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Discussion on Mare in heat kicking gelding
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Member:
annes
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Posted on Friday, Aug 22, 2008 - 3:17 pm:
I've read the related discussions but didn't see anything about a mare in heat being overly aggressive to a gelding. I adopted a neglected filly (18-24 mos old) in June who seemed to fit right in with my 3 geldings. She has since filled out and is very healthy, easy to handle, etc. She is very sweet and loving to me (no handling issues) but is terrorizing my 5 yr old gelding. He has a look of panic on his face when she comes near him, squealing, squatting, peeing and kicking. She even kicks out her front hoof at him. He has kick marks around his entire body. I kept them apart for a week or more but then it started up again. He is the low gelding in the pecking order but I think this is more than her trying to be boss. She does not do this with my two older geldings (10 and 24). This behavior didn't start until the last month. When she first came, she was very attached to him and stood and groomed him constantly and they were buddies. She is half his size and does not have shoes. She has turned into the wicked witch and I am afraid he is going to be injured. Am I being too over-protective or should I permanently separate them?
BTW -I've had 3 mares in the past and none of them ever acted this way with my geldings.
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Member:
scooter
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Posted on Friday, Aug 22, 2008 - 6:19 pm:
Ann This is one reason I will never (probably) own a mare again. I used to prefer mares UNTIL a friend boarded hers here, what a CRAB. It was like she was constantly in heat, when she actually was in heat she was twice as bad. My friend had the vet check her and palpate her, but he found nothing out of the ordinary.
She was even riding my MARE, Hank tried to keep her in her place, which he did pretty well, but the old mare was defenseless against the wicked witch. So I told her to put her on regumate or get her out, before the old mare got hurt, actually I had another mare here at the time (mine), and she did some damage to her tendon.
This mare was like this as a youngster too. She was 5 when she was here. The regumate did the trick 
When she moved and took the mare with her, she took her off the Regumate(it does cost alot) she was boarded with some boss mares and that helped her attitude a little. She is still like this to this day.
I hope your filly out grows it, which is quite possible. In the mean time you'll have to use your good judgement as to whether she is dangerous to your gelding.
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Member:
annes
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Posted on Saturday, Aug 23, 2008 - 9:15 am:
Thanks for the reply Diane. I am off work for the next 10 days and will monitor more closely to see how it goes. From all the stories I've heard from my farrier about mares (he will never own any either), I know I got lucky with the 3 I've owned in the past. I rarely knew when they were in heat so this is new for me. Now I understand why people have those opinions about mares. I am glad she behaves with the other two boys so I can split them up 2 and 2 if I have to do that permanently. I do not regret giving her a home but I do miss the quiet, calm barnyard that I had before she arrived.
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Member:
paardex
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Posted on Saturday, Aug 23, 2008 - 9:18 am:
Ann and Diane, I've had mares behaving like that[sometimes Regumate helped sometimes they started behaving like that when put on regumate] BUT I've had a few geldings behaving like that too!
My policy: if somebody misbehaves[more then once and for no reason I can find or change] they get separated, alone or with somebody who handles it well.
The risk for the others is to big imo.
Jos
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