Hormonal mares... How do you deal with yours?

[HollyhedgePippa]

Pippa is a nightmare when in season, to the point that I cannot ride her, cannot groom and cannot tie her up because shes constantly barging around, kicking and flicking her legs and going stir crazy. I have tried disciplining her,making her stand, calm down, getting her attention in these 'moods' but I can't even attract her; and standing at 5ft3/4 handling a supposed to be 16hh broody mare which grows anoher 10hh is difficult for me. She has had two foals previously when she was about 4/5/6 and was broken at 7, she is now rising 12 in May.

I've heard about Regumate, the marble and different supplements, but I would like to know more about your experiences with these different options, especially Regumate as I don't quite understand when you would have to give it? I will be consulting with my vet but I just wanted to know of your experiences please.

Thanks!

 

[HollyhedgePippa]

Anyone?

 

[Nicnac]

I found Oestress helped my mare and used to give it to her from March onwards with a break every 3 weeks. I used the liquid supplement in her feed.

Previously used Moody Mare, Hormonise and Slut Mix and found they all worked as well as each other on my mare (ironing board back, bucked when in season, plus squirted at anything and everything ) I believe the Oestress was the cheapest option. I have no experience with Regumate or the marble, but know friends who swear by both. It's a bit of trial and error seeing what works for your horse. I start with a supplement for a couple of months to allow to take effect and then talk to your vet if you get no change.

 

[OpalFruits]

Don't have a mare

 

[fizzer]

After 7 yrs of being quite normal one of my ponies became a nightmare this year. Mounting her mother, biting, rearing in hand, being generally tarty and stallion like. Was just fine to ride and jumped well at shows. Put her on Oestress and within a month was a lot better. I have continued with it through the winter and fingers crossed seems to be working.

Trial and error as she wouldn't eat some of the supplements I tried.

 

[HollyhedgePippa]

I found Oestress helped my mare and used to give it to her from March onwards with a break every 3 weeks. I used the liquid supplement in her feed.

Previously used Moody Mare, Hormonise and Slut Mix and found they all worked as well as each other on my mare (ironing board back, bucked when in season, plus squirted at anything and everything ) I believe the Oestress was the cheapest option. I have no experience with Regumate or the marble, but know friends who swear by both. It's a bit of trial and error seeing what works for your horse. I start with a supplement for a couple of months to allow to take effect and then talk to your vet if you get no change.

Thank you
Is it actually called Slut mix? I just had a good old chuckle to myself haha! Where did you buy the supplements from?

 

[HollyhedgePippa]

After 7 yrs of being quite normal one of my ponies became a nightmare this year. Mounting her mother, biting, rearing in hand, being generally tarty and stallion like. Was just fine to ride and jumped well at shows. Put her on Oestress and within a month was a lot better. I have continued with it through the winter and fingers crossed seems to be working.

Trial and error as she wouldn't eat some of the supplements I tried.

Sounds like Pip (minus mounting horses). Thank you!

Don't suppose you know what is in the supplement which calms them down/controls their hormones?

 

[Nicnac]

Thank you
Is it actually called Slut mix? I just had a good old chuckle to myself haha! Where did you buy the supplements from?

Yes it is so I bought it online. Although the office used to laugh when it arrived at work! Feed shops will sell them or if you Google you'll find lots of options to buy online.

 

[HollyhedgePippa]

Yes it is so I bought it online. Although the office used to laugh when it arrived at work! Feed shops will sell them or if you Google you'll find lots of options to buy online.

Thank you!

 

[Rully]

Regumate.

 

[madeleine1]

ive given in and shes just gets a holiday everytime it happens,

shes had all and every thing, marbles, regumate, herbs, magnesium

just handle with care, i cant go near mine when shes in season without a whip, she has taken down two stable walls in the past one with a groom between her and the wall.

no point stressing, the rest of the time she fine and we get on, when shes in season shes just dangerous and unhappy so i do whatever she wants and then back to normal sometimes 3 or 4 days later sometimes 10

 

[mashnut]

Another vote for Oestress! Works for me though for some reason I need it through the winter and not summer... Also used DnH Stroppy Mare, made me calm (it looks and smells like a herbal tea) and worked for her but I struggled to get hold of it.

Would just love to see the other liveries if I fed Slut Mix!

 

[miss_wilson]

I use oestress for my mare, seems to do the job, although its only her concentration which seems to be affected by her season, I did enquire about the marble and spoke to the reproductive expert at Leahurst who said there isnt really any evidence for it and she wouldn't recommend!!?!?

 

[{102223}]

Sorry I can't help but I will be interested in following this thread as I am having problems with my mare too. Her mood swings are taking it's toll on my confidence.

 

[kellybee]

I swear by Oestroban by gold label. It's amazing stuff - just monkspepper really but it sorted her right out. I use it for my late cut riggy boy too - he doesn't bother with the mares unless they're in season and only if they beg for it. £16 a tub lasts for months - couldn't live without it.

 

[goatbabies]

How long do your mares stay in season for?

Mine seemed to come in to season last week with the sudden mild weather. In the past she can be hormonal for a few days, calm for a few days, hormonal for a few days... so I have never used supplements as it's so hard to gauge!

 

[{100649}]

My mare came into heat middle of December and only this week has stopped winking and squirting.

 

[kellybee]

Generally only in summer with mine

 

[JoannaC]

I had great success with Oestress, only had to use it a couple of years from Spring to Autumn and now she is fine without. Well she was last year anyway will see how it goes this year.

 

[Ella19]

My mare isn't too bad just this year become grumpy and biting to be brushed or tacked up when in season. Sue will tollerate tack better if I use sheepskin, I only use it when she is in season and she has a lemeiux numnah and girth sleeve

 

[Echo Bravo]

Have tried my mare on horomize, but not sure it has worked and am getting a bit desperate as I have 2 gelding and a young colt that cann't be cut yet as he hasn't dropped the 2nd, although I'm saving up for the big op if he doesn't, she was fine up till 2 years ago and has gotten worse seems to be in season even in winter,but there again the winters have been so mild.

 

[Perce]

My mare has improved as she has got older and is 12 now and hugely better than she was as a 5 year old - not sure both of us would be still around otherwise!
I tend to try to work around her seasons - fine unless competitions/clinics entered - and adapt my management to suit when need be. As an example she is very difficult to get a tail bandage on for travelling when in season. it could take up to 20 mins to safely get one on - so now just leave her tail unprotected - much safer. she has kicked out in the past so wears a red ribbon always - people who know us recognise our hormonal tate by the style of ribbob - a lovely half plaited tail with neat red bow - happy horse. A scruffy ponytail sticking out at top of tail, probably slightly off centre as tied from the side at a distance - with red ribbon tied with a scruffy knot - in season!
I considered regumate and discussed it with my vet last year - it wasn't as straight forward as i thought and did without in the end as by mid summer she is much better.
He did say he would be wanting to check for reasons for behaviour first, probably by scanning.
i would suggest discuss with vet and google/search for other threads on the subject.
good luck

 

[Darcydoo]

Darcy is in luuuuuve with my friends mare at the moment weeing and winking.the horny is ok it's the ovary pain pmt that's bad.just go with the flow x.
Like us time of the month is not like a tampax ad do you feel like roller bladeing ?

 

[d_morrow]

Consider environment if possible. My hormonal mare became 10 times worse when I changed from a back stable in a quiet yard to a central stable in a new yard with mainly geldings. She fell noisily in love with the gelding next door. The situation was instantly resolved when I moved back to the quiet yard!
Oestress is good but very expensive theses days. Used Hormonease last year and seemed to be just as good and a bit cheaper.

 

[morrismob]

I have used Slut Mix after a friend suggested to try on a moody mare, it worked fantastically. We had tried all the other over the counter stuff. We were told to start using it in February before spring which we did.

 

[as sweet as hunni]

I use the depo injection with my mare, without it she would buck you off(sore back) squeal,jog,prance,threaten to kick, we had her oaveries scanned when we tried the marble(which didn't work!) and turns out she has an enlarged follicle which is responible for her moods! The injection is a godsend and its the only things that works for her! It either stops her from being in season or her seasons have became that mild I just don't know hunni has it 3 times a year(end of jan,end of march/start of April,July/August time),but I have also noticed when she had her last season(when the injection wore off in early September) she was really well behaved :0! none of the moody mare stuff and I could ride her normally! I only noticed she was in season because she squirted once! I'm happy that it takes effect (hopefully) perminatley!.

 

[HollyhedgePippa]

Thank you all for your replies...

I just can't figure out when Pippas seasons are, she doesn't have any throughout summer, but any other times is just all over the place. She came into season at the begining of december and this past week. Will deffinitley be talking to my vet, and will also consider Oestress.