Mare in season pinning you against the wall...

[little_flea]

My share horse gets rather bad seasons - she becomes very switched off, squirts, plants herself and also pins people against the wall and just won't move... I have never had a "moody mare" before so I don't really know how to deal with this. Why do they do this "pinning"?

The horse is obviously feeling uncomfortable when in season so we don't really ask her to do much work, but I am finding it hard to know how much of this behaviour to accept, and to know when to say stop - yesterday she had me against the wall and wouldn't move no matter what, so my sister had to get a schooling whip out to get me away from her... this is obviously unpleasant indeed - I don't want to punish her as I can't imagine there is maliciousness involved, but at the same time this behaviour is verging on the dangerous...

What do you do with your moody mares? I am at a loss here, having never had one so not knowing how to react to these strange moods.

She is on Oestress, which seemed to help for a while.

 

[0ldmare]

I remember a mare at a livery yard I was at about 20 years ago used to pin her owner against the wall when she was in season. I agree its not likely to be malicious, but is rather dangerous non the less. I seem to remember she got some stuff from her vet which helped, but I cant recall what it was. It might be worth talking to your vet though. It does sound like she really suffers more than most!

 

[LeneHorse]

My mare does this and I agree with you that she does not do it out of badness but because she is uncomfortable. I just avoid putting myself in the position where she can squash me, and warn anyone else who is handling her that she can do this. Not ideal, but she is a good mare otherwise. She is on Hormonise (liquid chaste berry) which helps a bit. I can now ride her when she is in season, when I first got her she would just plant and squirt!
Good luck with yours!

 

[toffeesmarty]

How old is she? When my mare was 7 she had a really bad year. I out it down to her finally maturing and her seasons knocked her ( and me ) for six!
I got regumate for her which certainly helped as well as a magnesium supplement. This combination helped her cope and I was able to ride. She hasn't been as bad since although she has just had a foal!
I'd speak to your vet to check for things like for cists on her ovaries.
I'm gled you realise her behaviour is due to her feeling uncomfortable as there are lots others who'd be less understanding and tolerant. A friend who I really thought should know better told me she needed to learn manners!

 

[Cinders]

God so glad i'm not the only one! Other people i've known with mares that are bad in season just say their mare gets frisky and difficult to handle but until now i haven't come across anyone else who's mare goes all distant and switch off like mine. We're considering regumate after trying lots of products unsuccessfully such as oestress as my mare comes into season every 2 weeks and it's draining for everyone having to deal with her when she's like this. Everyone has to be so careful with her as even just going into her stable she'll attempt to crush you against the wall which is quite serious as shouting, pushing etc won't make her move at all.

Not sure what else we can do really, don't want to go for regumate due to costs but i don't feel we have any choice, my mares currently recovering from an injury and any vet visits require careful planning as when she comes into season she's so difficult and has to be dragged along which of course vets don't want to put up with. One vet even said she was the worst mare in season they'd ever seen

 

[toffeesmarty]

Your bit about knowing when to get the vet to visit rings bells with me. When Toffee was as bad yours she would have a cycle over about 10 days which went :1 good day followed by a really bad one (day 2) then one where she was in the middle (day 3). I'd try and time visits for either day 1 or 3!
You can use the pig version of regumate (cheaper). Yes its expensive but it isn't for ever and if it makes her feel better you'll enjoy her more too. Three years ago it was impossible to groom her as she would jump away from being brushed as she found being touched too painful as she was soo sensitive. I just wanted her to feel ok which regumate helped.

Or....you could put her in foal which is what I did!
The last year has been great. She has been soooo chilled and I now remember the reason I bpought her all those years ago pre-hormones and I have a gorgeous three week old filly.

 

[Angua2]

The mare is only 5 and has always been a little distant and switched off during her seasons but it was always manageable, this has been her worst so far.... However, I have just got off the phone with her elusive vet and as a starting point she has an appointment for a scan

 

[Angua2]

just a quick update for you all on this.

the mare has had the required blood tests and has also been scanned and the vets suspect and ovarian tumour.