Mareish behaviour worse in winter?

Traks

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Just wondering if anyone else has experienced worse mare seasons in winter over summer?? I know technically they are not meant to cycle but ours definitely does and she’s becoming a right handful! I’m calling the vet today to get her looked at again as I’m convinced something is wrong with her hormones 🤯

Second winter with her, lots of kicky squealy behaviour in the stable and when being handled (only November onwards, was fine all year) so this time last year had her scanned which confirmed she was cycling but nothing abnormal and tried a 2 week regumate trial which made zero difference, had a full lameness work up too and they found hock OA which was medicated with Arthramid successfully, she’s been great since and the behaviour stopped over spring and summer.

But since October she’s been the devil when in season again, seems to be in season every 2 weeks! Kicks, squeals, rubs her bum on the wall etc. then it stops entirely once she’s out of season. She was turned out with geldings at the previous yard which really did not help, she got very clingy to them and was almost unable to be handled as she was kicking out in quite a dangerous way.

We’ve since moved yards and she’s now kept pretty much exclusively with mares in the stable barn and turned out next to mares only and has been a lot better…but a gelding has just moved next to her paddock and she starts kicking and squealing as soon as she walks through her paddock gate in protest! Was almost instant the change.

She has always been fine to ride regardless, my daughter rides her and she’s been absolutely fine despite the seasons, we just keep our distance from others when she’s particularly bad. But last night she was so different! A gelding was in the arena with her and she bucked and bucked about 8 times and kicked and double barrelled the arena fence 🤦🏻‍♀️ my daughter obviously got off as she was clearly not happy and we took her out of the arena until the gelding was finished. Tried to go back in by herself to see if it was just
Him…and she kept squealing in hand, bucking and kicking, honestly was like handling a stallion! So we gave up and took her back to the barn. Never ever seen her like this in the 18 months we’ve had her.

As I said I will call the vet today and get her looked at, I think another scan might be a good option and perhaps a longer regumate trial? I’m not sure 2 weeks was enough? I’ll also ask
Re ulcers because I suppose it is possible? Or she’s got pain again but she was absolutely fine on the weekend being ridden, she is actually moving the best we’ve seen her and considering it’s colder and she is stabled overnight now, she looked great under saddle. She has been refusing jumps a bit more than normal which did make me question if she was sore or had ulcers, but otherwise she looks great. She is on Oestress all year round as this does seem to help, well has in the past.

Anyway will report back 🤦🏻‍♀️
 
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