My mare’s back gets very sore just before, during and just after her heat cycles. She isnt rude, but can’t concentrate. This leaves a pretty small window when she actually concentrates and works. After trying a dozen saddles with at least that many pads and all the combinations, I put her on regumate. This has made a huge improvement. I wondered if anyone had experience with something easier to handle and maybe more affordable.
Might sound silly, but having a Selenium test done could show horse low in Selenium. Oddly enough, Selenium is a big link in having the reproductive area including good heat cycles, along with muscle recovery in work, so having low numbers will affect a mare particularly hard.
We had a similar issue with a performance mare who was “off” in movement, had an EXTREMELY sore back, kind of just tired though quite fit. We were using her for Driving, so she wasn’t getting sore from a rider or poor saddle fit! We did ALL the tests, legs, before doing the Selenium test that gave us the AH-HA moment about her problems. This mare’s numbers were so low the Vet was afraid she would die, came racing over with Selenium shots to give her as quick as he got the test results. All her issues went away, as her numbers got back up to normal.
THEN we went thru a big learning curve about Selenium and how a horse uses it, needs the Vit E fed with it to get absorbed into the body or you are wasting the Selenium which just goes right thru the horse. Nothing we were feeding horse had natural Selenium, grown locally in our zero level Selenium in the dirt. Getting a horse sweaty in work, make them sweat off Selenium. The mare’s back improved as her heat cycles got back to more normal with more Selenium in her system.
This might be an issue for your horse, and the test isn’t too expensive. We now top dress the Selenium with Vit E, for each horse. We don’t feed commercial feeds or lots of other supplements, so this top dressing insures EACH of our horses get their needed Selenium on a daily basis. We get a yearly test to make sure the horses in work are staying in the “good” numbers for their Selenium levels. We do work them hard, about 5 days a week in conditioning, so to prevent another sored up horse, we need to know the Selenium we give is the proper amount by testing them.
Regumate would be the most effective by far. You could try raspberry leaves or a back on track pad. My mare has these issues and the pad seems to help. YMMV.
Have you had her ovaries ultrasounded? Some of these horses have cysts or tumors that can be treated.
I had her tested for cysts and tumors before trying the regumate. I have tried several impact pads, but not specifically the back on track. I have not tried selenium. I feed a lot of quality hay and very little commercial bagged feed. The selenium could be a problem. I will have this checked. I read about a product called oxy-mare. Anyone tried it?
Some horses seem to be very sensitive when in heat, particularly in the area of the ovaries. I would have her checked by someone into repro, and then follow their advice.
It is probably not her back that is sore but abdominal discomfort. They can probably have cramps same as women do. I agree with merrygoround on the repro check.
