What is your favorite moody mare supplement?

[moving_to_dc]

23 yr old 16H TB mare, retired for the most part, lives out with 2 elderly geldings. Has days when she is sweet as can be, but the majority of the time she is a WITCH to those poor geldings and pesters them incessantly. They try their best to stay out of her way, but she will. not. leave. them. alone. She is constantly bullying them.

Mare is perfectly behaved when handled and ridden, she is never cranky or moody towards humans, just toward other horses.

I would like to give a supplement a try, and wondered what everyone preferred.

[Scribbler]

If the issues are from hormones then Regumate.

If the issues are from ulcers orcothet sches and pains, diagnose and treat.

It may just be who she is, boss mare. Maybe they need a bigger field or a different feeding arrangement.

Putting my mare on Regumate stopped her slutty behavior. It did not stop her dominance behavior toward other horses.

[findeight]

Ditto, if she’s…ahem…inviting the geldings to hook up for a day or two then telling them to get lost for the next couple of weeks, it’s hormones. Tried the supplements on mine, the only ones that did anything were the ones with sedating herbs, mostly Valerian, then she was just out of it. We showed so couldn’t use them. Regumate 6 months of the year worked great. Long as the other horses kept their distance, she didn’t start anything yet still never a fan of being crowded.

If shes just a byatch around other horses, she’s just a byatch around others by nature. Some mares are like that, had a couple of geldings that just didn’t like others in their space too. Have to manage that by watching your turnout buddies and being sure they get along and/or having plenty of room.

Be aware supplements won’t change basic behavior unless there is a true deficiency. Even then, you can address the deficiency and still have a byatch. You can’t fix everything with a vitamin or herbal supplement. Despite marketing and internet miracle cures for bad behavior. Not sure you can really fix anything behavior related with supplements.

[moving_to_dc]

This is definitely a seasonal behavior, she’s looking for some action. Same herd and living conditions as always…

I had considered Regumate, but was hoping for a cheaper option since she is basically a retired pasture ornament. Hard to justify $$$ Regumate.

[Scribbler]

Some of the supplements promise to regulate hormones but it’s hard to imagine raspberry leaves shutting down heat cycles.

If they did we’d all be using it as birth control. Regumate is synthetic progesterone.

Perhaps keep her separate on her squealy days.

When is worst? My mare is very skanky in heat but also very social. She is more likely to chase geldings away when she is not in heat. Also sh e has very different interaction with different horses.

[leheath]

@moving to dc

This is definitely a seasonal behavior, she’s looking for some action. Same herd and living conditions as always…

I had considered Regumate, but was hoping for a cheaper option since she is basically a retired pasture ornament. Hard to justify $$$ Regumate.

Some people swear by raspberry leaves for hormonal issues. For a competition and/or riding horse, I would (and do) pay for Regumate, but it can’t hurt to try raspberry leaves for a pasture pet who isn’t really hurting herself or others.

[newhorsemommy]

My mare is noticeably less bitchy when I feed her raspberry leaves. I just give her a small handful daily. Don’t buy the Mare Magic, as it’s way overpriced. I buy bulk raspberry leaves on Amazon for about 1/2 the price of Mare Magic A one pound bag runs around $20 and lasts about a month, maybe a little longer.

[Scribbler]

I don’t know if Himalayan black berry leaves contain whatever it is raspberry leaves contain. But my mare Ioves them thorns and all. Have wondered if she’s self medicating. Raspberry and blackberry are related plants.

[Lynnwood]

@newhorsemommy

My mare is noticeably less bitchy when I feed her raspberry leaves. I just give her a small handful daily. Don’t buy the Mare Magic, as it’s way overpriced. I buy bulk raspberry leaves on Amazon for about 1/2 the price of Mare Magic A one pound bag runs around $20 and lasts about a month, maybe a little longer.

You can save even more money and order them through the herbal supply companies like herbalcom.com Organic cut sifted shipped runs about 10 dollars or so a lb.

[Scribbler]

Does anyone know what the active ingredient in raspberry leaves is?

[leheath]

@Scribbler

Does anyone know what the active ingredient in raspberry leaves is?

In general, there is some controversy over the active ingredient in raspberry leaves. There is scientific evidence that raspberry leaves are anti-spasmodic and have a uterine sedative effect in a variety of animals, but it isn’t clear what component of the leaves produces this effect. There is some suggestion it is the alkaloid fragrine, but its existence seems questionable and I couldn’t find any reliable scientific source for the assertion that this compound exists in raspberry leaves or that is has the relevant properties.

However, the leaves also contains calcium, magnesium, manganese, and potassium (and a variety of other minerals) which help a variety of issues. Magnesium and potassium specifically are in high enough levels to be consider therapeutic when taken orally (at least for humans!) and are known to have antispasmodic effects.

http://medherb.com/Therapeutics/Female_-Herbs_and_Dysmenorrhea.htm

[newhorsemommy]

@Lynnwood

You can save even more money and order them through the herbal supply companies like herbalcom.com Organic cut sifted shipped runs about 10 dollars or so a lb.

How much is shipping? I’ve ordered herbs once or twice directly through Monterey Bay or Mountain Rose and it seems like the shipping was kind of high as well as slow. At least on Amazon I get my Prime shipping

[Scribbler]

@leheath

In general, there is some controversy over the active ingredient in raspberry leaves. There is scientific evidence that raspberry leaves are anti-spasmodic and have a uterine sedative effect in a variety of animals, but it isn’t clear what component of the leaves produces this effect. There is some suggestion it is the alkaloid fragrine, but its existence seems questionable and I couldn’t find any reliable scientific source for the assertion that this compound exists in raspberry leaves or that is has the relevant properties.

However, the leaves also contains calcium, magnesium, manganese, and potassium (and a variety of other minerals) which help a variety of issues. Magnesium and potassium specifically are in high enough levels to be consider therapeutic when taken orally (at least for humans!) and are known to have antispasmodic effects.

http://medherb.com/Therapeutics/Female_-Herbs_and_Dysmenorrhea.htm

Very interesting! Does anyone know if blackberry leaves have the same nutrients?

[leheath]

I can’t find any evidence that blackberry leaves contain the same nutrients. However, they do contain high levels of tannins that have fairly high astringent (constricting) effects and therefore the leaves are used to treat digestive issues such as diarrhea, dysentery and gastroenteritis. In addition, they have some anti-inflammatory effects so gargling with blackberry leaf tea can help with sore throats and mouth ulcers.

No idea what might make a horse “self medicate” with blackberry leaves except perhaps digestive issues of some kind?

[Scribbler]

It’s also possible they are the greenest things here in December!