Coming into season in February?

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FionaM12

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Forgive my numptiness, I've never owned a mare before.

Mollie shares a field with two small pony mares. A few fields away, there's a mini shetland colt/young stallion (2 years old or so). Some days ago he escaped and squeezed under the fence into the mares' field. He seemed most "interested" in a little grey Welsh mare and she seemed keen too. He's very small indeed and Mollie's 14.2 so impossible for him to mount her, but possibly he could have mated the little mare before being caught and taken away in disgrace.

The owners of the little grey say she's in season. By her behaviour I don't doubt this, but isn't it rather early in the year? :confused:

Since this incident Mollie seems to have undergone a personality change. She's pushier than usual, she even barged in the stable doorway which isn't like her. She reversed up to me in her stable and pressed me (quite gently)against the wall with her bum. :eek: When being lunged today she was rearing, bucking and even striking out at me with her front legs (not close enough to be dangerous though). She's sparky and distracted when ridden.

There are physical changes too. She's swishing her tail in the stable as if there are flies, which of course there aren't. She's drinking much more water than usual.

I'm not worried, just curious. Can one mare coming into season, plus the appearance of a (granted very small) stallion, trigger a mare to come into season? Or is it more likely to be behavioural, due to the excitement ain the field?

Do mares come into season in February? :confused:

The little colt is now in a more secure paddock. Although they can't see him, the mares can hear him calling. :rolleyes: Apparently he's for sale. I do hope he's either sold or gelded soon as he's causing the ladies to come over all unnecessary ;):o:o
 
My cob mare has never stopped cycling throughout this very mild winter. Every 21 days even January and Feb when it has been colder. Daylight hours have an influence on mares coming into season and there are now more daylight hours.
 
FionaM12 said:
He's very small indeed and Mollie's 14.2 so impossible for him to mount her, but possibly he could have mated the little mare before being caught and taken away in disgrace.
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Very dangerous thinking, one of the best ponies I have ever ridden was a shetland x hanoverian. However little the colt is, however big the mare is, they will find a way!! You really need to contact your vet if the colt was in with Mollie I'm afraid :(

Yes, mares can come into season at any time of the year, and some never actually stop cycling. One mare being in season can also have an effect on the behaviour of others.

Sorry Fiona, but you need to be speaking to your vet asap (and I would be expecting the colt's owner/YO to be paying).
 
rhino said:
Very dangerous thinking, one of the best ponies I have ever ridden was a shetland x hanoverian. However little the colt is, however big the mare is, they will find a way!! You really need to contact your vet if the colt was in with Mollie I'm afraid :(

Yes, mares can come into season at any time of the year, and some never actually stop cycling. One mare being in season can also have an effect on the behaviour of others.

Sorry Fiona, but you need to be speaking to your vet asap (and I would be expecting the colt's owner/YO to be paying).
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What on earth did a shetland x hanoverian look like please ?
 
AdorableAlice said:
What on earth did a shetland x hanoverian look like please ?
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I don't have any pictures unfortunately, but he was stunning. Real sportspony type (about 14hh), but a decent amount of bone. Stallion was standard shettie, dam was a 16.2hh, but of course because of the height difference it would have been impossible for them to mate, right... :eek:
 
He's very small indeed and Mollie's 14.2 so impossible for him to mount her, but possibly he could have mated the little mare before being caught and taken away in disgrace.
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Where there's a will, there's a way...........
 
amymay said:
Where there's a will, there's a way...........
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No, not quite right - where there's a willy there's a way!!

My mare always cycled right through the year. I've always suspected that in "normal" mares, the first season of the year was a bit more painful and difficult, hence the odd or rude behaviour.
 
Oh yes for sure, 2 of my mares come into season as soon as I put them with my (admittedly very handsome) gelding. Doesn't matter if its middle of winter and -10. I think you need to call your vet tbh. Also my TB broody cycled throughout her last pregnancy (scanned not in foal so sent all the way to Edinburgh for not needed AI :mad::mad:) so don't let continuing cycles make you secure either.
 
:-O Scary stuff! My girl has lived in a mares only group for about 8 years, and we've just moved to a place which has geldings in the adjoining field. Taking her to the yard walking along the fence next to them I've never seen such behaviour from my girl. Before this I've never seen any signs of her being in season, and today was acting like a complete tart (she's 17 btw and should know better!)
 
rhino said:
Very dangerous thinking, one of the best ponies I have ever ridden was a shetland x hanoverian. However little the colt is, however big the mare is, they will find a way!! You really need to contact your vet if the colt was in with Mollie I'm afraid :(
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:eek::eek: Oh God!!! I've taken your advice and called my vet. She's phoning me back for a chat. :(

fatpiggy said:
No, not quite right - where there's a willy there's a way!!
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*Snorts*

Saffron_Envy said:
today was acting like a complete tart (she's 17 btw and should know better!)
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Mollie is 17 too. Very undignified behaviour in a lady of her age. :o:o
 
HappyNeds said:
Please let us know what the vet says - I hope you won't be too cross but now I almost want to see what a Mollie x shetland looks like! ;);)
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My vet says she's convinced there's no danger. The colt is about 6 or 7 hh and the vet assures me he's so unlikely to have succeeded that I shouldn't worry. I've also talked to people who were on the yard on the day in question and they say Mollie wasn't letting him near her, unlike the grey mare which was well up for it.

I just hope my vet's advice is right.

I dread to think what the resulting foal would have been like HappyNeds. :eek:
 
FionaM12 said:
My vet says she's convinced there's no danger. The colt is about 6 or 7 hh and the vet assures me he's so unlikely to have succeeded that I shouldn't worry. I've also talked to people who were on the yard on the day in question and they say Mollie wasn't letting him near her, unlike the grey mare which was well up for it.

I just hope my vet's advice is right.

I dread to think what the resulting foal would have been like HappyNeds. :eek:
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I hope your vet is right too! I would also post this in the breeding section as they will have a better idea than us, I'm pretty sure there have been posts about minis covering decent sized mares.

Don't you want to be a granny then? :p :D
 
rhino said:
I don't have any pictures unfortunately, but he was stunning. Real sportspony type (about 14hh), but a decent amount of bone. Stallion was standard shettie, dam was a 16.2hh, but of course because of the height difference it would have been impossible for them to mate, right... :eek:
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Reminds me of my Welsh D aged 2 before he was cut, I found him with his fronts hooked over the top of a five bar gate, his hind feet balanced on the botton bar and his manhood poking between the middle bars - on the other side was a 18h irish draught mare who was carefully backing herself onto said manhood.

A few hours later the welshie found himself lay on the grass with his legs in the air being attended to with a scapel, with the tarty old mare watching, I swear she was laughing, they are both hunting in the sky now and much missed.
 
rhino said:
Don't you want to be a granny then? :p :D
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Well it wasn't my intention to be a granny to a horse! I'd like to be a real granny (ie to humans :o) but not much likelihood of that at present.

Mollie's 17 and as far as I know has never had a foal before. I don't think it's fair to older mares to expect them to start foaling in their later years. In the very unlikely event of her carrying this mini's foal, of course part of me would be very excited though.

I'd also be scared and worried. :eek::eek:
 
Well a mare could always kneel down, or stand in a ditch, or hang out near a mounting block (aah - that's where it gets its name) for him......
 
Years ago I was chatting to a chap who bred Shires and he told me how he couldn't understand why some of his mares were having spontaneous abortions. The only stallion with them was a Shetland and he couldn't possibly be a risk to them so there must have been some illness behind the losses - until one day he saw a Shire mare lying down with the Shetland on top doing the business. Luckily nature decided that it wasn't a good cross and got rid.
 
My mare has seasons all year round. Her winter ones are much "weaker" but you still get the squirting at geldings, lots of little wer patches rather than a few big wee patches in stable. Swishing tail, not eating to be caught in field. Sensitive when being girthed and around the flanks. She stays on oestress supplement all year round to avoid these behaviours and is only turned out with mares. Some do and some don't have seasons through winter.
 
My mare seems to be coming in to season. She is vile when she starts - first one of the year is always bad. I only asked her to trot on yesterday and we shot up in the air, then sideways, then up again. Jeeeeesss! I only asked for a trot. This is usually the sign!
 
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