weird behavior during heat cycle - anyone seen this before?

[kbdb32]

So a little info first. My mare is a 9 year old missouri foxtrotter. Used to be very pushy and disrespectful. That has been taken care of with lots of good groundwork and training. She is now very obedient, respects personal space, and is just a whole later happier and content.

About 8 months ago we moved barns. At the old barn she would come into heat regularly and was just your typical mare. Was lazy and cranky under saddle and squirted occasionally. It never really affected our riding or groundwork.

Now that we are at a different barn I’ve noticed her acting different when in heat. She is VERY lazy and unmotivated. She never pins her ears or kicks or acts grumpy at all. She instead becomes overly affectionate. Too affectionate! Wants to be in your personal space at all times, always trying to lip you or rest her head on you. She leans into pressure and actually pinned me against the wall in the crossties because she leaned when I was asking her to move over. Now I know I shouldn’t be letting her get away with this and everyone will tell me to punish her for this or treat her like I would if she wasn’t in heat. Well I am and it’s not working.
Besides doing that, she also is a little too “friendly” with me. The instant I touch her, apply any pressure on her, or walk by her, she squirts and starts winking. I swear she thinks im a stallion. When riding, she is fine except for excessive squirting and always turning to nibble my boots (which she never does!).

Raspberry leaves have not helped her and I’m not sure if I should try something else before I get the vet involved.
I’ve just never seen a mare act like this before. At the old barn she was pastured with geldings and here she is out with only mares, so that’s about the only difference.

Has anyone had a mare be like this before? Did you find something that helped?

Everyone’s always complaining about their mares kicking at them and pinning their ears and I’m just over here complaining about my mare loving me too much lol

[myleetlepony]

Yes, my mare gets overly loving the day before she becomes COMPLETELY herd bound.

First, moving to a different feed with much less soy helped (I believe the estrogen from soy makes a difference).

On her lovey days, I’m cool with it since she’s not much of a lovey-dovey type mostly. Why would anyone discipline for that?

On her herd-bound days (one per cycle), I just leave her be. There’s no point in the fight with her and getting both of us upset.

[maunder]

When I was a groom years ago a mare developed extreme symptoms like this and it was determined that she had an ovarian tumor. You might want to talk to your veterinarian about the changes in her behavior and ask for an opinion.

In this mare, who was a show horse, surgery to remove the tumor was successful.

[kbdb32]

@myleetlepony I’ve had people tell me that I shouldn’t be letting her get in my space because it is a form of disrespect. I’m all for having respectful horses but I’m also fine with allowing it just that time, so I’m torn on how to handle it

@maunder yeah I’ve heard of mares having the same symptoms and having ovarian cysts or tumors. I really hope that’s not what she has, I really can’t afford surgery right now

[keysfins]

[QUOTE=kbdb32;8304014]
@myleetlepony I’ve had people tell me that I shouldn’t be letting her get in my space because it is a form of disrespect. I’m all for having respectful horses but I’m also fine with allowing it just that time, so I’m torn on how to handle it

@maunder yeah I’ve heard of mares having the same symptoms and having ovarian cysts or tumors. I really hope that’s not what she has, I really can’t afford surgery right now[/QUOTE]

I’m fairly sure that cystic ovaries could be identified by ultrasound, possibly by rectal palpation with an experienced Repro vet. I am not a vet, nor do I play one on TV, but I would ask my vet if Regumate (or the generic form) might be helpful, for both the behavior AND the cause if ovaries are suspect.

[nu2u]

I would guess a vet could rule out a physical problem fairly easily, possibly prescribe something to “tone down” her hormones a little and as for her leaning and being in your space…doesn’t sound like she is bullying her way in just acting hormonal which ya how can you really train/reprimand that

[Texarkana]

My one mare loves everyone and everything when she’s in heat… Any other time she squeals if another horse dares to touch her.

[myleetlepony]

@myleetlepony I’ve had people tell me that I shouldn’t be letting her get in my space because it is a form of disrespect. I’m all for having respectful horses but I’m also fine with allowing it just that time, so I’m torn on how to handle it

There’s a difference between lack of boundaries and biological changes that no human can overcome. Why start the fight, and why aggravate either of you? You may have to give a loud “OVER” and a shove if you are in danger of getting pinned, but if your horse is generally well behaved and respectful AND she’s not giving violent indications, I wouldn’t be starting down the “discipline” road over something you have no control over.

Yes, ask your vet about cysts or for a repro check, but as in the case with my mare, when the vet started talking injections and Regumate, I said I’d try raspberry leaves and to just let her do her “mare” things on those days. Worked well for both of us. She is happy as a clam for two days a cycle (she lives to tease the geldings) and there’s no tension between us any of the other days.