Mare in season questions...

sandi_84

sandi_84

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Sorry I wasn't sure where to post this one...

My friend has just been on the phone to me talking about her mare.
She is in season a lot atm and only seems to not be in season for a few days at the time. Her field mate keeps trying to mount her which she's not happy with. My friend is having some sort of blood test done on the gelding to make sure he was properly gelded (owner doesn't know as she got him when he was 12 I think) and he's never been in a mixed herd before so is understandably excited :rolleyes: She has seperated them for the moment but wanted me to ask:

If the bloods come back that he has been properly gelded will he stop trying to mount her after a while i.e will he get used to it and calm down.

Are there supplements out there that can suppress seasons completely/ a little and if so what are they and what are the long term effects of feeding them?
 
is she properly in season or just displaying estrus type behaviour? How old is the mare? TBH i would be getting her tested for tumours in her ovaries.
 
Delicious_D said:
is she properly in season or just displaying estrus type behaviour? How old is the mare? TBH i would be getting her tested for tumours in her ovaries.
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Oh I don't know, I haven't really seen her myself :cool: She's 15. My friend had the vet out to do her jabs the other day and he knows she's in season but that unfortunately is the extent of my knowlage :cool:
Is continually being in season/ displaying seasonal behaviour sometimes indicative of ovarian tumours? :eek:
 
Have a chat with your vet. One of my mares can be a horror in season at this time of year. One of my geldings can also get a bit fruity and I have to seperate him twice a year. He has been tested and is not a rig,
We gave the mare regumate the first year and she has settled and is better apart from the first one of the year:eek:
 
maree t said:
Have a chat with your vet. One of my mares can be a horror in season at this time of year. One of my geldings can also get a bit fruity and I have to seperate him twice a year. He has been tested and is not a rig,
We gave the mare regumate the first year and she has settled and is better apart from the first one of the year:eek:
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Sorry maree t,
she's not my mare I just told my friend I'd ask about for info for her. What's regumate and what does it do?
 
The continuous seasons MIGHT be an indication of GC tumours on her ovaries, usually that also is combined with other signs, though. It sounds scary, but it is relatively easy to sort out with surgery and majority of mares make full recovery.
Other signs would be stallion like behaviour, sometimes aggression towards other horses but extreme ''mardiness'' towards people and loss of performance, possibly reluctance to jump.
I agree that I would be seeking veterinary advice for the mare rather than the gelding, who more likely than not is just a bit fruity.
 
The mare could just be trasitional between winter non cycling and summer cycling. Some mares seem to get stuck. They usually settle down on their own but a scan by the vet to confirm and a shot of hormones can hurry things along. I doubt that the gelding has any problems.
 
EPRider said:
The mare could just be trasitional between winter non cycling and summer cycling. Some mares seem to get stuck. They usually settle down on their own but a scan by the vet to confirm and a shot of hormones can hurry things along. I doubt that the gelding has any problems.
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I'd agree. It's still early and a lot of mares can be transitional for several months. Being in season a lot is rarely indicative of a GTC tumour - these tumours excrete testosterone so a mare with one will usually NOT come into season!

Regumate stops a mare coming into season, so apart from its use in breeding, it can be useful for ridden mares who are particularly 'marish' and whose seasons muck up their competition work (Regumate IS permitted for mares under rules.) But it's quite expensive and has to be carefully handled so I wouldn't be in a rush to put a mare on it unless her behaviour persisted.
 
Ok thanks everyone I'll let her know what's been said here and she can sort out a vet visit etc.

If the vet comes back with an all clear are there other suppliments like regumate out there?
 
Regumate is not a supplement, but there are loads supplements on the market that target this sort of issue, whether they work or not I wouldn't want to guess.
Another option is implanting marbles, certainly easier to manage than Regumate.
 
martlin said:
Regumate is not a supplement, but there are loads supplements on the market that target this sort of issue, whether they work or not I wouldn't want to guess.
Another option is implanting marbles, certainly easier to manage than Regumate.
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:eek: That sounds a bit scary! Any info would be gratefully received by my friend about things that would help supress her mare's seasons - after vet gives the all clear of course!
 
sandi_84 said:
:eek: That sounds a bit scary! Any info would be gratefully received by my friend about things that would help supress her mare's seasons - after vet gives the all clear of course!
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they just insert marbles into the mare, your friend's vet will be able to suggest all sorts of treatments and procedures, they will be much better equipped to do so than an internet forum crowd :)
 
She could try Agnus castus, its the main ingredient in mare supplements and you can buy the pure powder online quite cheaply. It's supposed to help regulate cycles and can also be used for riggy geldings (main ingredient in rigcalm). Regumate is quite a potent thing and wouldn't jump straight to it.

I wouldn't be too concerned just yet although by all means speak to the vet...the weather has been crazy, I think a lot of mares have confused cycles and mine is on AC to see if that'll help, not been long enough to tell really!

Separating them is a good idea if there is a lot of mounting going on.

My mare actually verges on stallion-like behaviour on occasion (when her new companion came in she was rearing and looked like she would mount her through the fence if she could), hmm interesting what you said about testosterone JG.
 
Couple of years ago my mare had a persistant follicle she was fine once it dispersed. Mares are funny critters and can be a bit upset by seasons but once they settle they are fine. I would try the Agnus Castus first as it is a simple supplement and can be given to the naughty boy too to calm him a bit
 
I feel your pain! My mare is the most mareish mare I have ever met! Her seasons are often triggered by visiting geldings (who show interest in her even though they are effectively gelded) she is a coloured cob, and according to the vet these horses are the tarts of the equine world :p
But for a supplement, I would highly recommend NAF Oestress. My mare has been on it for years, and it honestly does work. I have also heard others saying that it has really made a difference with their mares.
Mine used to have such extreme seasons, she'd be aggressive with it, cornering people in the stable, kicking out, mood swings, sensitivity around the ovary areas and general mareishness.
Oestress is herbal and magnesium based (as magnesium is the active ingredient in many calming supplements, it really seems to work with the mood side of things without resorting to harsher hormone treatments).
Also I read an article about Regumate and have heard vets speaking about it, apparantly it is only used as a last resort, and not a long-term fix. Also there is issues with it reducing human fertility so you're advised to wear gloves when handling it if you're of child bearing age :eek: personally that is not a risk I'd like to take unless it was recommended by the vet as a last resort.
Good luck and hope you find something :D
 
mandwhy said:
My mare actually verges on stallion-like behaviour on occasion (when her new companion came in she was rearing and looked like she would mount her through the fence if she could), hmm interesting what you said about testosterone JG.
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Stallion-like behaviour is usually the first real symptom of a Granulosa Theca Cell tumour - they're not uncommon - I've 'diagnosed' at least 3 in the past few years on internet forums (and was proved right when the mare was scanned.)

One friend thought her mare was just a 'bit of a bitch' until she copped a mouthful of dreadful abuse after her mare was seen mounting another livery client's mare. After surgery, the mare was a MUCH nicer person!

But some mares can be agressive owards 'strangers' without a GTC tumour. The 2nd most common symptom of a GTC tumour is that the mare usually doesn't come into season. It can be ruled out by a scan of the ovaries (if they both look normal and the same size, that's fine.)
 
Just to clarify here, my mare was actually displaying season like behaviour and reluctance to stretch/jump followed by stallion like behaviour towards other horses but extreme friendliness and cuddliness towards me. After the surgery she is back to her aloof usual self :)
 
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