Info needed on mares in season?

Question

HI - I have just recently bought a 10 yr old mare, she was brilliant when I rode her, very calm, honest and gentle. Now she is sensitive to touch, 'winking' and peeing a lot, and her whole manners have changed - I'm guessing she is in season, I do not have any experience with mares - my other horses are geldings, so I don't know what to do to help her, also how often do they come into season and how long does it last?

Sorry bludanez - I know I said I don't know much about mares, but I'm afraid to tell you mare DO come into season, and my mare is VERY normal. I just do not know enough about how to cope with her when her attitude changes and her hormones take over as I am used to only ever have male (geldings) horses

Answer 1

Mares do become very sensitive when they are in season, it is not uncommon for their whole temperament to change. The reason they can become very twitchy & sensitive (some can even become unridable when they are in season) is because as the overy releases the egg it can be quite painful for the mare (similar to bad period pain for horses) hence the change in behaviour if your mare suddenly becomes grumpy & snappy.
Most mares just pee alot & flirt outrageously as this is what would tell a stallion that they are receptive to their attentions. Many mares become either sluggish or sharper when you ride them due to the hormonal changes.
As other people answering your question have stated, the mares cycle will be on average between 21 & 23 days and the actual season itself can last anything from 2 days to 7 days depending on the mare although 4 or 5 is more normal. Most mares start their seasons round about Feb/March time & they continue to approx Septemeber/October although again this is dependant on the mare & also the weather conditions.

If your mare is very tempermental, I have had sucess with a herbal product call Oestrus. For more difficult cases your vet may prescribe a drug called Regumate which had been very successful with very problematic mares.

Answer 2

Yes mares can be spayed BUT - bit but here - I've had experience dealing with it. Obviously it's irreversable. If there's ANY interest in ever breeding the mare don't. "Normal" mares -don't do it.
The mare I dealt with was a polo mare that was always either coming in, in season or going out. She was a danger to herself and others when she'd flip out for no external reason. She'd go through a fence trying to get at another horse who was in her airspace. Regumate was tried - didn't work. There were several things tried that did not help - she was a grade TB ?cross?, the owner had $ and there was no interest in ever breeding her. She had gotten bad enough at times there was two options - death or surgery. She was slated for surgery to be spayed. I want to say this ran (Uof IL) about $1500 - she was there for several days, came home and had to be kept in, walked, monitored (incisions in her side in front of the hip bones) then after a week and a half or so was turned in a small paddock. The difference in this mare was AMAZING. She was no longer witchy - she was pleasant to be around, she actually sought out people and attention, she no longer gave ANY time or effort to other horses even when a youngster bit at her over the fence. That's not extensive experience but I'm convinced it was the absolute best choice for *this mare*. She went from "I hate this mare" to "I'd take her home".
However, there *are* risks. It's major surgery, no mincing words. They're put under and there's ALWAYS a risk putting horses under. There's chance the sutures will get infected. There's chances of many things going wrong. This mare healed up fine - but there were several points in her recovery I could see the possibilities for something going wrong.
Mares that are hypersensitive happen - I knew a mare years ago the only time she was fit to deal with was when she was pregnant.

Answer 3

Mares come into season once a month the same as women & their cycle lasts anything from 3-7 days all through the Summer and most mares (but not all) stop in the Winter. Try "s lut mix" or "Moody Mare" or there is Regumate that you can also put in her feed. The pig Regumate is safe & widely used for horses and cheaper than the equine type. If she is really bad you could talk to your vet about having marbles inserted into her which work in a similar way to the coil in women. Good luck.

Answer 4

Depending on where you live you mare will start to cycle in the spring and she will cycle about every 21 days. About once a month. She will show signs like you describe. In the fall she will stop for the winter.
They make some suppliments like Moody Mare and such with some herbal stuff to help. If she is really bad you can use Regumate to stop her estrus cycles but it is expensive and you have to be very careful handling it. The suppliment are better ir they work for your mare.
Good luck with her. Mares take a little adjustment. I like my geldings better but I have an awsome mare and I have gotten used to her being a little touchy at times.

Answer 5

ATP is dead on!

Also, I've used calm and cool which has seemed to work just fine for the specific mare. You should talk with your vet about adding a supplement for mares into her diet. They have a lot on the market these days. Although, a lot of people over supplement these days so be very careful what you add to your horses diet.

Answer 6

every body says round about the same thing but in summer they come in to season more and the older they get is she winking [ like little wees some mess on her hind legs ] also good sign that she is. I have a old mare she is 24 and still going in summer she is in season every 2 weeks she only a pain around the boys and you can not go near her hind legs she will kick

Answer 7

I have a mare and she gets the same way I think they all do.I havent tried it yet but I have been told that there is a birthcontrol pill for horses and I am going to look more into that.Also i have heared that they can now spay a horse like a dog.Anyone else ever hear of this one

Answer 8

Yes, she is in season, she will be a bit grouchy and testy, its normal. There are options to reduce the amount of times a year they go into season, talk to your vet. Her calm disposition will soon return, continue riding her as usual, just know that she may respond differently to some things. Try to keep her back end as clean as possible.

Answer 9

I brought my mare in early Feb and shes in season now middle of winter so I guess they are all different ,she is definitely very irritable

Answer 10

She is in season. I think they come in season every 21 days. It can last a week at the most. ome times it will last any were from 2-4 days. They can become every moody.