Owning a mare...

Every time one of these threads appears on a horsey forum, you get all these posters who say, "I can't even tell when my mare is in season! She is the best thing since sliced bread."

Well, that's not quite my experience. I have had my mare for nearly 15 years and she gets a couple strong heats each year where she becomes a raving, sex-starved nymphomaniac. She goes from being a fairly laid-back, sweet, pleasant creature to work with to hot, sharp, and horrendously herdbound. No longer is she that horse you can slop along with on a long rein alone on a hack; she's on her toes, passaging, whinnying, trying to spin, in love with anything and I mean anything, vaguely equine, and can't deal with being out of sight of it. Mare, gelding, stallion, doesn't matter. The good news is that this only occurs during her early heats in the spring, which is like March or April, except for this year, where March and April were so cold that all hell didn't break loose until early June. Then she comes back to Planet Earth five or so days later. And then you get it again in her last heat of the summer, where she is desperate to have a foal, right now, before winter. The other good news is that while hacks are scary, her dressage during those weeks is amazing because of that extra kick you get with her being sharp/nutty.

The first year I owned her, I asked my vet about Regumate. My vet told me that Regumate is toxic to handle, especially for women, and expensive, and advised that it was far easier to deal with a horse who is a pain in the ass a couple weeks a year than deal with Regumate,
 
I wanted a mare, as most of the horses I have really bonded with have been mares. Now I have owned one I would never ho back!

She is so clever and sensitive, she is eager to please and expressive, loving, protective, bold, and very vocal. I can't think of a single negative.

Well maybe I can, she can learn a dressage test faster than I can, she's a worrier, she sulks when we go on holiday and don't see her for a while. She's a diva, she makes it abundantly clear when things (like her dinner) aren't up to her high standards. And she doesn't do mud.............
 
I have 3 mares, did not buy them because they were mares I bought them because they were right for me. 1 does pull lots of faces at me but never follows through with the threat, but she is new to me so we are still getting to know each other. My older mare who I have had for nearly 10 years as been my horse of a lifetime, her only fault is she can be very flirty with the males when in season but thats nature I suppose. My 3rd mare is 3 and I can honestly say I have yet to see a season, but then the other two have had foals and know what stallions are about lol.
 
I would own either in all honesty. I've ridden a few mares in the past and they were more consistent then a gelding and not moody at all to be fair.
 
This is all pretty positive then, I'll just take her as I find her! I did feel like we were communicating when I tried her, I could 'hear' her if that makes any sense, so hopefully that will bode well for the future. Vetting first, then I'll stick up some pics when she's home.

I probably ought to thank Goldenstar as I believe it was she who said that the horse after a horse of a lifetime is always a let down. My last mare was that unlucky horse, and i resented her for it. I've been blaming that on her gender for years, but really it's because she wasn't him. After thinking about it, i was in a much better frame of mind to see this girl, and thank heavens (and goldenstar) for that!
 
Unfortunately my mare is the most Marish of them all, flounces about, squeals, you can feel her heart beat when she comes across anything she's not sure of, very highly strung when she wants to be, but on all other occasions she is the sweetest most loving, affectionate pony there could be. She always neighs to me, runs to the gate, chases me round the field for a belly rub. She is adorable! And her manners on the ground are impeccable. So even though she is Marish she's lovely to! I have chosen to get geldings from now on, but have stumbled across the same problem, a gelding who thinks he's a stallion... And no he's not a rig haha! I think it's just my luck!!!
 
SadKen said:
So... All being well and if she passes the vet, I've just agreed to buy a mare, deliberately and of my own volition. I've always been a gelding girl but didn't have a huge amount of luck with my last one so have broadened my mind.

I've owned one mare before, but we didn't see eye to eye and neither would budge. This girl doesn't seem moody at all, you'd have to look to know she is a mare! I'm not a moody type and I find moodiness difficult to deal with, in animals and people (although oh is a real diva if hungry). She is a lovely girl, she reminds me of my mum in attitude and laughed at my lack of bravery when I tried her!

What should I expect, and are there any must dos or must not dos anyone can think of specific to mares? Gawd, I don't even know how often they come into season!! Do I need to get regumate? Will she turn her friends against me if I wear the wrong shoes?
Click to expand...

My first horse was a mare, an ex racer, many moons ago, she was soft lovelable and not a "typical" mare. Then I had a gelding, gorgeous boy no complaints, then I had an american QH mare, nightmare on four legs, stubborn and quirky, terrible attitude towards work, other horses etc and could give the tb's a run for their money in the breakage stakes and unsound beyong belief, diva drama queen! put me off mares for life. I now have a gelding, the children have a mare pony and she is adorable and somewhat cheeky and mareish but it seems to be funny because she is so small! For me mares are marmite.
 
I now have a mare after 16 years of owning a gelding, I got her as a just backed 5 year old at the beginning if the year and she was as quiet as a lamb until the spring grass/season combo about June when she became a bit silly and very flirty with all the geldings. She also had a few bronco moments but the she calmed down and now, having got through that together, we have an incredibly strong bond and I hope that all that flirtatiousness means she'll be easy to breed from many years hence..
 
I love mares at one point I had eleven of them .
my two favourite horses ever where mares I have four geldings now no reason its just how it happened .
 
honestly relax and just treat her like any other horse....obviously take precautions at first until you get to know eg. when hacking out etc. with friends give her plenty of space behind but you will soon find out if she is "mareish" (personlly hate this word but i am yet to come up with a suitable/understandable alternative) and just enjoy her and give her a chance to prove anti-mare people wrong (she might not but...)

ps regumate really NOT necessary unless being in season is really causing issues eg. she is sore or really miserable and anywaysI'd use OESTRESS.
 
I've had 4 mares and never owned a gelding. They have all been/are superb. The current two are like chalk and cheese but both fantastic horses. I never have and never will understand the anti-mare brigade. They give you 110%!!!
 
SadKen said:
So... All being well and if she passes the vet, I've just agreed to buy a mare, deliberately and of my own volition. I've always been a gelding girl but didn't have a huge amount of luck with my last one so have broadened my mind.
Click to expand...
Good luck with the vetting.

I've owned one mare before, but we didn't see eye to eye and neither would budge. This girl doesn't seem moody at all, you'd have to look to know she is a mare! I'm not a moody type and I find moodiness difficult to deal with, in animals and people (although oh is a real diva if hungry). She is a lovely girl, she reminds me of my mum in attitude and laughed at my lack of bravery when I tried her!
Click to expand...
I have loads of mares and none of them are moody in the slightest. They are all incredibly cuddly and sweet.

What should I expect, and are there any must dos or must not dos anyone can think of specific to mares? Gawd, I don't even know how often they come into season!! Do I need to get regumate? Will she turn her friends against me if I wear the wrong shoes?
Click to expand...
Lol! You are over-thinking this! She's just a horse. I find mares very easy to become connected with. I've never found it taking a long time to 'bond' with any mares I've bought. Mares come into heat roughly every 3 weeks. FWIW Regumate is banned from my farm and I'd never have a mare live here if her owner wanted her to be on Regumate. Enjoy your mare. I Like my geldings, but I adore all of my mares!
 
Last edited:
I've always owned mares, not by preference/choice, coincidence I guess. They have all been very different though. First was not mareish at all and was extremely quiet to handle, but as soon as you got on her back she was- spooky, sharp, quirky, and just a bit nuts. I didn't gel with her at all. Second was a "typical" ginger mare and would try to eat anyone who went in her stable, she was constantly moody/miserable, but was my absolute mare of a life-time and we had such a close bond, I miss her dearly. My current mare I'm still trying to figure out ;)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top