Dealing with your hormonal mare
By Linda Kennard of NAF
Competing with a mare brings its own unique challenges. We are all familiar with the sweet natured little lady who turns into a hypersensitive, tail swishing, touchy madam during her seasons. If she is experiencing seasonal problems the last thing on her mind is producing a good test – so how can we help her get her mind back on track? Using hormones to regulate her work can help but is far from ideal, being expensive, difficult and potentially dangerous to yourself to administer. Calmers are often tried but are rarely the answer. A calmer is not addressing the real problem and, at best, will simply give you a dulled down version of the grouchy mare, whereas what you want is your normal horse back. Before you give up and go out and buy a gelding it is worth considering exactly what the problem is.
If she is suffering with her seasons the ovary area of the reproductive tract becomes inflamed and painful. The ovaries are situated relatively high up near the spine a little behind where the saddle sits. If that is the area affected it is therefore little wonder that the mare becomes sensitive and objects to grooming, tacking up or undue pressure during riding. Soreness in that area can also affect her ability to use her quarters and lengthen strides to their maximum. In the wild the mare could supplement her own diet with herbs specific to her needs. However in these days of uniform pasture and prepared feeds she must rely on us to supplement her diet accordingly. Blends of natural extracts containing multiple sourced antioxidants support the system by flushing out the build up of toxins associated with any inflammatory reaction. Using a complex blend of antioxidants rather than synthetic versions, such as pure vitamin C, puts back some of the variation to her diet and optimises the chances of providing her with the exact nutrients she requires. Remember antioxidants are easily damaged by heat and exposure to air, so preserved forage and prepared feeds are a poor source. In addition certain specific nutrients are worth looking out for. Herbs such as Black Cohosh are particularly useful; due to its endocrine action it has a beneficial effect on both the reproductive and nervous systems.
Also prior to going to stud consider your mare’s condition. She should be in fit not fat condition for a successful covering, ideally around condition score 3. If she has come straight from competition and is still super fit then you need to give her time to slightly relax. With a very fit horse ease off her work load and gradually increase feed in the last six weeks before covering. During the early stages of pregnancy good pasture and a basic general purpose supplement will cover all her requirements. During the last three months ensure all the requirements of the growing foal are provided, but take care not to complicate the issue with too many feeds and supplements. Feeding nutrients out of balance may limit the uptake of certain elements of the diet. Stick to a good basic diet and, if concentrate feed is limited, look for a supplement designed to provide all the needs of the mare and youngstock in one product.
Recommended NAF Products
Oestress, Vitamin E, Selenium & Lysine, General Purpose Supplement, Youngstock Supplement.
For further information or advice please call the NAF Freephone Advice Line on 0800373106,
email info@naf-uk.com or visit www.naf-uk.com
