Mad Mare - Opinions?

HollyWoozle

HollyWoozle

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Who else has a mare prone to bouts of madness? Do you think supplements to calm hormones can work?

After two and a half years of owning my mare and having overcome a lot of issues, I have come to the conclusion that she will always be slightly unpredictable when feeling hormonal (at least I presume this is the problem). Originally she had issues far beyond this. For a long time we had problems with everything from tying up to tacking up... she would pull back and panic, go potty over nothing, wouldn't stand still, was a mental case for the farrier etc. etc. All of that is generally fine now so I'm glad I stuck it out. She has a kind nature and I enjoy riding her.

However, Belle occasionally has a moment of total madness which I can only think to attribute to hormones. Yesterday I had gotten as far as putting her saddle on and my mum was tacking up her horse at the same time. Mum's horse was being particularly pushy (he's just coming back into work after surgery) and basically dragged his way over to Belle. She completely lost the plot, reared up and proceeded to bronc around the yard for a minute or two, nostrils flaring. After she composed herself I quietly caught her again, took her back and continued with what we were doing. No problems at all and she was perfectly good to ride. I thought Mum's horse had just spooked her.

Went to ride tonight and she had another mad session for absolutely no reason at all. I think maybe I just touched her (midway through getting ready to ride). Definitely wasn't just a spook but either way she pulled back, leapt about like a looney and then got over it and once again, was as good as gold after that.

I can only assume that she's just feeling a bit stressy! She is by nature a slightly nervy sort.

Basically, I just wondered if anyone else has a crazy mare like this and if they ever get over it or if they have found something to help prevent it. It's not really practical for her to leap around the yard like a mad thing and I wouldn't want her to hurt herself. For what it's worth, teeth have been seen to recently, saddle was professionally fitted and I have had her back checked after other crazy episodes with no issues found. She shows no discomfort under saddle at all and is absolutely fine and seemingly happy after she's had her moment!

Any thoughts much appreciated. :-)
 
...... your post sounds so similar to my horse, so had to reply.......

Almost a year to the day (coincidental?) my horse displayed two episodes of unexplained behaviour (beginning of July 2011 and end of June 2012), and only on these two occasions.
On both occasions she had her saddle on and was due to be tacked up. Did a bucking bronco, blinkered/ flight behaviour, getting physically injured as a result.

Currently my horse is tetchy, as if “don’t touch me” (quivering when touched, physically tense, and actually looks fearful, especially around the girth area) – she is not usually like this, although quite sensitive when having her girth done up, but never aggressive, more sensitive.
She has never been ill treated to warrant such behaviour. I have had her from 18 months old. She is 6 years old now.

She can be spooky, but not unusually so. In fact she is brill with traffic, banging noises (cars going over cattle grids), etc.
She can be temperamental, but never kicks or bites, just looks grumpy :mad: This is quite usual for her LOL
We do have crab flies (horrible things) and only here in the New Forest, but my horse has never been bothered by these, and would not explain the two incidents almost a year to the day apart, when crab flies are around most of the summer??
She loves to be scratched (still does) but not ticklish, and as I said this is more of a “don’t touch me”, not “ha ha ha, get off”.

She has also not wanted to be caught the last couple of days, but I think this is unrelated, although again, not usual behaviour for her?!!!

I noticed she did have ‘sticky gunk’ around her vulva yesterday. I also mentioned to the vet some time ago now that she had a swollen vulva, which she didn’t like me to touch at the time.

I have thought about it and whilst the above is unexplained behaviour, like you, I think this could be hormonal??

It has been suggested to try Oestress (?), or similar (Moody mare)?
 
Thanks for the replies. I have heard of Regumate and Oestress but wasn't sure if people had had much success with them... I also feel like it would be tricky to know if they were working as most of the time she is fine now. Certainly worth a shot though!

Tooty1 - I'd like to say I'm glad I'm not the only one but at the same time I'm sorry to hear you've got a stressed out lady too. :p Yours definitely sounds hormonal too and strange that the situation was so similar (saddle on etc.). Belle has done things like this before but because she had quite a few issues previously, it was always hard to attribute her behaviour to something specific. I guess now that she is mostly OK with everything it's far easier to see a pattern and to suggest hormones.

Your mare's 'don't touch me' sort of attitude does sound familiar too. Belle wouldn't kick or bite but has been very grumpy looking the last few days, ears back, totally unimpressed with anything. I suppose that really just sounds like me at certain times so can't blame her! :p

Thanks for all the input. Tooty1, good luck with your mare! Maybe we should try Regumate/Oestress and compare notes!
 
Hi HW

My first 'port of call' has been the physio, who I had out on Wednesday and she did suggest that my horse has chronic tightness through her back Possibly from previos two incidents ?). Physio is going to come back and give a 'deep treatment' under sedation, so that horsey is fully relaxed and more in depth treatment can be carried out. Whilst vet is there (for sedation) I may ask him to take bloods to check hormone levels ? I am relcutant to use Oestress, or more so Regumate, before I know that it is actucally to do with her hormones, or at least partly due :confused:

Good luck with your mare too HW - I was just glad to read a similar post - comforting to know its not just my horse :)
 
Omg my horse is the same I tryed to ride today and she went mental on the yard I have heard of regumate I sounds good it's from the vets think it's expensive theo x
 
Tooty1 - you're definitely not alone! :) I'm really grateful for you to signing up to reply actually as I feel better too knowing that someone else is in the same boat.

I had thought about having a physio out to look at Belle too. Around the end of May last year she bucked me off several times (on one day) which she had never done before. Vet check didn't show anything and she has never done it again, so I presume that was another hormonal episode. However I have always thought it wouldn't do any harm for her to be seen by a physio to have their thoughts on the matter.

I too would want to know more about Regumate and alternatives before trying them so will have to do some investigation. I'd hate for little moments like those Belle's been having to impact on all the hard work we've done. She's generally so much calmer these days and I don't want her to be stressed or unhappy.

Fingers crossed we can both work out a solution for our girls!
 
From further investigation, I can say that the problem relates to the saddle/girth somehow. When she first came we had real problems with tacking her up but for quite some time now, she has been perfectly calm to have her saddle on.

Today she was fine until I put her saddle on and then her ears went back and she looked generally miserable. She didn't do anything sharp whilst I was actually doing the girth up (she puffed out as usual) and I always make sure to do it up gently and tighten it up after a few minutes, then again before and after I'm on. However I noticed she was very very tense once girth was done up and when she went to move she looked like she was going to panic... sides looked very tense and shaky. This time I kept hold of her and calmed her and then after a few minutes, she was fine. After that she was fine for me to tighten the girth and showed absolutely no sign of discomfort when I got on or was riding her.

Saddle was professionally fitted last year but I think I will have it checked (as it should be done regularly anyway), although I don't think it's that. I presume it's just sensitivity about the girth being done up because she's feeling a bit hormonal still. The last two times when she did panic and leap around, she had just had her saddle on both times so it's definitely something to do with moving after girth has just been done up.

These horses do like to keep us on our toes!
 
Hol, Cooly is exactly the same the hormonal bint.

Regumate worked WONDERS with her when she was in work. She was occasionally so bad that if you put a hand on her and asked her to move over she squealed at you. Delightful. Regumate made a huge difference, and seemed to balance her out. Now that she's not worked she's not on it anymore, but since coming off it she's completely different and rarely has "Cooly moments" any more.

It could also be ulcers if she arsey about the girth, possibly have a go with some gastroguard and see if that helps.

Ooly was a nightmare occasionally - I remember once when we were out hacking, and for no apparent reason she stopped walking, and started broncking like a maniac and squealing. After a minute or so, she stopped, and walked on like nothing had happened.

Grey mares are a treat...
 
Thanks my dear! Regumate might be the way forward then. I genuinely felt sorry for her today because she did look really tense but tried really hard to not be a looney! She wasn't worried about the saddle going on and just looked annoyed as I did the girth up, but it was actually moving when the girth was done up that she suddenly tensed up and was thinking about having a fit of madness. Even trying to move her one step you could see her sides all tensed up and that she was about to explode.

I am extremely chuffed with her today because we had a superb "oh bugger" moment out hacking this morning. Mum insisted on going in the open fields out the back, instead of up the road and as we've just been plodding I've put Belle in a snaffle. Both horses were snorting their heads off and Noah (in front) saw something scary, spun and took off (totally unexpected from him!). Cue me thinking "oh this is wonderful, I'm on Belle the mentalist who is nervous most of the time and now I'm going to die"... she spun around and went to gallop off too but totally stopped when I asked. She was having a real panic but just pranced around on the spot and didn't go anywhere, despite the fact that Noah was buggering off across the field. Mum managed to pull Noah up too and then Belle led the rest of the way despite having her knickers in a twist and was the very epitome of good sense.

Hooray for Belle! Now if only we could sort out this occasional madness!
 
Thanks, MrsM, I'll certainly look into it (Starzaan mentioned ulcers too). I rode her (Belle, not Starzaan, haha!) Wednesday, Thursday and yesterday and she was like this but then last Sunday before that she had absolutely no issue with her saddle/girth at all (nor did she the times I was riding before that recently). I will be interested to see if this behaviour continues or shows itself in a pattern.

Thanks for your thoughts. I certainly don't want her to be uncomfortable.
 
Sounds like it could be hormones! I have had Orla for 3 years & had tried Oestress, Stroppy Mare, Hormonease for the first 2! We still had behaviour as you have described from February to October!! A year ago last April (after a particular period of extreme stressy behaviour ) finally got the vet to scan her - he discovered that one of her ovaries was the size of a melon!! He prescribed Regumate, scanned her again a few weeks later & it had shrunk significantly. She is now a little star & no longer bucks! I only wish I'd put her on it 3 years ago! :)
 
My mare is a nut. Sweet one minute and mad the next. Shes a rearer too and will throw herself over backwards. She will do it standing on the yard, not tied as she pulls back, for no reason!

Shes very talented though so is quickly forgiven I just have to be really careful what I do with her.

Has no pattern with her seasons
 
Hi HW

Well, ............. spoke to my vet about possible hormonal problem and he explained all about equine ‘seasons’, vaginitis, cystitis, etc. He doesn’t feel the need for hormonal treatment as (in my horses case) the two incidents have been isolated and my mare doesn’t otherwise display ‘mareish’ behaviour. He doesn’t really believe in ‘supplements’ like Moody mare or Oestress – due to possible placebo effect. All in all he feels we should go with the in-depth physio treatment and see.
So, physio was out today, and gave treatment under sedation, and tightness in back much improved afterwards. The physio suggetsed that following treatment she believes my horses behaviour towards tack/ saddle/ girth will be much improved, as the tightness in her back would have been painful, hence objection..............I am hoping so, as especially looking forward to riding my mare again :)
 
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