In season?! Mare advice needed!

C

chestnut cob

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New mare is v tarty at the best of times (had a couple of babies in the past and she definitely knows what boys are all about!
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). I've never had mares before but I thought season's usually stopped over winter? Her last 2007 season was in Nov/Dec, and she's now in season again...and boy is she in season! She's even winking at the girls, little tart!
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I've posted before about mare supplements and the one that came up the most was Slut Mix. Does anyone have any opinions on this one? Do I need to feed it all year or just when she's in season?

She's not aggressive when she's in season (in fact she's actually quite affectionate LOL!), does get a bit stroppy when working, is mareish about her saddle being put on/girth being done up (saddler out tomorrow though to check so I can be 100% there aren't any saddle issues compounding it), but she's just such a tart! If her season is particularly bad, when we work in the school and boys are there she is absolutely beside herself. She's not nasty or naughty, just cannot keep her mind on the job. She is clearly just v horny LOL!!
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So... would putting her on Slut Mix do the job? I don't need to stop her being aggressive or nasty, just need something that will stop her hankering after the boys so much so I can get something sensible out of her!
 
When I was cleaning my mares *ahem* bottom yesterday I wondered if she was in season too. I thought it was just me being delusional. I cant really tell the difference with Gin but I did think it was a bit strange for this time of year.
 
My tarty TB is squirting at her friend tia over the fence ( who is also a mare ) but its doesnt otherwise affect her ie behavior, tacking up etc etc so i just ignore it.

I had to wash her tail last week as the mud was sticking to it then anything and everything was sticking ontop of it so she picked up a collection of things in the end hehe.

I just washer her tail bum and hocks but she needs doing again.

I have no idea about the mix but i think when they are natural flirts it doesnt matter that you feed them they dont change.

Id still marte a mare with stciky tail/hocks than a gelding any day - i just dont do dinkles- yuk.
 

Hmmm.. Personally I think the mare supplements are all a load of rubbish, except perhaps agnus caster.
It would be worth talking to your vet.

Some mares do cycle all year round buuut I have a very tarty mare who I thought was cycling very quickly and was in season in December. Also her behaviour had got quite bad. (some serious bucking/rearing). I spoke to my vet who said that this was unusual and we took her in for a scan to see if she had granulated cysts on her ovaries or an infection of some kind.

Turns out she had endometrisis (a uterine infection) and could have had it for a while. The horse's body's way of dealing with this infection is to flood the system with oestrogen, causing frequent seasons.

She has been treated for this and so far *touches wood* she has not come back into season yet and seems much happier in herself.

So I think worth a shot as it IS unusual for the seasons to keep going in winter. (though not unheard of).
 
One of my mares has been coming into season all winter, the last being over Christmas.
We bought a brood mare a few years back and when she came into season she was a nightmare, infact kept breaking out in search of a 'man'. Apparently, after a a year witthout breeding they revert to more 'normal' behaviour.
 
It is honestly worth talking to the vet if a mare cycles all year round or seems permanently in season- ovarian cysts/infections can cause this and are very common in mares and can be treated.

That said some mares do just have seasons all year round.
 
She did stop for about 6 weeks or so over Xmas. TBH I think the weather has been so strange this year, and last, that she doesn't know if she's coming or going. We've got a couple of other v mareish mares on the yard and they've been the same; not sure if they're in season yet this year but they definitely always seemed to be the same time as mine last year.
 
The Slut Mix supplement I mentioned is Agnus Castus (sp?) which is meant to be v good.

I've got to call her owner (I have the horse on loan) tomorrow after my saddler has been to let her know whether she can have her saddle back, so I'll bring up her seasons and see what she's normally like. She's insured so it shouldn't be an issue to have the vet out to look.
 
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She did stop for about 6 weeks or so over Xmas. TBH I think the weather has been so strange this year, and last, that she doesn't know if she's coming or going. We've got a couple of other v mareish mares on the yard and they've been the same; not sure if they're in season yet this year but they definitely always seemed to be the same time as mine last year.

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They do sometimes get a bit confused, don't they!? One minute they're up for it and the next they've 'got a headache'
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My girl usually has a day or two when she's in season that she just hangs over the field fence trying to get to the boys. She has apparently been seen squaring up to the fence, about to jump over to the boys, then deciding not to in the end!

She has been a broodmare so maybe that's why she's so much more tarty?
 
I don't really need a cure, just something to make her a bit less randy! She's not at all aggressive with it, in fact she's lovely, she's just a bit doe eyed over the boys and it would be nice if she could concentrate on her work more.
 
If the plants are confused, I don't see why the horses shouldn't be!!
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(I've been admiring beautiful daffodils in full bloom for the last two weeks!)
 
Correct, the weather hasn't really stopped broodmares (unless they're pregnant of course) cycling. Our only empty mare is now in season, and we expect our fisrt foal in the next few days, so early/late seasons seem to be the norm now. So I think you can blame warmer winters.
 
The main ingredient in Slut Mix is Agnus Castus, so I now buy it from the Health food shop (there are doing a half price offer at Holland and barrett at the mo!)

Mine still comes into season and I feed this all year round, works fab! Slut mix is very palatable and easy to feed.
 
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So it's ok to feed straight Agnus Castus then?

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I put the tablets in a bit of calm and condition, and she eats it no problem, I get the higher strength ones and put 3 in each feed - it says to feed humans 1 or 2 a day - so took a wild guess at 6 and she seems good on that dose!
 
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