mare getting kicked in mixed herd

[happy_talk]

My mare is turned out 24/7 in a mixed herd. it's a riding school, so it's mainly just the liveries out during the day until the school ponies have finished and then go out. however, recently the number of kicks my mare has recieved is getting beyond a joke. they range from being "skinned" to actually cuts, resulting with at least a few days off work. It's not helped by her being a sensitive soul to any injury- swellings will take weeks, instead of days to go down on her.
I'm sure that it's "bickering" from amongst the other mares- but nobody has ever seen any fighting. Plus, mine isn't shy off telling the boys when she's "ready"

!
Except moving her to a different yard with smaller/individual turn out groups, is there anything I can do? Would something like regumate help? any of the "feed additives"? bearing in mind, she's fine in every other way when in season.

 

[tabithakat64]

Things like this usually settle down, I think you need to watch your mare in the field to establish what the problem actually is before you can decide what action to take. Some people have had success with hormonal supplements but I'm not sure it would stop her being mounted if this is how she is getting injured. If it is a bullying issue with other mares most liveries aren't backwards about telling people what they've seen

 

[happy_talk]

don't think it's a mounting issue- the only gelding who has been seen to mount is no longer there.
Think the problem is coming from "within the mares". the girls do tend to always be together.

 

[Ziggy_]

Is it the same horses turned out together every day or does it change regularly?

When mine first went out in the mixed herd at my yard she was in season and this definitely contributed to her being beaten up 10x more than any of the others ever were. They settled down untl another mare came into season, when they started on my horse again. In all it took about a month but touch wood I think there ok now - a hormonal supplement might help as seasons do seem to trigger aggressive behaviour from the other horses. Haven't had experience of using one myself though.

 

[happy_talk]

yes same herd since we've been at yard (almost 1 yr), although 1 other mare was introduced a few weeks ago, but thought they had sorted themselves out (blamed for double barrelled kick marks a few weeks ago).
my mare cycles all year, but it's the past month of 2 that things are starting to get silly. lucky she's not a show horse- well, she wouldn't be anymore!