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RE: [RC] OT--mare in raging heat - heidiI promised my friend I'd pass this on here to see if any vets or experienced breeders have seen this before. She has a nice little 3-year-old mare who, in the past, has had a very "passive" heat cycle...the only way she knows is the geldings are all interested in her, and she gets kind of a "dull eye" (according to the owner). This week, however, she came into heat and bit the gelding she's pastured with on the neck and tried to mount him, then chased him all over the pasture. My friend can't ride her with any geldings right now, she gets really wicked toward them. She's just recently had some professional training, and the plan was to spend the summer doing two or three very easy rides (about 1/2 hour mostly walking...just getting her used to the trail) a week. She's been VERY good up until now, both with other horses, and by herself. One vet recommended having her spayed, but my friend isn't sure she wants to do that until she's tried other options. I don't have much experience with mares in heat, so couldn't offer any advice. I'd welcome any feedback you could offer. Thanks! This could be just a normal mare "growing up" but there are a couple of things here that bother me. One, the fact that this is not the usual behavior for this mare, and two, that she just came back from the trainer. The fact that this has not been her norm makes me think that perhaps at least some investigation/work-up should be done. Although she is on the young side, the mounting behavior can be a sign of an ovarian tumor. Usually mares in heat are not apt to mount, although normal pregnant mares sometimes will. The fact that she is in heat AND mounting is a bit odd. If not an ovarian tumor, I would wonder if perhaps the trainer gave her any sort of hormones while she was there. Sometimes testerone-related medications are used if horses are stressed and go off feed--not very ethical to do so without a vet's advice, but some trainers get hold of that sort of stuff and use it liberally. And these can really mess up how a mare acts, too. Heidi =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net. Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/Ridecamp Subscribe/Unsubscribe http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/logon.asp Ride Long and Ride Safe!! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
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