Dangerous in season (the evening from hell...almost)

pookie

pookie

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I'll apologise in advance as this is bound to be long.

I've had my 4yo Clydesdale x for a couple of months. Very little had been done with her prior to coming to me so we're pretty much starting from scratch. I've had youngsters before, and have broken my own before, but I haven't had this green at this size. 99% of the time she's as honest as the day is long and is generally becoming very responsive to me on the ground. She's green but while she's now learning good manners she's also unspoilt and has no bad ones.

She's had three seasons since I bought her, including her current one, and seems to suffer (or rather I do)...and she's getting progressively worse. This evening I brought her down to the yard - she walked nicely, walked past another horse and waited to be tied up - I gave her a groom and a bath, put sudocrem on a cut she has on her lady-bits and so on...and generally she was very good. I started taking her back to her field and she was fine until an engine started...then we had jogging, throwing her head down to graze (I stopped her), trying to walk through me (I stopped her and walked her in a circle)...then she went up and flailed at me with front feet. Up a couple more times and broke free of my grip on the leadrope...at which point she made a beeline for a field with boys in it, charged around like a lunatic (stepping on the leadrope and almost breaking her own damn neck), visited the residents of every paddock, charged AT ME at one point, a bit more t1tting around and then calmly walked to me. I got the leadrope , started walking her back towards her field again - made it a few metres and then up she went for a second time, lashing out at my face with her fronts and generally angling her body to knock me over. I ran and got my lunge whip (she was contained in the grassed area we all walk through -fenced off from the fields and the yard itself) and approached her again and managed to walk her back to her paddock...at which point she stood calmly while I took her headcollar off.

I had to go give my other horse her fly supplement so went back to the yard then back past Millie's field - she was half way up and as I walked past she trotted down to see me as if nothing had happened.

I was completely on my own at the yard when all this happened, with a phone that had conveniently died on me. I wouldn't class myself as experienced but I've been riding for almost 30 years and I'm not ashamed to say I feel like a thoroughly crap owner tonight. I wouldn't say her behaviour is Jekyll and Hyde when in season but it's getting damn close -I might not be the next horse whisperer but I've never felt overhorsed...as of tonight I'm seriously wondering.

Has anyone else had a mare that behaves dangerously when in season and how d'you manage it? I'm a gelding person at heart and the other two mares I've had/have have been nothing like this so I could well be out of my depth.

Old school Opal Fruits and Marathons for anyone not in a coma after reading all that.
 
I don't think my mare knew of my existence during her seasons - she 'd throw herself about, not worrying about anything or anyone in her way, totally wired like she was on drugs. So she promptly went on regumate and I now have a lovely horse who is a pleasure to be around
 
Broke_But_Happy - thanks for the suggestion. I've heard of Regulate but never used it - does it make a significant difference?
 
Are there any entires on the yard? One of our mares is awful if there are stallions around, not as dangerous as yours, as she never goes up, mind you she is 15 years old so would have no excuse. It does sound as if she is testing the waters having got her hooves under the table. I would make sure that she is led in either a bridle or an old fashioned rope halter, carry a schooling whip to hold infront of her nose to keep her in the place beside you that you want her to be, if she wants to turn use yourself as the pivot, so that she moves round you, this will mean having her nose turned slightly towards you. The obvious is wear your hat and a pair of gloves, hope she settles down for you.
 
Hiya

I have a just turned 4 yr old mare, she was very poor when I got her last year, I barely noticed her seasons. This year however, she has turned in to the most evil cow bag of a mare ever ! She has done everything your mare has done, she walks through you, rears, bucks, spins she was dangerous, my yard owner said in 40 years of handling horses she has never had a mare so bad. So I rang the vet and she started on Regumate just over a week ago, the difference is nothing short of amazing already, she is like a new horse. She will walk in and out beautifully now, she has lost the slightly unhinged look in her eye and she is a dream to handle, Regumate= Miracle !
 
Never used it personally - I used Hormonise on a particularly stroppy mare but she wasn't as bad as yours! I know people who say it makes a real difference though.

ETA: If they will see if your vets will give you the pig version - same stuff but a LOT cheaper! I will warn you it is expensive...
 
Having a marble inserted so they think they are in foal was suggested by my vet as a cheaper option then regumate.

Theres no hope for you though I'm sorry, mares named Millie are hormonal monsters at times, I should know, I've had two of them :D :p :D she's not chestnut is she by any chance?
 
Thanks Zoon, Tadah and Broke_But_Happy - sounds like Regumate might be the answer, even if expensive. Better than me being broken :)

I used myself as the pivot when I first turned her in a circle - when we got back to facing the right way, that's when she went up the first time. There's a young entire on the yard but (rightly or wrongly) I think she should still be able to be within smelling distance and not plough her way through me or try to punch me in the face. We're also surrounded by private yards so I'd guess there're a fair few other entires around she'll be aware of on the breeze.

When not in season she's more like an overgrown dog. Very biddable and happy to learn, and in no way difficult. My first indication she's coming into season is when she starts spooking a bit - my usually bombproof horse starts taking off for a few paces at birds, deer etc. She's currently unbroken so at least this problem doesn't endanger me aboard, but I still refuse to have something that unpredictable and dangerous on the ground. Tonight was like a switch had flipped - she was plodding along nicely beside me and then something snapped and she went doolally. I've never seen her rear before so that was an unpleasant first.

A downside to all this is that she's had a lot of wins tonight that I'm furious with myself for (though I've no idea what else I could've done without being psychic) - she broke free/I let go twice, she grazed where she shouldn't (two fingers up to me - she's normally SO good at not grazing when being led), bombed around totally deaf to me telling her to stand, flailed at me with hooves with no comeback and so on.
 
3Beasties said:
Having a marble inserted so they think they are in foal was suggested by my vet as a cheaper option then regumate.

Theres no hope for you though I'm sorry, mares named Millie are hormonal monsters at times, I should know, I've had two of them :D :p :D she's not chestnut is she by any chance?
Click to expand...

If she were older I'd put her in foal for real :) Sadly not chestnut, though does have a red sheen to her :D

IMG_20120725_200154.jpg
 
Dear OP,
Been there, not with a mare, but with a very hyperactive young gelding who took months to get through the 'kevin' stage. Luckily you can go onto regumate! In the meantime, I wouldn't be leading her anywhere unless you either have a lead rope with a chain end wrapped over her nose, or lead in a full bridle or better yet, a Chifney ( with a shorter lead rope, so if she does still break free she can't stand on the end). I'll probably get jumped on for recommending such 'harsh' measures but when you have an animal that big trying to hit you in the face with it's feet, all bets are off, I'm afraid. Keep yourself safe at all costs. Also, what I found helped was on the way to the filed giving him lots f things to do, I.e. halting, backing up, etc, to keep him focused on me. Tedious, but it did help. Good luck!
 
Don't think vets can prescribe the pig version now unless there is a shortage of equine Regumate. I have just bought a new litre bottle & it was £156! So not cheap but it has been miraculous for my mare. :-)
 
Back when I had a stroppy cob who would just tow you to his stable in winter scattering people and horses everywhere, I used to run a flat curb chain through the side rings on his head collar, under his chin and attach the lead rope to that. If he walked nicely along side me it had no effect, but would tighten if the charge off or reared. A bit mean but he was actually dangerous without it. However this was a strong willed pony doing what ever he liked despite knowing it was wrong.

Paula
 
Not any advice to offer really but just wanted to sympathise. You sound a bit like me, experienced but not a professional . I bought a mare 4 years ago, not a baby, a 10 year old w/b advertised as good in all respects, all the family could handle her! Tbh she was a bit of a pain all the time but when she was in season she was as horrid as your girl sounds. I made the decision to return her to the dealer as "not as described" bcause I want a horse I can enjoy and handle safely, I do it for fun not an adrenalin rush. Both regumate and the marble were discussed but again, they are not cheap and I didnt really want to incur all the extra costs to manage a horse that was difficult at the best of times. Good luck and do stay safe!
 
Regumate really does work and is worth the money it is a drug rather than one of these moody mare supplements. Its nasty stuff though so you have to be careful when administering it you don't get it on to your skin.

The pig version is much cheaper and if your vets don't have it you can buy it online as long as you have a prescription from your vet which you can fax to them. I can't quite remember where we used to get ours but I'm pretty sure it was hyperdrug or somewhere like that.
The pig version is also easier to deal with as it comes in a pump bottle. Might be worth asking your vet if you could say trial regumate for six weeks to decide wether its for you before buying a bottle? That's what we did with our mare and after a couple of weeks I was straight on the phone to the pharmacy to order some more!

In the meantime try something like a dually headcollar or similar for leading about and if she starts give her a good rattle with it they soon learn to respect them! Good luck, its horrid when they start pratting about like that
 
Maybe its just me but i cant understand how everybody suggests using drugs immediately after a young horse has had a bad day!!! What did people before regulate etc was available. Dont get me wrong i think if there was ongoing problems that couldnt be resolved it may be an option but horses are not robotic machines that behave in a uniform pattern for their whole lives.
I do however agree that its not safe or enjoyable to have a big horse carreer through you as if you are not there although having entire young colts/stallions around her when she is in season her hormones are going to be going haywire. So in my opinion its not totally unreasonable to have a bad day and after all she is still only 4 and they can walk past something 99 times without blinking and freak out on the hundredth time.
She has clearley learned wrong from right. I think she has been hormonal and had a young colt nearby and cant be bothered and is teasting to see what she can get away with.
She hasnt had a chance to learn how to deal with her hormones while out and about, I would keep a hat on take a lunge stick and lunge line and if she rears up and kicks out with her fronts again push her forward into a circle and get her listening to you. She will soon realise you are there and you may need to do this several times before she realises that her behaviour is getting her no where.
Deflecting the situation and misbehaviour resulting in work is normally enough to resolve a situation like this.
I know there is no rights or wrongs and everyone just has their own ways of doing things and this is only my personal view I'm not saying its right, just that this works for me!!
I really dont see the point in fighting with a big horse they are always going to win a battle of strength, The horse has to want to please and have a clear message on what is expected.
When you have a lunge line its much more difficult(not impossible) for the horse to totally break free and allows the horse to be at a safe distance and encouraged forward to listen when the initial panic has died down.
Your Mare sounds lovely I wouldnt be so hard on yourself accidents happen to the best of us. Its difficult to deal with a situation when you put on the spot.
I really would think twice before paying out a fortune on treatments or drugs unless it absolutely necessary!
I also dont think 4 is too young to go in foal if thats what you wanted i think 5 is a lovely age for a first foal.
Good luck with your Mare and its sometimes 3 steps forward and 2 back with young horses. Looking forward to updates x
 
I would get the ovaries scanned before going down the Regumate route- she may have a cyst or similar which is causing discomfort.

Once you know what you are dealing with you can look at getting a marble inserted or trying regumate if needed.
 
Thanks everyone, I really do appreciate the replies :)

This is a mare that normally doesn't break out of trot in the field, that is still learning where her feet are and regularly trips over them, that I've only ever seen buck when she's cantered down the field to see me and can't figure out how to stop :rolleyes: Last night was out of character and I could make all the excuses in the world but there's no getting away from last night being bad behaviour. She wasn't in pain, hadn't spooked in fear...she was just being an absolute kn0b. I agree her hormones were going bonkers and she's still very much a baby but when she was flailing at me and charging past paddocks at me there's just no getting away from her putting me in my place - there were no ears back, no teeth bared but she was definitely telling me she could do whatever she pleased.

It's almost worse that this isn't her normal behaviour - it being unpredictable makes it harder to correct and I'm concerned I'll be tensing waiting for it to happen again. And my only concern was getting her back to her field safely, so of course I couldn't reprimand her once I'd done that (mixed messages) and couldn't reprimand while she was charging around even if I'd been able to as I suspect she would've become even more bolshy.

I'm in no rush to break her but I shudder to think what would've happened if there'd been another livery at the yard...or even children.
 
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