - I have seen a bit of grazing, so she is at least eating something now.
 

MissTyc

Well-Known Member
Joined
25 June 2010
Messages
3,601
Location
South East
Visit site
Oh dear! My mare comes madly in season for any new horse, mare of gelding, and I get 5-6 days of screaming and pacing and posing ... It's absolutely ridiculous. But then she's over it. Until the next new horse arrives on the horizon!

When I kept her temporarily on a yard with two handsome stallions, she wee'd NINE times in the space of me tacking up. Even the stallions were put off by how desperate she was (joking - both v good competition horses who know the difference between mares to service and mares to ignore ... but she wasn't making it easy for them!)
 

xxcharlottexx

Well-Known Member
Joined
1 May 2006
Messages
1,729
Location
Lancashire
Visit site
A herd of young shires got turned out within sight of mine. They obviously hadn't been out all winter so there was lots of running about. Mine spent 2 days gawking and shouting to them as well as pacing the fence (he is also 21 ? ) 2 days later he lost interest and back to his usual chilled self. I'd wait it out
 

Shilasdair

Patting her thylacine
Joined
26 March 2007
Messages
23,686
Location
Daemon from Hades
Visit site
From your mare's perspective, there's new horses - and whether she fancies them or not they MAY have a sexy stallion with them.
My mares have behaved like this on occasion - but a season lasts 5 days usually, with a peak of lust :D in the first 2 or three so I'd just leave her to it. Horses seldom starve or dehydrate to death when food/water is available so I wouldn't be too concerned...
 

Cinnamontoast

Fais pas chier!
Joined
6 July 2010
Messages
35,366
Visit site
Annnnnnd that's why I prefer boys lol.

Same, although geldings have their issues. Mine isn’t even vaguely riggy, but when he moved fields and was next to a mares’ field, I’d turn him out, he’d jump the fence and be shagging this 12hh pony, who just carried on grazing. So embarrassing when a friend was meant to be riding him and she couldn’t catch him in because he was astride this poor pony!
 

Meowy Catkin

Meow!
Joined
19 July 2010
Messages
22,635
Visit site
To be fair to her, I've had her since she was eight and this is the first time that she's got stressed like this. My grey mare isn't bothered by the new horses. My gelding - who I've had for the least time - is still the record breaker for idiotic behaviour out of the three of them. We should probably skip right by his Shetland obsession... He is being calm at the moment though so I guess you can never predict how they'll react even when you've owned them for years.

She's not got bored yet. The new horses moved through to a different paddock yesterday (I think a gate was opened so they can now have free choice of two paddocks) which of course set her off again. She is eating her hard feed so is less stressed I think. The new paddock has the world's most awful fencing (slack, barbed wire on a really steep slope) so I'm actually really hoping that the new horses are OK. I had a horse go through barbed wire years ago (the grey when she was young) so it gives me cold shivers seeing them in there.

Not my horses though, so out of my control.
 

Asha

Well-Known Member
Joined
25 February 2012
Messages
5,883
Location
Cheshire
Visit site
I feel your pain MC , these older girls do get themselves a bit wound up don’t they . I’m sure she will settle in a few more days .
My old girl (22) has spent the last 2 days fiercely protecting my other mare . From who we are not sure as they are all out together ! She just won’t let any of the others near her . So I’m guessing the old girl is a bit in season. Pip is very confused by it ?
 

SEH

Well-Known Member
Joined
15 April 2017
Messages
119
Visit site
I have a mini mare that is in love with one of my geldings. They aren't in the same field but she puts on a right display for him. They are weird sometimes. Poor girl!
 
Top