Equine menopause?

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FionaM12

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The last week or so, Mollie has been a little "off" with myself and sharer Eleanor. She's sound, she looks well, she just seems a bit sour and grumpy, on the ground, ridden and on the lunge.

Speculating with me about what might be the cause, Eleanor's mum asked do horses have a menopause? We both laughed, and being (ahem) ladies of a certain age ourselves it seemed a fair question.

So, does anyone know? Is there an equine menopause? :redface3:

Mollie is 19.
 
I asked that question once of a trainer who did some breeding and I was directed to a 20yo mare who was in foal. He said he didn't know but he had never encountered it. He said the mare was in perfect health and the vet had given the all clear to put her in foal.
 
So I guess it makes sense. In the natural state, the purpose of a mare is to produce foals so they do so until they die. But then in the natural state, they probably wouldn't live to anything like the kind of age our modern day mares do.

It sounds like from your experience Pearlsasinger that they come into season even if they live to such a ripe old age!
 
Horses do not have the menopause it is almost uniquely human ( I believe elephants do tho) this is believed to be evolutionary as the grandmother was also required to raise a child who is a child for such a long time.
 
Mares continue to come into season even when they pull the plug on breeding. I have a retired TB who had her last foal at 19 - she's 25 now and enjoying her last summer. She still comes in regularly. I have had 2 foals this year from 22 year olds, and 2 from 20 year olds - 3 ARE retiring this year as they're now struggling to hold condition during lactation - but they've all been in season since foaling.
 
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