Help for a Messy/Slutty Mare

[Amy_Louise]

I have a 13 year old mare who has always been a “slutty messy” mare. She becomes a total suck but she “pees” whenever a gelding is anywhere near her. It’s. Ever been a huge issue as she isn’t a show horse or competition horse. That being said, we’ve just moved to a nice new barn and the rule is “no peeing in the arena”. Makes total sense. It’s great fibre footing. Here is the problem, I drove the 45 min to the barn yesterday only to find my mare is “winking and blinking and squirting”. All I could do was groom her in her stall and turn her back outside. I am unable to ride her in the arena due to her cycling. Luckily I didn’t pay into the clinic that is happening at the barn this weekend as I wouldn’t be able to participate.

My question to all is, Will Regumate stop the “peeing” or does anyone know of an herbal remedy to help with this? She NEVER stops cycling. She cycles every month like clockwork ALL year. Including winter. As mentioned above, it’s never been an issue until now due to the barn rule. Help! It sucks that once a month for a full week, I cannot ride or even lunge my horse.

[Laurierace]

Start with a repro exam by a vet who is well versed in equine reproduction.

[Abbie.S]

I understand barn rules are barn rules…but that seems quite unreasonable that you should feel as though you cannot even work your horse in the arena that you pay for the rights to use because of something that is out of your control. It’s one thing to let your horse stop and urinate, but another to have a horse like in this instance that could squirt urine on the move (believe me - experienced it as I had such a mare, so I know what you’re talking about).

Is this coming directly from the BO that you may not have your mare in the arena when she’s at this point in her cycle? Or is this your interpretation of the rule?

Either way, I agree with Laurierace that a repro exam is in order if for no other reason than to r/o something like a mass that could be causing her to cycle all the time so intensely. But I also think you maybe need to talk to BO and/or find a manner in which you can work your horse that minimizes her level of distraction.

When I would ride my mare during such a point in her cycle, I’d make sure I gave her plenty to think about under saddle. If we were sharing the ring with a gelding and she showed interest, my response was to ask for a very prompt up transition. Worked well for us.

[Scribbler]

I am not sure how you enforce a no peeing in the ring rule. What happens if your gelding stretches and lets go as soon as you dismount? Do you whip his private parts and drag him to the door? I mean, when they need to go they need to go.

I also think the constant dribble of an excited mare shouldn’t damage any footing.

It may be annoying to other riders.

I have heard of turnout, no longing, no feeding, and pick up all your manure, in nice arenas. I have never heard of no peeing because how do you stop your horse?

And yes, Regumate will shut down ovulation so all heat behavior will disappear. It is however expensive. But it works a charm.

I doubt your mare has repro problems. She isn’t studly, cranky, or in pain. She’s just being a mare.

Up to you whether you want to put her on an expensive hormone altering medication because the barn has this odd rule. I would have thought that was something to consider before you moved.

[PNWjumper]

I agree with Abbie.S and Scribbler. It sounds like you may be misinterpreting the rule a bit. I could understand that rule being made specifically for a boarder who might have taken their horse into the arena to allow them to pee (we had a gal who did that at the barn I boarded at as a kid). But I can’t imagine that it extends to mares in season, who present no harm to the footing. Might be worth a quick conversation with the barn owner/manager to ask a few more questions.

[Long_amp_Short_Ears]

I had a mule and now a walking horse mare who do exactly what you describe. So aggravating! Yes with both them mule and the mare the Regumate completely stopped the cycling.
I even looked into having the mule marbled but we tried two times and she was in a false cycle so the vet could not plant the marble.
I also order raspberry leave and steam blend from Iherb.com and my mare gets a portion on her feed 1 time every day. It costs like 23.00 for 2 or 3 pounds pounds and its the exact thing as mare magic and way cheaper plus iherb has a rewards program. That lasts me about 2 months ish. While it does not stop it like regumate does it lessens the effects of heat cycles, she will still squirt a little but she doesn’t try to stop while I am riding her and it shortens it by about two days.

[Amy_Louise]

Hi all and thanks for replying! It is a rule we were unaware of until after we moved 3 weeks ago. Regular peeing I can understand but her squirting (which admittedly is a lot and always has been in the 7 years I’ve had her) is a tad frustrating. She’s had vet checks to check for any underlying issues. Most recently as last Spring. She is just a mare who stays on a regular cycle like a human. Never goes dormant. To clarify, I knew the no pee rule a week after we moved (3 weeks ago today) and when I noticed she was in her heat cycle on Thursday, I specifically asked the Barn Owner and his exact words were “I’d prefer if you didn’t go in the arena if she does that a lot as it’s really hard to get out of the footing.” I know, I know. I’ve never experienced this rule before and I’m not about to fight them on it. All. The weather will be better and I can just avoid the arena and go outside.

I am considering the regumate for possibly the fall when the footing outside is crap. But yes. It’s really expensive. I have a Nursery close to me that sells dried herbs etc. I just bought a 100g bag of dried Raspberry Leaves to give her. Hopefully it will help! At least I know she doesn’t have any underlying issues going on. She’s just one of those mares. She has zero pain and is t cranky at all. She actually gets all sucky and lovey dovey and require a lot more leg to keep her going as she will stop to squirt or even continue to walk while squirting, winking and blinking. Yes. It’s annoying but just something that I am looking to figure out. I don’t agree with the rule, but it is what it is and everything else about the barn is amazing. It’s true what they say about no perfect barns!

[S1969]

@Amy Louise

Regular peeing I can understand

I can’t. I understand the idea that the BO would prefer horses not to pee in the arena, but exactly how does one prevent that? Catheterize them before every ride? Withhold water? Carry a bucket? Sorry I’m just laughing about this rule. I agree - don’t take your horses deliberately to pee in the arena…but if they start peeing - what should you do?

I have a mare that is hormonal. I don’t like to call her “slutty” because she’s an animal. It’s hormonal, not a personality trait.

If I was competing her, I would probably look into Regumate because it would make things easier and likely be worth the cost.

[SillyHorse]

Ok I’m resurrecting this thread because I have a gelding who a few months ago started peeing in the ring every single day, usually on our way to the mounting block, but if not, then on the way out. No one has said anything, but I feel awful about it. I don’t ride at the same time every day, so it’s not as though I happen to getting to the ring at a “usual” pee time for him. It’s not just a little squirt, but a full-blown urination, almost as though he holds it until we go to the ring.

I always get the fork and cover the spot with footing. I’m concerned that after a time, that area between the entrance to the ring and the mounting block is going to get very foul. I’m at a loss. Is there anything I can do?

[Redlei44]

I know many geldings who do not like to pee if they think it’s going to splash. How much bedding does the barn keep in the stalls? If it’s not enough to really provide an absorbent bed, and he has this preference, then the deeper arena footing could simply be more attractive to him. Not sure why it would change all of a sudden - has anything changed (like the bedding, maybe his neighbors or the activity level around his stall)?

ETA- same splash avoidance issue can apply if he lives out 24x7. I’ve just seen it more often with horses who spend time in stalls that are lightly bedded.

[Hayburner]

Regumate! It really isn’t that expensive as valley vet puts it on sale a few times a year. There is a knock off brand that also goes on sale at Farm Vet and it is even less than Regumate.

[RedHorses]

I see a couple of options:

1. Stop him from peeing in the arena. I’m always surprised that so few horse people know they can stop a horse peeing somewhere simply by backing them up. If you’re paying attention (or in your case know it’s going to happen) you can interrupt the pee stance prep before the flow starts. Your horse will learn that he’s got to do his business elsewhere if you stop him every time.

2. Bring a bucket and put it under him when he pees. Of course you will then have to deal with the bucket’s contents afterwards…

I’d go with option one myself.

[Red_Barn]

I have no useful advice since I’ve never heard of a “no peeing” rule. Seems absolutely bizarre to me, actually.

I’m curious though: do people really use the word “slutty” to describe animal behavior? That seem freakish to me too!

[endlessclimb]

@Red Barn

I have no useful advice since I’ve never heard of a “no peeing” rule. Seems absolutely bizarre to me, actually.

I’m curious though: do people really use the word “slutty” to describe animal behavior? That seem freakish to me too!

No. I will call my mare a hussy if she gets whacko near the stallion, but never slutty, especially not if it’s just normal heat behavior.

You can stop a horse from peeing. My late mare peed every time you put her in the cross ties when I first got her. Had to be some relic of her racing days. I just abruptly backed her up, did something for a minute or two to drive the point home, then took her to her stall to allow her the chance to pee if she really had to go.

The squirting should be chemically managed somehow, OP. That’s pretty groty to be all over everything, several days of the month.

[buck22]

The real Buck used to have a full-blow lake-effect pee after every ride while on the cross ties. Would not pee in his stall if I brought him there first, only the aisle. There was always a muck bucket nearby so I’d just slide it under him.

[joiedevie99]

Some horses really like to pee on, or even roll in, footing. Same usually applies with ordinary sand too though - so if you have a sacrifice paddock or other sandy area, try walking him there before you mount.