How to Manage Your Mare’s Heat Cycle
A mare’s heat cycle is an incredibly important element of equine management. Even if you aren't planning on breeding your mare, her heat cycles will inevitably affect her and you. It is crucial to understand how to care for your horse and how to avoid interference with riding and training.
What is the Heat Cycle?
Your mare’s most essential and strongest driver is their reproduction cycle. A mare’s heat cycle is the reproductive cycle that she experiences. This can affect her mood and physical behaviors during her fertile months. The typical timing for a mare’s heat cycle is between April and early September. Between these months, your mare’s ovaries are either getting ready for the warmer seasons or slowing down for the colder winter months. Reproductive demeanors are noticed during the fertile period between April and September. Each cycle lasts about 18-23 days and your mare will be in heat for about 5 of those days. It is normal for your mare to experience her heat cycle every few weeks with breaks in between.
What Are the Signs That Your Mare is in Their Heat Cycle?
Some typical signs can include your mare holding their tail elevated. For relief, your horse will naturally open and close their vulva and will considerably squat and squirt urine and mucus. Ovulation can produce pain, so make sure your approaches and grooming techniques are suitable for their irritability. Try to avoid approaching your mare from behind and groom them by starting at their neck and shoulders before working back to their sensitive flanks. Your mare’s hormones are changing, so she can often be sensitive to touch and easily startled.
When a mare is in heat, she often seems preoccupied. It will be harder to hold her attention, so during this time try to implement focus-type lessons like the use of ground poles and changes of speed and direction. Let your mare work on activities that she already knows how to do, as she probably won't want to learn anything new while she is in heat.
How Can You Help Your Mare?
The heat cycle that your mare is enduring is perfectly natural. Do not punish her for this; be understanding and work with her. If your mare’s irritability becomes extreme, it’s most likely due to the pressure-like pain that she is experiencing. Supplements for pain relief can be beneficial to your horses’ health and mood. It is essential not to push your mare to do too much physical activity while she is in heat, but when you are implementing activity, it's important to be forward in your commands and let her know when it's time to work. You can do this by actively leading her with strong voice commands when you are on the saddle.
What Can Equine Medical & Surgical Associates Do to Help?
To relieve your mares' pain and irritability, consider our product Happ-E-Mare. Happ-E-Mare is an all-natural blend of herbs that can help make your horse calm and relaxed throughout her heat cycles. Happ-E-Mare consists of nine balancing herbs plus multiple vitamins, including a high dosage of vitamin E, along with natural minerals. This supplement is certified free of herbicides, pesticides, lead, and toxins to ensure the best safety for your mare. Happ-E-Mare improves mood, reduces muscle soreness, and decreases anxiety in as little as 14 days. For more information regarding Happ-E-Mare, visit our FAQs page on our website for general instruction about proper diet, exercise, and sleep while taking Happ-E-Mare.
Happ-E-Mare has:
- Herbs – Eleuthro, Ashwagandha, Raspberry Leaf, Chaste Tree Berry, Ginger, Oregano, Spirulina, Chia & Boswellia
- Minerals – Magnesium, MSM
- Vitamins – Vitamin E, Vitamin B6