When I get my horse I think I may have my heart set on a little mare, but I'm not sure yet. I've never ridden a mare during their heat before, and I don't want to increase the chances of getting thrown off due to my bad back. Are most mares in general bad while on their heat cycle? I've heard some say it doesn't make a difference when their mare is on heat.
that's like asking are most women cranky when they get their period.
it depends on the woman and on the mare.
the term "most" can apply to both or neither.
Some mares ... you never know when they are in heat. Never.
Other mares, you notice a little difference but not much.
Other mares you notice every single time and they PMS big time (buck, kick out when you go to mount up, saddle, etc)
Other mares, you never know for years .... then that one hard heat cycle hits them and wow, you know.
I knew a mare that was 25 years old when her owner noticed she was acting kind of nuts and the vet said it was hormonal ..... because some mares can get cysts (tumors) in their ovaries and this can throw their moods out of whack.
pets question and answers,www.5d2d.com
You can get a mare spayed and it's easier now a days. Dunno the cost. Then she'll be just like a gelding.
If this will be your first horse, I'd highly recommend that you not romanticize the idea of getting a little mare .... but go for a gelding instead. People tend to think happy loving thoughts when they get a mare ... . and then they end up with a nightmare. lol
Seriously. Don't get a mare unless you are 100% accepting of possible mood swings.
Like they said, it depends on the mare. With my first mare you can never ever tell when she's in heat. It actually threw off the vets this year when we were breeding her. They ultrasounded her to check and were like "oh shoot she ovulated three days ago" lol. My newer mare is a little grouchy when she's in heat but nothing bad. I've been lucky and have never had a mare that was a nightmare when she's in heat but I know that day will come.
But like Fennec Fox said, you can give them supplements during their cycle to help with it. Regumate is the brand name of a hormone called progesterone which is the hormone that is highest in females during pregnancy. It could help if your mare is particularly bad .
Once again, it really depends on the mare. Some mares i know will get very moody, and they leave it at that, others you will not notice at all, while some mares will get very hot when being ridden and/or handled on the ground. If you find a horse you like, ask the owner what she is like in heat. If they don't know, then i would look at other horses, just in case someone can give you a straight answer.
pets question and answers,www.5d2d.com Don't give up on your dreams because of this. If you find a mare you love, yet she is bad in heat, don't try to narrow your choices down trying to find another horse.
When I was a teenager and got my first mare she was such a sweetheart. You wouldn't even have known she ever had a heat. Now I have a mare that is so moody you can always tell when she is in heat. I guess it just totally depends on the mare. Good Luck. I've always heard geldings are best for having an even temperament. My next horse is going to be a gelding.
It depends on the mare. Some you can't even tell. Some are raging hormonal monsters.
There are things you can give a "mareish" mare to make her stop acting so "mareish", such as Regumate or Depo.
