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  Discussion on Need advice on mare with pain during estrus...
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Member:
Leec

Posted on Tuesday, Aug 22, 2006 - 6:22 pm:

Hi all,
Starting this spring my 4 yr old QH mare started having occasional anxiety while I was tightening the girth and sometimes would 'hump up' or try to skitter away when I would settle into the saddle. As well, she was very sensitive along her right side. Once on her and moving out she was fine. I started to record these behavioral changes. What I noticed is the length of time between the 'episodes' fits perfectly with a typical mares cycling pattern. She is not a demonstrative mare and does not squat/pee/squeal or exhibit any other obvious signs of being in heat even when around other horses. My concern is that she is perhaps in a great deal of pain during 'her time'. The reason I’m wondering this is she is not cranky and does not pin her ears, move away or try to nip when I tighten the girth, she just tenses right up and quivers with a scared look on her face. I tighten the girth just enough to hold the saddle on first (this is where she has the most anxiety – I go slow and pet her lots), I then walk her to where I lunge her and check it. I lunge her 3 or so revolutions in both directions at usually just the trot and tighten it again if necessary. With the mounting part, it appears it is when my right leg swings over and touches her right side that she just about comes out of her skin. Again, her attitude is that of anxiety, not anger or belligerence. During the 22 days or so between these behavioral changes, she dozes while I tighten the girth without batting an eye, and is rooted to the ground when I mount up until I ask her to move off. If I continue to ride her during the times that she is in such discomfort, is it possible she will eventually become cinchy at all times and will I start to have mounting or other issues with her? Any thoughts/advice/ideas would be great. She is an awesome horse and I really want to keep her that way!
LeeC
Member:
Hwood

Posted on Tuesday, Aug 22, 2006 - 6:57 pm:

Lee, I'm sure others and Dr. O. may advise you better, but from experience, I can tell you that I had a young mare who would buck during estrus . . . and it was found that her ovary wouldn't release the egg . . . which caused her some serious cramping. She was put on Regumate, and her cranky behavior ceased, and she was ridden quite successfully by adults and children after that.
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Wednesday, Aug 23, 2006 - 7:14 am:

Hello LeeC,
The timing you describe does not match up with a mares normal estrus cycle, for more see Equine Reproduction » Horse Breeding & Artificial Insemination » Breeding Patterns in Mares and Stallions. As Holly suggest perhaps her cycles are abnormal and associated with this, but you will have to have her examined for this.

On the other hand your experiences with saddling are common and I don't think caused by pain which usually results in belligerence if you repeatedly hurt a horse. This is most likely a training issue but I would also suggest that you consider the horse is mildly narcoleptic from your description of dozing during saddling. It could be you are occasionally seeing intermittent mild arousable seizure activity that causes anxiety from the anticipation and that you startle her out of this when you mount. Does she appear a bit "out of it" during these anxious periods? For more see, Diseases of Horses » Nervous System » Seizures & Fainting » Narcolepsy, Cataplexy, and Fainting.
DrO
Member:
Leec

Posted on Wednesday, Aug 23, 2006 - 1:35 pm:

Thank you Holly for sharing your experience. During estrus, was there a specific circumstance that would put this mare to bucking? I think if my mare was not so well trained and eager to please, there are times she probably would have bucked when I've mounted.

Dr. O, I read the articles you suggested. Yes, with her cycle it appears (if I use her anxiety attacks as a gauge), she is around 28 days, which you are right is not typical. The way it is explained in my vet book was not as clear as your article. As I don't plan to breed her, is there any reason to regulate her cycles? Or are the irregular cycles causing her pain and/or her to be over sensitive?

Perhaps 'doze' wasn't the appropriate word to use, I was trying to emphasis the extreme difference of the 2 behaviors. More accurately, for approx 22 out of 28 days, while I am brushing and saddling up she stands relaxed, sometimes cocking a back foot, but she seems alert - her eyes and ears follow me and other sounds and movement. She usually watches my yearling who is about 15 feet away. She is not at all alarmed or concerned when I tighten the girth or touch her right side. For 2 or 3 of the other 6 days, she behaves the same way until the girthing and mounting parts. When I am saddling her, I move around a lot, I double check that nothing is twisted on the offside - and double check again, I walk behind her and under her neck, touching her and talking to her all the time. Sometimes I stop and rub her face and ears, scratch her belly etc. On these 'off' days, the first sign she gives me after I've set the saddle on her back, is raising her head when I touch the girth area on her offside. So, I rub her there until she looks less concerned. However, she doesn't completely relax again. I watch her expression (in case one day she looks like she is going to explode...) as I tighten the girth only until the saddle will stay on if she moves. By then she is tense again with her head up, sometimes she quivers, sometimes not. Then I continue with my girth tightening procedure as described before. From the time she is saddled to the time I mount, I don't know how she could she could slip into a narcoleptic state, as she is constantly moving (and not always in the same pattern or to the same mounting place) up until I stop her to get on. No, Dr. O, she does not seem out of it. I used to have a TB mare who was mildly narcoleptic and the possibility of this mare being that never crossed my mind. When this 'time' comes around again, I am going to try lunging her for a bit before I saddle her. Perhaps if she is a bit stiff or sore, warming her up first will help? As well, I wonder if lunging her a little longer before mounting might benefit her (I have heard of horses who are cold backed...) during these times?
LeeC
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Saturday, Aug 26, 2006 - 12:49 pm:

We really don't know if the behavior is related to the cycle Lee, hmmm, did she do this during the winter time? I like your idea of a bit more lunging, and perhaps a little lunging after saddling would help?
DrO
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