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  Discussion on 2 yo fillie in heat
Author Message
New Member:
mizzsnap

Posted on Friday, May 9, 2008 - 2:06 pm:

i have a 2yo fillie TB in training at the track,
she trains well until we take her to the gate
then she starts acting like she's in heat,
squatting, & peeing all over the gate and refuses to co-operate. regumate and depo provera, doesn't seem to work. we also tried to do an ultrasound and she wasn't having any part of that, as soon as the vet touched her she went ballistic. we stopped everything and turn her out hoping she just needs to mature. ANY IDEAS

thanks
tc
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Friday, May 9, 2008 - 5:40 pm:

Welcome Anthony,
How much and for how long did you give the filly Regumate?
DrO
New Member:
mizzsnap

Posted on Friday, May 9, 2008 - 8:37 pm:

Hi DrO

she had 10cc a day for 10 weeks

thanks tony
Member:
scooter

Posted on Friday, May 9, 2008 - 9:28 pm:

Hi Anthony could it possibly be she does this from insecurity and excitement? I have known many mares that have that behavior when paniced or overly excited. She may just be feeling a little insecure, panicy and excited in the gate.

Does this happen every time, or once in awhile...as in estrus?
New Member:
mizzsnap

Posted on Saturday, May 10, 2008 - 12:41 pm:

Hi Diane, what your saying is possible, but she started to act like it was estrus when we first took her to the track. that's when we put her on regumate, she was going real good training and schooling for the gate, except for the last 3 weeks she would go to the track and train just fine but when we took her to the gate to work her is when she started to act up. we did that once a week on Saturday for 3 wks. we just started this filly in Feb.
thanks tony
Member:
ekaufman

Posted on Saturday, May 10, 2008 - 1:01 pm:

Hi Tony,

It could be medical, but it also sounds to me like it could be a training issue, where your filly has developed high anxiety about the gate. I would be tempted to try to desensitize her somewhat to the experience of loading and unloading in a gate, though I realize she will need eventually to turn "on" when she loads.

If she is fearful of loading, either because she is sensitive to performance pressure or claustrophobic or somehow got scared in there, then you would approach this like any other fear-- gradually reintroduce the scary thing w/o pressure, and let her learn that it's no big deal and that she need not expect anything bad when she approaches it. Lots of ways to do this, depending on your training philosophy.

Or it may be medical, which is well outside my scope. Let us know how she comes along! Good luck.
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Sunday, May 11, 2008 - 6:54 am:

Anthony,
I agree with the idea this could be either a medical issue, possibly granulosa cell tumor, or it could be a behavioral/training issue. It is possible to diagnose GCT with laboratory work for more see, Diseases of Horses » Reproductive Diseases » Trouble Settling Mares & Stallion Infertility » Granulosa Cell Tumors in Mares.

Concerning the behavioral possibility, does the filly act this way to an empty gait or only when the gait has other horses?
DrO
New Member:
mizzsnap

Posted on Sunday, May 11, 2008 - 11:10 pm:

Dr O
when we where schooling her she was by her self
when we where trying to get her OK out of the gait she was with company, one time in between and one time outside of horse's.
thanks tony
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Monday, May 12, 2008 - 7:13 am:

I don't follow Anthony,
Was she OK loading into and breaking from the gait without other horses? If the problem is the other horses in close proximity, and not the gait, I would suggest turn out with other horses so she can become better socialized.
DrO
New Member:
mizzsnap

Posted on Monday, May 12, 2008 - 1:12 pm:

sorry for the confusion DrO. she acted up with and without company. we turned her out and will give her another try in the fall. we stopped the regumate and we will try to ultrasound her again.

thanks tony
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Tuesday, May 13, 2008 - 7:20 am:

With and without company alright. I don't think turn out alone is likely to be a solution to the loading problem without company. During this time she needs reintroduction to loading but done in a slow non-threatening manner with plenty of rewards for correct behavior to overcome this excitement. For more on one way to approach adapting horses to mildly aversive events is described at Training & Conditioning Horses » Behavior and Training » Modifying a Horses Behavior: Conditioned Responses.
DrO
Member:
mizzsnap

Posted on Tuesday, May 13, 2008 - 12:03 pm:

DrO
i agree this filly will need more time and patience when we bring her back, we give all are horses the time to grow and adapt. and we don't rush, or bully them to do anything. the horse always comes first.
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