Mare in Season?

[George123]

Hi, help needed!!

My new horse (owned 6 months) is an 8YO Mare....Seeing as I've not had her long enough to experience what she is like in season, I'm not sure of her symptoms....So if anyone has a mare with similar symptoms so I know she is likley to be in season, it would be good to hear from you...
It's been a while since Ive owned a mare - Could she be having her 1st season of the year around now?
She has been going great the last few weeks, we've been out competing and shes been placed everytime out.....then yesterday, I get on to school her and she was a little "crabby".....She's always OK with the schooling whip but when I tapped her with it she bucked....which she has never done....She tried to have a little nap while she was walking around (which she occasionally does, do no real effect)....worked great in trot and then when I went to put her into canter, she sort of grinded to a halt, refused to move and bucked on the spot.....she did this everytime, till she was just bucking before I even asked for canter...
So, althiough she felt sound etc in tot I thought Id better give her the benefit of the doubt and stuck her on the lunge to see...She was again OK in trot...she was reluctant to canter, but did without bucking but when I got after her with the lunge line, she turned in on me with her ears flat back!! which she has never done...
As background....her teeth were done by top dentist (German team dentist) 3months ago, her saddles were checked and changed 2 months ago, she has the back massage person every 6 weeks....So, she's uptogether in that way....
My initial thought was that she's put something out, likley higher up in her back as she looked leg sound....so I've booked her in to the back physio on Monday....
However, when I got back to the yard, my friend with a mare said do you think she could be in season? She said her horse behaves in that kind of way and that hers was coming into season...As I dont know her, I dont know....! So I thought Id post to see if anyone has mare in season experience.....and if this sounds familiar...?
Thanks
George123

 

[Lauralegg]

Hi George 123,
Your mare sounds exactly like mine. I had owned her for the winter, had been going really nicely in all 3 paces, but come the spring, she refused to canter full spot. She would rear, but, go side ways.

Anyway, got the vet out, he scanned her ovaries and found they were very large and was what was causing her to act like this. We put her on regumate and she was like my old horse again.

She stayed on the rugumate all that summer, that was 2 summers ago, and I have never had a problem with her seasons again.

Let me know if you want any more information.

Laura x

 

[George123]

Hi Laura,

Oh, that's brill, thanks so much for posting!!! Its just what I thought and I wanted to hear someone with similar issues!!

I actually did put her on regumate last night, as I had a can from a previous horse....I'm sure that is what it is...

Also, in the last week, she seems to have dropped condition around her bum and appears to be standing a little tucked up......have you ever seen this with yours? I almost imagine Myself what its like to have period pains and isnt too dis-similar!

She's on the regumate now, so should see a change fairly quickly....I've upped her hay as there's no much grass in her field....She was supposed to be going XC schooling today, but I cancelled that to be on the safe side...I will prob hack her tomorrow with anther horse so she doesnt nap...give hertoday and Sunday off and then take her to backman on Monday....Then at least she has the benefit of the doubt.....And with the regumate aswell, by Tues I should have a different horse!! fingers X'd! She has her 1st event indoor training thing on Fri, so hopefully she'll be back on form by then....

My SJ trainer said he thought it was seasonal too....that the 1st and last seasons of the year are the worse and the behaviour sounded seasonal....but its such a worry.....when you not 100% cos you dont really know the horse....

I will keep her through the can of regumate and then take her off, she will then come into season and then I will know exactly what her seasonal behaviour is....

So glad you posted, thanks.......

George

 

[Lauralegg]

No problem at all. I know exactly what you mean about her being a bit tucked up. She also looked quite stiff over the back, not tracking up very well, just generally miserable like I feel at the time of the month.

the vet told me to kept her on the rugmate constantly though the summer once we had established that it made such a huge difference, and that was definately the solution.

Purdy would make a 1 litre bottle last about 2.5 months, but she's only a little 15.1 hh anglo arab. The dose is suppose to be something like 1ml for each 50kg of horse.


I hope you find it makes a difference for your girl!

Laura x

 

[George123]

Hi Laura,

Yeh, my can of regumate usually lasts about 4 weeks, I use the pig once, its so much cheaper...She has 2 squirts a day....

I have spoken with my vet now and he's adament that it is seasonal behaviour and said that most mares are going into season now...Its weird that she was never a marish mare before...but the vet said that a change of home and circumstance and being out with different horses can create that....Also, she was tried to put into foal last year to the showjumper, Russel , but becuase it was frozen semen it failed but she was on loads of hormone treatment etc which could have created the mareishness now....

Anyway, we are going to try putting the marble in the uterus...have you ever heard of that? It makes the body think its pregnant and stops them coming into season, like the regumate does....appar, it doesnt work for all of them but if it does, in the long run whill be cheaper than regumate!

Regards,
george

 

[cellie]

Your not alone having same problems .Regumate is coming monday and will be thinking along lines of marble.Let me know how it goes as I will week behind you.Be interested in price of marble and regumate as well.
My crabby mare managed to ditch me this morning double spooked first one with huge leap to side I sat but second one immediately afterwards completely unbalanced me as I was already leaning in opposite direction.Shes like mountain goat does huge leaps in the air.One sore bum lol.