Mare in season and Head Tossing - connected???

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swinfen

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Just to put you in the picture. I have had my 9 year old mare for 6 months. She is a 15.2 Apaloossa cross, lovely natured mare but has not done anything. People who had her before had her broken/started at 5 and then never rode her - at all! She is doing really well and loves to please. However .... when she is in season she turns into a monster, and for a couple of days it is better just not to ride her at all. Symptoms include the obvious squirty business, squashing me up against the wall when she is tied up, head shaking and generally not wanting her head touched at all - particularly when doing up the bridle. Yesterday we went on our first fun ride with four others. I had thought earlier in the week that she might be coming into season as her behaviour was a bit strange but no obvious squirting. On the ride her head tossing was awful and really difficult to ride to, especially at the trot (which just got faster and faster) She was very excited, and usually when I ride her out either alone or with a friend, we usually have a much more quiet ride. I thought I was going to loose my nose several times when her head shaking was at its worst. When I got home I 'googled' head shaking/tossing, but am really hoping that it could just be a symptom of being in season. Any thoughts? Anyone had a similar problem? Sometimes when asking for a halt she might raise her head (she has a very high head carriage anyway) but I thought this might be a resistance to her bit (half cheek french link)
 
I am no expert but first bet is to get her teeth looked at - i think they teeth around that age (i know that people say to get teeth checked at 5) but also my mares head shaking gets worse when she is in season, she also dislikes having her back and sides groomed so i just tend to take it a bit easy. Thankfully with the winter coming the seasons should come to an end. I have also heard that there are various supplements out there which can help - also if its bad to the point of dangerous i think the vet can prescribe hormones so all not will be lost.Good luck - you are very lucky to have an appaloosa, i had one years ago and she was the most trustworthy and kind horse i could have wished for.
 
i've never had an in-season mare behave like that. with most of my mares, i never ever knew they were in season.
head-tossing around (as opposed to headshaking, which is completely different) only when in season sounds like an excess of "don't touch me, don't even suggest to me, how dare you...!" kind of thing. i always think of Miss Piggy doing that big head-toss "HUH" thing! i think i'd put a longish standing martingale on for the duration (it won't touch her mouth) and see if that helps. at least your teeth will be safer and she'll be easier to control, hopefully. i'd also talk to your vet about putting her on regumate or even giving her the marble, which makes a huge difference to some mares.
there are homeopathic remedies specifically for this sort of thing. pulsatilla and belladonna are particularly good for hormone problems!
tbh if mares get cramps and period pain anything like women, no wonder they act up sometimes.
head-shaking is completely different, it's a sort-of twitchy-ness of the nose, as if riding through a swarm of bees that keep stinging the muzzle. it can escalate to head-tossing, but you get the twitchiness and soreness of the nose, which doesn't sound the case with this one.
i'd agree with getting her teeth checked though, always worth knowing that they're absolutely 100%.
 
poppy is a nightmare when shes in season sound like shes very similar to your mare. there is nothin wrong with poppy physically so it has to be her seasons. we think that was what was wrong with her recently
 
My mare similar to that. Had her wolf teeth taken out but did not improve it. Shes worse when in season & really stroppy, no point in having lessons on her when shes in season - she just does what she wants & will not listen at all.
Really bad when in season...but I love her....
 
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