Reignmaker Miniatures
Well-Known Member
My driving mare has always had very obvious heats and since her one and only foal was born 3 yrs ago she has also coliced when she was about to come in heat. Usually it is fairly mild and some patient walking and occasionally loading her into the trailer has been all she needed to bring her around. Now and again it is obvious she is in real pain and we can not help her thro it so she must be seen by a vet (please be assured if it is more than a mild discomfort she is always seen) She has in the past 3 yrs been seen about half a dozen times, this past weekend included. Our previous vet would check her vitals, give her a shot of banamine, (on one occasion she used bute) and within 20 minutes the episode was over. Then said vet handed us her bill and after we paid that was it. Well, this past weekend, Bucky once again showed signs of being more than a little colicy so we called a new vet service that offers mobile service. After the usual, listening for gut sounds and taking vitals we mentioned the possibility she was bred and also the fact that she coliced regularly when coming into heat. This vet asked if she could attempt a rectal (she is always concerned she will not be able to do one with minis ) and we agreed she should try. Bucky was sedated thoroughly and the vet carefully began an internal exam. The good news, no foal! (She looks very pregnant, only one of the 6 mares who has a belly and her udder was looking fuller, stallion was out in July so...)and we finally got a reason for her repeated colics. The vet found a ovary that she says would have been large in a full sized horse and a follicle ready to go any time. She believes that the reason Bucky colics is that such a large ovary causes her discomfort when the follicle swells. We discussed whether to start her on Regimate and she offered another option. She has had several clients with 1/4horse mares try the hormone implants designed for cattle. So far she says it seems to be very effective in preventing cycling altho some horses do need a second implant to get thro an entire breeding season. I'm hoping to find out more about this and any risks associated with it since for mares not slated for breeding but who are showing it would be very useful if it prevented heats. The price for the implant is markedly less expensive than Regimate as well.