Posted on Wednesday, February 06, 2002 - 12:44 pm:
My 11 year old Quarter Horse maiden mare is due May 1. She has never been an overly affectionate horse, but the further she gets into her pregnancy, the more of a witch she becomes. At this point, we really have to watch her-she is sneaky and bites--hard! When you walk up to her stall, she pins her ears and bares her teeth at you. Knock on wood, at least she does not kick. I am very concerned that she is going to get totally out of control after the foal comes, and not allow us access to it. Has anyone else had this experience? I'm really hoping it's just a hormone thing!!
TSQH (198.107.233.26)
Posted on Wednesday, February 06, 2002 - 02:04 pm:
It probably is a hormone(sp) thing. But she still should not be allowed to behave this way. She still need to know that you are the herd boss. My guess is that if she is allowed to coninue this behavior, she will be hard to deal with once she foals and may very well try to keep you from handling the foal. This is dangerous and should be stopped. I give my mares a certain amount of space if they want it when preg. meaning if they don't feel like being brushed ona certain day that is fine. BUT they are NEVER allowed to be disrespectful to me.
Sheree Wegeng (64.5.71.251)
Posted on Wednesday, February 06, 2002 - 03:00 pm:
Oh, believe me, she is corrected for it!! Unfortunately it does not seem to affect her in the least! We also keep a crop outside her stall and smack the bars with it when she comes at us (she's fine as soon as you open the door, for some reason it's only when you're on the other side of the bars that she hates you). She is ridden four times a week, so it's certainly not lack of exercise. As I said, she's sneaky, so a lot of times you don't know she's actually nipped at you unless she gets ahold of you.
TSQH (198.107.233.26)
Posted on Wednesday, February 06, 2002 - 11:54 pm:
Sounds to me like she needs to be treated like a stud. NEVER TAKE YOUR EYES OFF OF HER! This way you will ALWAYS be able to see it comeing.
Kelly (63.172.47.188)
Posted on Tuesday, February 12, 2002 - 06:17 pm:
I have seen plenty of mares like her. TSQH is correct about her needing to change this behavior. I would first suggest that you spray her in the mouth with some breath spray when she attempts to charge and bite. The crop will just threaten her into more of the same behavior.
I had a mare that was so cranky, she attacked her new born. She would not let it near her, and attempted to kick it or paw it. I tied her up and had to whip her butt. I felt strange being so bold with a new mother, but it was essential that she drop that idea immediately. After we had our "discussion" I milked her on both sides and re introduced the foal. I kept her tied and only had to show her the lead rope in my hand to stop her agression. After the foal nursed a few times, she got the hang of it.
I later found out that she was offered for sale because she had killed a previous foal. This last time she foaled, I walked in to have a look at the baby. She ran over and started licking the foal vigorously on the head! She wanted to make certain that I knew she like him!
My point is this, you don't want an agressive mare during foaling time. You need to establish that her behavior is not acceptable. Try the spray, and make her respect your space. After you correct her, ask her back into your space and reassure her. This step is as important as correcting her. It can be fixed!
elizabeth hardy (12.38.198.125)
Posted on Thursday, February 14, 2002 - 10:53 am:
I agree with everthing said.. Biting is very dangerous and unpredictable. Pregnant or not the behavior is unacceptable. Good luck Liz
Emily (207.177.53.86)
Posted on Sunday, March 03, 2002 - 11:16 pm:
I have an older mare that is good to be around. She is due to foal at any time. The temps have been bellow 0 and I will need to dry the foal off after it is born. I just found out that this sweet mare becomes very protective for a few days after the foal is born. The previous owner could not get near the foal or mare for the first few days. She did bite and kick. This mare has had four foals. I can not leave a halter on her in the stall because there are to many things for her to get hung up on. I will most likely be alone when this mare foals. Does anyone have suggestions on how to handle this situation safly? I do not know if I will be right there when she foals and if the mare is allready up I am afraid that I will not be able to safley get in there with her. Any help would sure be apreciated. Thanks
Sandy (65.56.45.59)
Posted on Tuesday, March 05, 2002 - 12:11 am:
Emily, Sounds like you have your work cut out for you with this mare. I cannot think of a "safe" way for you to approach this mare if she is that violent. The biting you could probably get around, but if she tends to kick out at a human, you never know when and where those hooves are going to strike. If you are lucky enough to be there when the mare foals, your best bet is to get with her right then while she is down, to let her know that you are not there to harm her or her new foal. You'll need to gain trust. If you're not there when she foals, chances are the foal might already be dried off and doing fine without your intervention. It's going to take a lot of work and patience on your part to gain the trust of this mare. Just don't put yourself in harm's way. Good luck.
I have a mare that is 321 days in foal. She usually doesn't like to be touched under her belly. Now, I can't touch her anywhere. She squeals and strikes out. Any advice?
Sandy (65.56.45.157)
Posted on Sunday, March 10, 2002 - 06:24 pm:
Lyn, How is she when you brush her now? I'd try brushing her, doing something she is totally accustomed to, and work your way from there. Some mares just get extremely cranky when they get further along. I have a mare who is due Apr.9 that is usually a very docile mare, and now when I touch her on her sides, she turns her head around and really thinks about biting me. I just reassure her that I'm not there to hurt her, and just keep touching her sides until she stops her behavior. Then I stop. Good luck
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