Weird Mare Behaviour

[atropa]

Just wondering if anyone can help shed some light on my mares behaviour that I've noticed this past winter.

I have two mares, one 16yo who is the dominant one of the pair, and one 9yo. They have known each other for 18 months, and have been really close since we moved yards last March. Currently they are turned out together during the day, but are stabled in separate blocks at night.

The 16yo has always been quite a vocal horse, usually in response to food or hacking out away from her friends etc. A few times this winter, I've watched her walk up to my younger mare when they're turned out together , squeaking and grunting with her neck arched, almost like a stallion. They touch noses, and there's loud breathing/continued squeaking for a few seconds, then she wanders off. Twice I've watched her do it when I've turned out my younger mare after we've been to an outing, as if she's excited to see her and saying hi, and bizarrely twice I've seen her do it after they've been turned out together for hours in the snow.

I'm not an expert on horse body language at all, so I'd love to hear people's thoughts on this. It's not followed by the usual mareish squealing and foot stamping.

 

[Pearlsasinger]

They are not so vocal about it but we have two mares who have been together for 41/2 yrs. Until very recently we had 4 mares, who were grazed in pairs, sadly the older 2 had to be pts recently. The two we have left have stayed in their usual boxes, which means that they cannot touch each other overnight. When they go out now, they often touch noses, arch their necks and try to get their head above the other's head.
It's pretty normal behaviour really.

 

[atropa]

They are not so vocal about it but we have two mares who have been together for 41/2 yrs. Until very recently we had 4 mares, who were grazed in pairs, sadly the older 2 had to be pts recently. The two we have left have stayed in their usual boxes, which means that they cannot touch each other overnight. When they go out now, they often touch noses, arch their necks and try to get their head above the other's head.
It's pretty normal behaviour really.

Pearlsasinger sorry to hear about your older two. Ah so it's probably them just re-establishing hierarchy then? I haven't ever seen them try and get their heads above each other, will keep my eyes peeled for that. I love watching them interact with each other.

 

[BeckyFlowers]

It's probably as Pearlsasinger has said - pretty normal behaviour. However if this behaviour gets more extreme or "stallion-like", for example she becomes aggressive or starts mounting the other mare, then have her checked by a vet for granulosa theca cell tumour. Easily diagnosed by ultrasound of the ovaries and bloodwork.