Could this be mareish behavior?

[dianneS]

I've only owned my mare through two previous heat cycles and I would have never even known she was in heat.

In the spring she did have her miniature horse companion, but he was just a baby and she didn't behave mareish at that time either.

Now this fall, she is in heat, and hasn't shown any mareish behavior at all, until today. She's pushing her mini horse (a gelding) around the pasture, making him run up and down the fence lines and pushing him in circles in the corner of the pasture. She is totally ignoring me. She just seems irritable like she's being bothered by a million biting flies (but there are no flies). Very annoyed by something!

She's not been "presenting" herself to the gelding, or doing any horney behavior, just acting really bossy and pushy and irritated. I gave my gelding the choice to go in his stall today, and he went right in! Like "get me the heck away from this crazy woman!"

Does this sound like mareish behavior? She has been stabled with mostly mares in the past and very few geldings on the property at all, maybe one or two out of twelve or so horses. Could her new little friend be bringing this behavior out in her?

 

[houndit]

It is possible that she is in heat. We drive our team of Belgians and I often drive our friends team of spots. When they are in heat they are hard to deal with . They either fuss about going or will not slow down when you tell them to.

 

[Cara]

Not sure, my mare's like that all the time

 

[dianneS]

Well, it only seemed to be a one day thing anyway. She's normally so sweet, and she's back to her normal self.

Although today the gelding found his way out of the fence and coaxed my mare to follow him! (I found multiple sets of his hoof prints along the outside of the fence going back and forth, and only one set of my mares hoof prints!) The neighbors found them behind my other neighbors barn grazing in the yard! Thanks to everyone's help, they are both safely in the goat pasture now, they can't escape that fence! My mare's not even bothered by the goats!

 

[kimmyh]

Some mares PMS and seem to lose their mind when they cycle. I would pen her by herself for a few days so she doesn't hurt her pen mates.

 

[WesternChick]

My horse is vicious whem she cycles it really really sucks.....

 

[freemotion]

Often the autumn heats are stronger than the spring heats. It is like they are getting desperate!

 

[dianneS]

Often the autumn heats are stronger than the spring heats. It is like they are getting desperate!

Huh, I didn't know that. She was only like that for a day or two, then she was over it. I rode her while she was in heat and she was mostly cooperative. She and my gelding were grouchy with one another for a while like an old married couple, but that's not unusual!