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Discussion on Fighting mares
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Member:
boomer
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Posted on Wednesday, May 9, 2007 - 12:03 pm:
Yesterday I was unloading hay and two mares started fighting. Not just a squabble a huge fight! The palomino was practically running backwards at the chestnut and was un-relentlessly kicking. The chestnut jumped on the palomino's back and was biting and biting. They were going at it for a long time. It was really hard to get their attention. They were so focused on each other. I've never witnessed a fight like this. It was really violent. These two have been together a couple of months. It looked like the palomino was the aggressor. I finally got their attention enough to get them to stop and I went in and took the palomino out. They both ended up bloody. Back, chest, legs, face, butt and head. Both of them looked like they had just came out of combat. What on earth in the herd behavior would cause this type of fight?
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Member:
leslie1
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Posted on Wednesday, May 9, 2007 - 5:14 pm:
Sounds like a food fight. It also sounds like they are both very dominate, and maybe hormonal (that time of year). Still trying to sort out the pecking order maybe.....All of the above }
I have any extremely dominate mare that is just sooo psychotic at feeding time, and always will be as she was almost starved to death as a youngster. I learned the hard way that they werent ready to be togther at anytime, even} after a month of being next to each other.I had to keep them separated for about 3 months during turnout time. And always will have to keep them completely separated at feeding time. The good thing is that the dominate mare is sweet to humans at all times.
Did you have to call a vet in?
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Moderator:
DrO
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Posted on Thursday, May 10, 2007 - 6:54 am:
Patricia, one of the mares is trying to move up the pecking order and the other mare is resisting it. Whether food induced or not who eats first and who eats where is determined by the herd status of the horse. If chronic aggressiveness is a recent change for one you could consider granulosa cell tumor.
DrO
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Member:
boomer
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Posted on Thursday, May 10, 2007 - 11:40 am:
There was no food in the paddock. I just have never seen this behavior or at least to this extent. No vet, all the wounds were superficial thank god. I cleaned both of them up and stalled them. They are sore and not together that's for sure. I think Dr. O you are right on, the Palomino may be trying to dominate an already dominate mare.
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