Mares in Season???

[ilovegem]

Im about to get my first horse in 6 weeks time, I have only ever helped out with Geldings and want to find out about keeping a mare!

Im particularly interested in how often they come into season? I know each season tends to last about 5 days but does this continue all the way through the summer months??

Does anyone have any good advice about having my first mare!??

[Trewsers]

When the vet vetted my mare he said that she could be affected mood wise whilst in season and that this could last all summer! (on and off). However, I've not really seen any great change in her yet - we're still getting to know one another of course as I've only had her 2 months ;) Only advice I can offer is; treat as you find, not as you expect to find, cos I was given a load of warning and doom and gloom about buying a mare and it was all a load of twaddle :p She's no more moody than our gelding - well, go on, perhaps a bit (she loves wagging her ears about!!!) but on the whole I wouldn't swap her for anything. :D

[andreaB]

i have 2 mares , i only really notice when one is in season , thats cos shes a tart & sprays everywhere!!

behaviour wise they are both fine & i don't need to do anything differently when they are in season

think they can come in as reg as every couple of weeks so i guess a really stroppy one could be bad news!!

[Mehitabel]

their cycle is 21 days, in general, so it is every 3 weeks. seasons typically last about 5 days, although it can be shorter or longer. they are 'more in season' towards the end - that is when they aremost fertile, and when any behaviour changes are most noticeable.

typically, they start seasoning in spring and carry on until autumn. it's not unknown for them to carry on through winter, especially if there is a stallion on the same yard. the first one of the year is often quite dramatic, and then the hormones tend to settle down. if the mare is horrid in her first season of the year, it doesn't always mean she will carry on like that.

not all mares show any signs of their seasons, either physically or behaviourally - especially if there is no stallion or sexy gelding about to flirt with.

[SarahC]

Everyone else has just about said it all.....but only one thing to add, some people say that mares *can be* a little more sensitive. I've just bought my first mare and am finding her an absolute joy. She has only had 2 seasons since I bought her in February...the first being a squirty one with no change to her mood, the second being hardly any squirting, but she was extremely moody.
the first one of the year is often quite dramatic
I've heard this too, but for me, the second was the worst!!

S

[ilovegem]

Thanks everyone!

feel much happier now it sounds as though they are not as bad as people seem to have made out to me!!

[Mehitabel]

it's a bit like women getting PMT - some get it really badly and suffer a lot and make everyone else suffer too, while some have no change at all during their cycle, and pretty much everything in between. it's certainly not a guarantee that a mare will be a pain during her seasons.

[notpoodle]

my mare hardly shows any signs when she's in season. ive only seen her all mare-y once in the year ai got her. it was more comical than anything else though because she was all excited and kept calling out to the geldings in their field far far away as if to say 'heeellloo!!! guys!!! im up here!!! can you all see me?? can you HEAR ME! over heeeeere!' :)

julia
x

[joosie]

I have shared 3 mares including my current ride. The first one was the calmest, quietest horse you could imagine, she was never "mareish" / hormonal in the 2 years I was riding her. The next one was extreeeeemly mareish all year round and could be quite difficult sometimes, although I'm sure that was also partly due to (a) being young (b) being half Arab and half TB, and (c) having very little education re: manners. And then Kizzy (my current ride) has started acting a little bit hormonal the last month or so but is still her usual gentle self.
I think it definitely depends on the horse. You do hear some horror stories but they're in the minority. I'm sure there are plenty of mare-owners here who have not had any major problems with theirs.

[notpoodle]

agree! not all mares turn into night-mares (pardon the pun!) when in season :D my pony isnt all that marish anyway. she's more pony-ish :D

julia
x

[tb_rider]

my mare, becomes such a hoe :D :o .(all though she alway's acts like a hoe :D ) she squirts, has a bad attitude, and now shw lactates :eek: , and she's never been pregnant or had a foal. but all mares are different.