I am posting over here under the assumption that you folks are well acquainted with what’s normal and abnormal for mares. The mare in question is not bred and I have no plans to breed her.
I’ve always joked (in a sad, it’s-a-big-mess sort of way) about this mare’s tail and hind legs in the summer – actually, often year-round, since here in WA they don’t really stop cycling. I sort of accepted that she must discharge VOLUMES of whatever it is they discharge. Worse still she has a white tail, that is always sticky and stinky.
I washed her tail on Sunday. As far as I know she is not in heat because she was singing to her favorite gelding a week and a half ago. And her tail is already showing dark stains and a sticky mess.
So I thought I’d ask if you would check her out with the vet – what are the chances that a “virgin” mare would have an infection, if that would even cause this level of ooze? How much mess is too much to be considered normal?
The only other observation about this mare that might be relevant is that she is LAZY. I stopped putting a sheet on her in the winter because she wouldn’t bother to lift her tail when it was under the tail flap, and she ended up dirtying her bottom with manure. Without a sheet, she at least poos normally and has no debris from that. But if it is possible that she could be messing herself with the discharge because it’s easier to dribble than shoot… well, this would be the mare that would do that!
Thanks for your help.
