Mare in Season All year round, any info?????

[birchave0]

My little homebred mare who will be four in June is constantly in season

It continues all year round, the squirting, the mess, the filthy bedding. i'm becoming a bit concerned now as we are hoping to make a real start with her education, and her hormones are making things difficult.

She is very attached to a pony mare on the yard who behaves like a stallion when around my mare. it has become difficult as if we try and remove her from the field (they are in next door paddocks) she creates, screaming and becoming rather bolshie.

Even when the pony mare is nowhere in sight if she is in season, she is very difficult. The last time involved her rearing and plunging while I was on her which was very unnerving!

I'm desparate to get on with her training but it's a waste of time when she seems to be in season all the time.

Is there anything we can give her? I know regimate would help but it is only available through the vet, is there anything else?

thanks

 

[AndyPandy]

When you say "constantly in season" what do you mean? Is she cycling consistently? If she is aggressive/crazy when she's actually in season then it's possible that she could have equine nymphomania. If this is the case, then option 2 below may not work.

Your options are:

1) Ovariectomy (i.e. surgical removal of the ovaries) - but this is expensive, risky, and obvioulsy precludes the mare from having her own foals in the future (I say "her own" specifically, because ovariectomised mares are sometimes used as recipients in ET programmes).

2) Uterine marble - a marble is put into the uterus. The mare assumes a "pregnant state" which may last from 20-90 days or more. The marble needs to be removed at least every 90 days. This is the least expensive method but is not guaranteed to work.

3) Regumate - which suppresses her cycles in a similar way to the marble, through mimicking (to some extent) actions of the "pregnancy" hormone; progesterone. It's going to cost you 50-80p a day for this regime.

It may be due to adrenal steroid production, in which case dexamethasone may suppress the behaviour.

If it's a real problem you need to get your vet to check her thoroughly.

 

[birchave0]

almost every three weeks she is in season, even now as I type she is peeing all over the place! I've had mares over the years and never encountered one like her. She is TB x Cob, surely at this time of year she should not be cycling?

She does not seem to be bothered by geldings or even interested, there are three on the yard.

I had asked our vet a while ago about the marble option, but he was very vague and seemed to not agree with the proceedure.

Do you think regimate would help? Would it regulate her cycle to a normal one or would it stop it all together?

 

[birchave0]

[ QUOTE ]
When you say "constantly in season" what do you mean? Is she cycling consistently? If she is aggressive/crazy when she's actually in season then it's possible that she could have equine nymphomania.

[/ QUOTE ]

She is not agressive just very awkward and argumentitive, she is also very easily distracted

 

[Penniless]

Don't know if this would be of any help to you but before you start paying out mega money, ask for your vet to do a swab first of all. Years ago (about 25+ years) one of our mares was exactly like yours. We wanted to breed from her and when we got her swabs done, it was found that she was "dirty". A course of anti-biotics did the trick and from then on (lived for another 20+ years) never ever had a problem with her.

Alternatively get the vet to scan her first and see whether anything obvious is going on with her. Would suggest you get an actual equine stud vet - not just a horse vet.

Also bear in mind that a lot of mares do constantly squirt but aren't actually in season. Hope you get her sorted.

 

[birchave0]

Thanks Penniless, I think I may struggle to find a stud vet as most vets around here are just general practice so to speak, we are not a big stud/breeding area.

Does anyone have any recommendations? We live in Tyne and Wear.

 

[Penniless]

[ QUOTE ]
Thanks Penniless, I think I may struggle to find a stud vet as most vets around here are just general practice so to speak, we are not a big stud/breeding area.

Does anyone have any recommendations? We live in Tyne and Wear.

[/ QUOTE ]

Don't know anyone in your area, but I'm sure that if you rang our vets (Rossdales in Newmarket) and explained that you needed a good stud vet, they may be able to recommend one to you or tell you where to look. Don't know if the RCVS website would give a list of specialist vets.

 

[competitiondiva]

Hi there just to let you know that not all mares will stop coming into season in winter some will cycle all year round. As far as the behaviour is concerned have you had her scanned? A 2 year old filly my friend had displayed similar behaviour and was found to have ovarian cysts, you can get regular treatment for this or have the ovaries removed but the latter is very expensive, intrusive and I would not jump to it as a first option. The 2 year old successfully bred as a 3 year old so fertility is not affected on the treatment.

 

[shazza283]

Most specialist equine vets do a good proportion of stud work and should be competent enough to examine your girl.

I'd suggest Young, Proctor & wainwright - Stocksfield just west of Newcastle. There's also Scott Mitchell assocs at Hexham - if these no good let me know more specific area and I'll have another go.

Oh and Steve England at Oaklands in Yarm v good too.

Jon Pycock is based in Malton, N Yorks and he is THE repro chap oop north but I'd go with a good local equine vet who can refer you to an equine repro expert if necessary.

I have had 1 TB mare and know of quite a few others who cycle thru' all 12 months - not unusual.

 

[birchave0]

[ QUOTE ]
Most specialist equine vets do a good proportion of stud work and should be competent enough to examine your girl.

I'd suggest Young, Proctor & wainwright - Stocksfield just west of Newcastle. There's also Scott Mitchell assocs at Hexham - if these no good let me know more specific area and I'll have another go.

Oh and Steve England at Oaklands in Yarm v good too.

Jon Pycock is based in Malton, N Yorks and he is THE repro chap oop north but I'd go with a good local equine vet who can refer you to an equine repro expert if necessary.

I have had 1 TB mare and know of quite a few others who cycle thru' all 12 months - not unusual.

[/ QUOTE ]

Thanks for that, Steve England used to be at Barnard Castle vets and looked after my mare with her first foal, I thought he had retired through ill health, but that was back in 2004/5. Still a very good vet though.

I did think about Young and Proctor as they are not too far away. We use Blythmans for all the usual stuff but I don't think they are too clued up when it comes to the breeding side. I did ask a while ago about the marble option and they didn't know what I was talking about!