8 month old filly in heat?

[jleonard]

I have an eight month old filly who is acting like she is in heat. This is the second time that I've noticed this. The timing is about right for for her to be coming in again if that is indeed what happened the first time. I noticed when working with her today that she was in a bad mood, not wanting to work or stay with me, and being pushy and pinning her ears a lot. This is very unusual for her, she's usually in my pocket and so sweet. I took her over to my neighbor's and while she was perfectly fine with her sister, she absolutely hated the neighbors 3 year old gelding, made some very nasty faces (he REALLY liked her though...). Is it possible for such a young filly to be coming into heat? Is it unusual? She is so much more mature that her sister, both physically and mentally, even though she is a month younger. Is she just an early developer? Do mares seem to be extra grumpy the first few times they come in? I hate to think that she is going to be one of those moody mares. I have never had a mare this young before so I don't really know what to expect with her...

 

[Reble]

Normally the signs of being in heat, usually more friendly with the oposite sex, will seem like she is peeing a lot, an throws her tail to the side and backs up to the stud or gelding & when ready, we call winking. I believe a little young, but who knows. Hope that explains enough to help you.

When you do not want them to breed that is when it would happen.

 

[muffntuf]

Yes it is possible. With better feed programs, our horses and ponies grow faster, and fillies can come into heat at an earlier age.

That is what my vet said when my first 8 month old came into heat. So this doesn't phase me anymore.

 

[WLS]

Yes, a very young filly can be in heat, and they can get pregnant!! I have a mare (purchased as a weanling) that was born before her mothers second birthday. And this creates problems for registering the foal too. AMHR requires the mare to be three years old and permanently registered before a foal can be registered. I learned this the hard way when I bought my filly with the "papers pending" (never thought to ask the mothers age). Please don't let young fillies run with stallions....cause anything is possible!!.

 

[jleonard]

Thank you for the responses.

I really didn't think anything of it last time, just assumed she was coming into heat for the first time. Today I decided to look on Google and see if I could find something about them being extra moody the first few times (I'm still hoping that is the case and she will mellow out as she becomes more accustomed to it!), but everything that I was finding said they didn't start showing heat until they were older. They last young mare I had was two and my trainer thought she was just coming in then! That just got me thinking, so I figured I'd check. I am convinced that she is indeed in heat, though she may not be showing the typical signs, I've found they all have their own way of showing it. The gelding's reaction to her pretty well confirmed what I suspected.

I think a good feeding program must be having an effect on her growth and development. She is on a high protein diet, where the sister is not, and there is a huge difference in their appearance. Makes sense that it would correspond to other aspects of development as well.

WLS- that poor mare! I don't have any stallions, but I would not run them together even if I did.

 

[jleonard]

Oops! Double post

 

[Nathan Luszcz]

Its also normal for a filly to ACT as if she's in heat, but many times its behavioral NOT hormonal. Most fillies don't actually ovulate until they are 12-14 months.

 

[jleonard]

Thanks Nathan, prehaps that is the case...

 

[rabbitsfizz]

Very possible, very normal, happens far more often than people seem to realise.

The reason people "get away with" keeping yearling colts and fillies together is that the fillies often are not properly ovulating at this age, and a lot of colts are not fertile, either.

But, yes, I would often see my Arab fillies in season, proper, unmistakable season, as they came yearlings.

I do not see it as often in the tinies, I have to say.