Mare in together - hormones flying, is this normal?

[soloequestrian]

My mare has been with geldings since she was weaned until I got a new companion (on loan) in the summer. Companion is a 15yo mare and she seems quite hormonal - does a lot of stamping, squealing and sort of roaring too. Most of the summer my mare has been fairly indifferent to her but this last week they both seem to have had a season together and mine has been a bit daft about it - herding the other mare around, not wanting to leave her. My gelding just looks on in amazement and is often in a different bit of the field so I don't think it's him winding them up although when my mare is in work the loan mare goes and flirts with him. Is this normal? The two mares are not nice to be around when they're loose in the field because they keep doing random strikes, squeals and sometimes kicks. Part of me thinks I should look for a gelding companion instead!

 

[Wizpop]

I don’t know a lot about - mares only had a couple but I have heard that the last season of the year ( possibly about this time) can be very “strong” ie hormonal. If your mares re both in this staate, possibly could explain it and things will settle down? I’m sure someone more knowledgeable will come long with some good information/ advice.

 

[Lois Lame]

Part of me thinks I should look for a gelding companion instead!

Sounds like a good idea.

 

[marmalade76]

I don’t know a lot about - mares only had a couple but I have heard that the last season of the year ( possibly about this time) can be very “strong” ie hormonal. If your mares re both in this staate, possibly could explain it and things will settle down? I’m sure someone more knowledgeable will come long with some good information/ advice.

Interesting, not something I've heard before but my new mare is mega in season and I was thinking perhaps it was the move and/or the new boyfriend ?

OP, perhaps they just need a bit more time to settle? Certainly hope my little mare will settle down more ?

 

[DabDab]

Not normal no. I have a mare who can be very clingy when in season, but if anything she is more clingy to the gelding than my other mare.

The older companion mare sounds like she is quite insecure tbh. She might just need a bit longer to settle

 

[Boughtabay]

I’d keep an eye on the cycle - my mares first and last cycle of the year often lead to a complete personality transplant so she clearly finds the change quite difficult regardless of the gender of her field mates. She settles down back to her level self immediately once these two periods are over though.

 

[MidChristmasCrisis]

My daughters mare behaved like this when a livery yard owner released another mare in with my two mares without introduction time. Stamping, chasing, herding …it was almost as if she was treating my mare as her offspring and protecting her. Relations were never totally relaxed but the yard owner was not as knowledgeable as she professed to be….so we left within a couple of months.

 

[soloequestrian]

Thanks. I'm familiar with the first and last hurrahs but my mare has never been this daft before, something about the new mare seems to be winding her up along with the time of year. They've been together for about 4 months now.