Mares in heat.....

[J&HMinis]

So my Sr. mare that I've owned since December is in heat right now and acting "strange". Nothing I've experienced before(god I love geldings!) She goes off her feed a little, but she had gut sounds, gums looked great and going to the bathroom regularly and then I'll catch her stretch a little. This started last night, so I gave her a little banimine (sp) and watched her, she went to the bathroom while I was there, it's completely normal, not runny or dry, just normal. After about an hour she was back to herself. I checked her this morning to find a normal amount of poop in her stall, she ate her breakfast and was fine. A couple hours later I got a call that she wasn't right. I left work and by the time I got to her she had just pooped (again, completely normal looking) and she was just uncomfortable. So I consulted my vet again and she said she thinks it's her heat cycle. So she had a little more banimine and walked her for a while and now she's back to being herself again. The vet has suggested we put her on Regumate (sp).

Has anyone else had a mare like this?

 

[MountainMeadows]

Yep, I have a couple of mares that get very crampy at ovulation - sometimes it is only for a few hours, sometimes it is a day or 2. The follicles on these mini mares can get very large, and often minis will develop more than one follicle. It is important to keep your mare very well hydrated (maybe adding some electrolite paste to her routine t o help her to drink a lot of water). We usually end up having to give Banamine and stay on close call watching them. I know that there is a product called "Mare Magic" that can help relieve these symptoms, but it is apparently so good that it can mask a heat cycle - not good if you are trying to get the mare pregnant!

Regumate will take your mare out of season completely, but is is pretty spendy to administer -and also if a woman you need to wear gloves unless you want to get really screwed up hormonally!

Good luck to your & your little mare - I feel for you both - it is very stressful.

Stacy

 

[J&HMinis]

Thank you Stacey! Yes, she is drinking plenty of water. I have no intentions of breeding her so using the regumate is fine with me. I've been told to wear latex gloves when administering it. I just feel so bad for her.

 

[J&HMinis]

Just want to bumo this up and heear others experience.

 

[Chamomile]

I also have a mare that does this. She is my main driving mare and gets really touchy about her back and loin area. She however does have a little bit runny stool and also goes off her feed. I usually use essential oils on her back, peppermint and then I run warm water over her back. She LOVES this. Both things usually help her through the uncomfortable time.

I read about a shot that acts like birth control, making a mare NOT cycle at all, but is administered in a shot. I need to ask my vet about this, as I don't plan on ever breeding this mare, so am not worried about her reproductive self

: And I don't want to handle anything that might mess with my hormones. I'm hormonal enough!! I don't need any weird chemical reaction

:

 

[targetsmom]

Remember the other day when you e-mailed me and I said MY mare was acting strange? And I was having trouble reaching my vet. Mira (our gray frame overo mare) was acting "ouchy" in her rear end for about an hour and was off her feed. I guess you didn't read my post on here - she was in heat, the end of her cycle, and I think she was ovulating. My solution was to breed her!!! That post was only last week - you can look up those responses too.