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Denese Cunningham
New Member
Username: Denese
Post Number: 1
Registered: 2-2006
| | Posted on Thursday, Aug 24, 2006 - 12:45 am: |   |
My 7yr maiden mare is 180 days into her pregnancy and she is displaying stallion like behaviour towards a mare that has come into season in an adjacent paddock. She desperately wants to get to that mare. She is agitated and excited, prancing and running the fence line. She has a mini mare as a pasture buddy who she ignores at this time. This behaviour seems abnormal to me and worries me as I feel she is stressing herself, which could lead her to miscarry. Also handling her at the moment is not fun as she can be difficult.
Do mares that show these behaviours stop latter in pregnancy or after the foal is born? Maybe I should move her and her buddy to a new location where, there is just the two of them? Not sure which way to turn at this stage and need some advise. |
Robert N. Oglesby DVM
Moderator
Username: Dro
Post Number: 16450
Registered: 1-1997
| | Posted on Thursday, Aug 24, 2006 - 6:40 am: | |
Hello Denese,
This may or may not have anything to do with the pregnancy and is pretty common horse behavior. Have there been any recent changes in your mares environment? I would change that back to where the mare was comfortable if she does not settle down in a few days, most do, but can get a bit cut up from the fence.
DrO |
Linda S.
Member
Username: Banthony
Post Number: 137
Registered: 12-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, Aug 24, 2006 - 9:39 am: | |
Denese,
We had a same mare do this after twins were pinched. She settled down somewhat after 100 days but still shows some of the behavior.
Someone else wrote in to HA and said the same thing about a mare she had pinched twins on. I believe that mare showed the behavior up until she foaled.
I know what you mean about being hard to handle. Its like handling a stallion. I would advise you to move her if you can and see if she settles down.
Did you have her ultrasounded when she got in foal? I am wondering if you also had a twin situation. |
Denese Cunningham
New Member
Username: Denese
Post Number: 2
Registered: 2-2006
| | Posted on Thursday, Aug 24, 2006 - 5:34 pm: | |
Hi DrO and Linda S,
I haven't changed anything in her environment, though she is a sensitive type. I have noticed she teases the mares in the paddock next to her.
I had her ultra sounded at 15 days and 40 days. No sign of twins on each of these scans. Do you think she needs scanning again? I have read that sometimes twins can be missed in the scan.
She is in good health otherwise; although she will start lose weight if she continues to run around like this. I will give her more hay to keep her weight stable. |
Mary K Wood
New Member
Username: Mkwood
Post Number: 2
Registered: 8-2006
| | Posted on Thursday, Aug 24, 2006 - 5:56 pm: | |
I have a mare that is not pregnant that displays stallion like behaviour including mounting my other mare. About a week after that she starts showing signs of heat. Though the mounted mare does not seem to mind, I do keep them separate at that time so no one gets hurt. Someone told me it was a dominance thing, but I feel there must be more to it than that. |
Linda S.
Member
Username: Banthony
Post Number: 139
Registered: 12-2003
| | Posted on Friday, Aug 25, 2006 - 9:18 am: | |
If you have had two ultra sounds, I wouldn't think twins would have been missed.
Our mare is also a very sensitive mare and this is far from her normal behavior. I am hoping that she will return to her old personality after foaling. |
Shawna
Member
Username: Qh4me
Post Number: 185
Registered: 3-2005
| | Posted on Friday, Aug 25, 2006 - 1:34 pm: | |
Denese,
I have a friend who bred her maiden mare, no twins, but she showed this strange stallion like behaviour. She was a handful, and at times, she would smell my friends clothes even and start making these monkey sounds, arching her neck, it was like she wanted to mount anything around her. She had to be very careful with her as she was dangerous. She only showed this for a couple months during her pregnancy, then she reverted back to her normal self.
In talking with others, every now and then they have a mare that shows this behaviour, so I wouldn't be too alarmed, but just be careful. I hope like my friends mare, yours will also revert back to her normal self soon.
Is it possible to change her suroundings to accomodate her. If she doesn't like the mare in the paddock beside her, can you move the mare to somewhere she feels more comfortable. Is there a gelding you can put her beside? I am sure she will not display any interest in him and may keep her relaxed a bit more. |
Robert N. Oglesby DVM
Moderator
Username: Dro
Post Number: 16461
Registered: 1-1997
| | Posted on Friday, Aug 25, 2006 - 7:01 pm: | |
I have seen dozens of early twins and I have not associated any change in behavior because of it nor can I think of any reason that should be.
DrO |
Denese Cunningham
New Member
Username: Denese
Post Number: 3
Registered: 2-2006
| | Posted on Saturday, Aug 26, 2006 - 5:12 am: | |
Thank you all for your advice. I will be careful when working with her, as she is a handful. I am looking at moving her along with her buddy to another paddock or location where it is quiet away from the others.
I hope she reverts to her old self soon or when she foals and this behaviour doesn’t affect her mothering ability. |
Linda S.
Member
Username: Banthony
Post Number: 143
Registered: 12-2003
| | Posted on Monday, Aug 28, 2006 - 9:12 am: | |
My vet here is stumped as to why our mare started acting this way. He suggested that some fetal tissue might have been left behind after the twins were pinched. And that is causing an over secretion of testosterone.
But it does seem to be a problem with a lot of varied circumstances even in some cases open mares showing the behavior. |
Robert N. Oglesby DVM
Moderator
Username: Dro
Post Number: 16490
Registered: 1-1997
| | Posted on Tuesday, Aug 29, 2006 - 7:32 am: | |
Linda, at the time of pinching there is no cells that have developed far enough along to be secreting hormones yet and development would not proceed following pinching off. I think he is really reaching with this theory and I know of no research to support this happens.
DrO |
Linda S.
Member
Username: Banthony
Post Number: 145
Registered: 12-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, Aug 29, 2006 - 3:43 pm: | |
Good to know Dr. O. So much for my vet's theory. |
