Mare behaviour in herd- long

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happy_talk

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My mare has recently started acting strangely. she's had 2 very restless nights now- for 24hrs so has now refused hard feed, mints, apple, carrots, but will eat hay. This morning the stable was upside down, she had been completely sweated up literally from head to toe, hadn;t touched her dinner and had only nibbled at hay.
She goes out every day in a large field which has a changing herd (always mixed). Riding school ponies out overnight, joined by liveries in morning and RS ponies come in during day until they've finished. I think my mare is the top/dominant mare in the field. She's been in and out of season all winter. No madness, just a tart if presented with a gelding. She seems to have a new best friend every week, always a mare, and almost always when they're in season. My mare will protect her friend from any horse approaching. Her latest friend is definitely in season now.
So my question is- does a dominant mare usually guard any mares when they're in season? Is she effectively trying to manage "matings"? And, do you think it's possible that my mare is so upset at this other mare being season and not eating? It's all just very odd. My mare is fine to catch, separate and ride away from her "friend". But her not eating is a worry, especially if this is going carry on all summer!
The other possible reason is that a pony (mare) died the other night in the field. Mine wouldn't have had a huge amount of contact time with this pony as she was a riding school pony- but she did have contact time with the body; could she be reacting to the death?
Thank you for reading- sorry it's so long. it's just all very odd!
 
Can't say I've ever noticed mares 'managing' other mares seasons, and all our mares live in 'herds'. However, mares in season in the paddock will often 'switch on' other mares. And most of ours will protect their best friend from other approaching horses, especially the really dominant ones.
I would however be rather concerned about her going off the feed and sweating and turning the stable upside down. Has she eaten anything different prior to this? Perhaps the sweating and mess in the stable could have been caused by her being cast?? She could even have a touch of colic.
 
To me it sounds like she is displaying typical separation anxiety in her stable. Is she grazing normally in the field? If she is I'd presume it is related to either the death or her in season friend. If it persists you could always buy her a stable mirror.

Alternatively if she is seeming in any way out of sorts I'd get the vet as she may have colic (as infact nikkiportia has just mentioned!). Another possibility is that she has overactive ovaries which are causing her seasons and obsessive behaviour. Have you explored this option?
 
Nikkiportia- colic had crossed my mind but i think i've ruled that out as it was a lot of banks down (and I have huge banks) in a large stable a lot more like a mini race track! And her behaviour has been escalating from wed AM with calling out and only managing half of breakfast. At lunch today (I brought her in for a lesson) she calmly ate hay and she did poo. Her feed hasn't been changed for a long time, but i don't know what she eats in the field (obviously).
 
Orangeempire- she's fine in the field, although alert to where horses are when she's first put out. She's fine to catch and happy to be lead away from everyone, calm to ride and doesn't respond at all to calling from the field. She is usually fine on her own in stable (even if out of sight of others- although at night 1 mare is in sight) or when she has been in field on her own. It could be an ovary/hormone problem. just very odd! if only she could talk! If tonight is no better then I think I will get the vet out- especially as I'm away next week!
 
Sounds like seperation-anxiety to me too; perhaps feeling a bit colicky due to some kind of stress? I don't expect the death of the pony will have affected her particularly as she was with the body so will have already dealt with that. Horses don't think like us.
 
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