How can I tell my horse is in heat??? She is 20, isn't there such a thing as menopause for horses???

Question

Thank you all for answering my questions....All the input I can get helps...Also what books for a first time adult horse owners would you recommend??

Answer 1

Sorry, but you're girl isn't closed to finished yet! She may be getting old, but she's not dead! I have a 20-year-old mare, and she's still lookin' for love!
Common and easily recognizable signs of estrus are lifting or swishing of the tail when pressure is applied to the rump near the tail, or brushing that area. Also frequent urination and winking of the vulva. Many mares will get ornery and difficult during this time also. If you have a stallion on the premises, walking him near her stall and letting them sniff noses is an almost sure-fire way to tell if she's in estrus. If your mare has not foaled before, I would really think over breeding her at this age. Mares differ, but she needs to be very physically fit and it could be difficult to get her to settle. First-time motherhood could be very wearing on a 20-year-old mare.
Cherry Hill is a great author for both beginner and experienced horse owners. (I know that name sounds like a prostitue rather than a horse trainer. LOL). You can find her books on any website or store that sells horse books. They cover many different training topics.
Hope this was helpful. Remember horse ownership and training is a journey, not a destination. Cherish her and enjoy the time you have with her. As a trainer, I find my own horses get the least amount of attention compared to time spent with clients' horses. I've been at this awhile, and when it comes to horses, you never, ever stop learning. Happy trails!!

Answer 2

Mares go through regular heat or Estrous cycles that can be divided up into two phases: estrus and diestrus. Estrus lasts for about 4 to 6 days and diestrus lasts 17 to 19 days. During diestrus a mare will usually completely resent a stallion- biting or kicking at him, and a few days before estrus she may become more passive towards him. She may be a bit more irritable towards people during that time as well, some don't show signs like that but others will. Some mares also tend to urinate more, or in places they normally would not. Some may be more interested in geldings or stallions during or right before estrus. I would recommend the book Horses: A Guide to Selection, Care, and Enjoyment by J. Warren Evans. It's something like 800 pages, but it is a VERY useful general resource for forming feed rations, basic first aid, breeding, riding, bits and tack, a little bit of nearly everything. It was a textbook for a college class I took and it has been a very valuable resource to me.

Answer 3

Depending on where you live, she may or may not be even able to be in heat right now. If you are in a cold area along with the longer night time hours, your mare will not go into heat right now. I have never seen a horse go through a menopause type thing- our 30 something year old pony still shows in heat once a year or so. As they get older, they just are less fertile and usually less interested, but technically can still be bred.
As for telling, some show and some don't. One of our mares would call and call for the whole time, and pee for every horse (male or female) in the area. Another one would become unmanagable (but not pee for stallions) and we could barely handle her. Yet another one becomes a dead broke horse for that time and is otherwise pretty spooky. My own horse will not show at all- except to large manly looking stallions (large drafts).
Basically, for physical signs, look for peeing or "winking" of the vulva. You can also look at any change in behavior that only lasts a short period of time. Each mare responds a little differently to the rise in horomones.
As for a book.... I really don't like to recommend books because you need to take a bit out of all of them and combine to what works best for you. A lot also depends on how she is ridden, how calm she is, etc. I have my own training style, but if I had to pick one close, I would say any Parelli ones because they build up the trust of the horse and rider- and make you work with your horse. Trust is an important basis to a happy horse/rider relationship. Some of Parelli's exercises seem silly to me, but it is all in personal preference.

Answer 4

Put her close an apple tree and set a basket beneath and inform her to place them within the basket. Not definite if you'll be able to coach a horse to do this -deliver it a shot even though. Of direction the pony will get to devour one of the vital apples considering the fact that she did the entire difficult paintings of making a choice on them. Poop is what such a lot matters do do. So that's approximately all you'll get from that finish.

Answer 5

Sorry to tell you but you mare will continue to be in heat for as long as she lives (another 14-20 years) Having a mare who is in heat really isn't that big of a deal. Your mare will become touchy and buck or kick more often. She will also lift her tail and "wink" to and geldings or stallions. When a mare winks she will emit a urine like discharge, which lets out her sent for all the men to remember. A heat cycle can last from 2-10 days.

Hope this helps!

Answer 6

Usually you will see a change in her attitude, exspecially if she is around other horses. She will also raise her tail and cock it to the side. You will also notice what they call winking. This is where you'll see her privates contracting. also most hores will come in heat until they die. Good luck!!!