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Discussion on Stud behavior in Mare
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New Member:
camljohn
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Posted on Monday, May 21, 2007 - 6:19 pm:
I know female dogs will mount other dogs (male and female) to establish dominance but I've never heard of this in Mares. I have a 6 year old warm blood mare along with 2 other mares and a gelding. The gelding is teased mercilessly by the mares when they are in heat and he does try to mount them as well as exhibiting other stud behavior. The warmblood mare is the Alpha female and she has been observed mounting the other mares. Interestingly, one mare she is mounting will kick my gelding when he tries to mount but she stands willingly for my Alpha Mare. All three mares are exhibiting signs of being in heat.
Is this "normal" behavior?
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Moderator:
DrO
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Posted on Tuesday, May 22, 2007 - 7:44 am:
Hello Michael,
Though it first sounds like a little hotbed of equine activity, the occasional mounting of one mare by another is pretty much within the range of normal and may be a daily occurence in a playful group.
The thing to watch for is that each mares estrus cycle is showing a normal pattern. Though this is not a guarantee that something is not wrong, like ovarian tumors, it is a pretty good indicator.
DrO
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New Member:
camljohn
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Posted on Tuesday, May 22, 2007 - 10:17 am:
Thanks Dr. Oglesby. I do have one 8yo mare (a TNW) who appears to be in heat a lot, much more and much more apparent than the other mares. It was while searching for posts on "mounting" that I first saw references to ovarian tumors/cysts as a cause for excessive estrus cycles. She has been exhibiting these symptoms for at least 2-years. What should I be asking my vet to do in terms of an exam to eliminate ovarian tumors as a cause? I assume surgery is the remedy, how risky is it?
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Moderator:
DrO
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Posted on Tuesday, May 22, 2007 - 11:28 am:
There is a wide variation in both normal behaviors in horses and in how easily they display estrus when stallions are not around. What behavior do you see and how many days a month would you call "in heat a lot". For more on granulosa cell tumor see Diseases of Horses » Reproductive Diseases » Trouble Settling Mares & Stallion Infertility » Granulosa Cell Tumors in Mares.
DrO
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