Moody mare owners

[Lucy_Ally]

Those of you that have your mares on a supplement to help with hormonal problems, do you give it all year round? Or just when the mares are cycling (i.e. in the summer months)?
I have just finished a tub of Oestress and wasn't planning on buying another until next spring unless she reverts back to being an hormonal cowbag!! I am hoping that her seasons will be coming to an end now, I haven't noticed her being in season for a few weeks but wondering if this might be the lull before the storm!!

 

[frannieuk]

LOL, I thought you meant the mares owners were moody!

 

[Lucy_Ally]

Well they may be, I suppose it depends on how stroppy their mares are!

 

[miller]

OH uses supplement on his mare only when cycling - she's not moody as such just the brain doesn't connect when in season.

She's on Feel Good 30 Hormonal Mare and getting better results with this (Plus Sepia as per Hils suggestion) than any other supp

 

[Saber]

I used to feed oestress... it's good but I had to feed it through winter... although my mare isn't moody, she does show strange behaviour when in season... rubbing her tail raw... flinchiness etc... I had to feed through winter because if she meets a new gelding it's only a couple of days before she's in season, pfft.. flirt...

I would talk to the vet first though... I've stopped using it for her now, I didn't notice a difference when she came of it, and she's currenty in season. She's supplemented up to the eyeballs anyway, and she barely eats that. Adding oestress (aka curry powder smelling yellow stuff) put her off her food even more when added to the hoof supplement (sweet aniseed smelling stuff) I don't blame her, lol.

Rain.

 

[Lucy_Ally]

Thanks
Spring isn't really moody either, she just becomes quite clingy to other horses and we had some issues about her leaving the field

but they have crept back occaisionally despite being on the oestress - usually if she had a change in routine. She wasn't particularly bad and she wasn't on it last winter so hoping she will follow suit this year.

Out of interest what do you feed your mare now to help with her seasonal behaviour?

 

[Saber]

I don't feed her anything extra now, I to give her enough feed just to absorb her foot supplement (she's barefoot). I have to keep an eye on her when she's near geldings and when she's brought in to be ridden, otherwise she will rub her tail. She lives out 24/7 now which has helped a lot, her behaviour can be quite erratic when in season, she's spookier, buckier. But we cope, she's currently turmed out with my mare and foal, the company has really helped her. Before she was just turned out in an adjacent field to another horse. But actually having the contact and herd life has made her calmer.
I do have my concerns about her behaviour and will be getting the vet to check her over when he visits the yard. I'm not completely convinced she doesn't have a hormone problem. But I don't believe the Oestress was helping that much.
I think by having a mare your expect to have some behaviour issues, but I have always wondered whether behaviour changes if they have a foal? I've been told it can improve any seasonal behaviour, but on the other hand I've heard it can make them much worse? Heard anything like that?

Rain

 

[Lucy_Ally]

I think to be honest it is different for individual mares and having a foal may help some and not others. Spring is not really mareish and doesn't become grumpy or difficult to ride, she just gets a little more opinionated to be handled, but having invested in a a Be Nice headcollar she seems to be better. I may try without the Oestress next year if I can, just because it works out quite expensive and in real terms she's not that bad.
The other thing I have heard is the vet putting a marble in the uterus to fool the mare into thinking she is pregnant, this will stop her seasonal cycles. But again I don't think it works for them all.

 

[galaxy]

Hi my friends mare is really bad and ended up being scanned and going on Regumate. We asked the vet when you take her off for the winter and she said when he weather gets colder. She's still on it at the moment, but I think it will only be another couple of weeks.