Moody Mare

[xabbracadabra]

Okay guys I could use some good old COTH wisdom :)

The mare I'm currently riding has been taken off regumate and she's been getting moodier the longer she is on it. Since I really don't want to have to go out and buy that stuff myself I was wondering if you knew another other alternatives. I went on SmartPak and the best thing I found was Mare Ease. Would that work?

ETA: Would just Raspberry leaves and the Chaste Berry work? I found a thread on that but there was nothing on how much you should be feeding of each

[ChocoMare]

:) http://www.horsehealthusa.com/cgi-local/SoftCart.exe/supplements/moodymare.html?L+scstore+ysdt2925ff3ddd3d+12235995 34

[lilypondlane]

I have had two of my mares on Mare Magic for over a year and it works as well as Depo or Regumate which they had been on previously. I have never tried Moody Mare, but it seems to be considerably more expensive than Mare Magic.

http://64.233.169.104/search?q=cache:bgg0DLBdN74J:www.uniquelyhorse.com/custom.em%3Fpid%3D521252+Mare+Magic&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=4&gl=us

[baytraks]

Two years ago a mare at our barn had a one-inch sterile marble inserted through her cervix into her ovaries to keep her from cycling. It was done when she was in heat and the cervix was soft/open. This was based on a Dutch study a couple years prior. It worked, and by the following year she had expelled the marble. I am sure there are more knowledgeable folks here who can help you find that study and share more information.

[xabbracadabra]

I have had two of my mares on Mare Magic for over a year and it works as well as Depo or Regumate which they had been on previously. I have never tried Moody Mare, but it seems to be considerably more expensive than Mare Magic.

http://64.233.169.104/search?q=cache:bgg0DLBdN74J:www.uniquelyhorse.com/custom.em%3Fpid%3D521252+Mare+Magic&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=4&gl=us

How long do those bags last for they seem pretty small. Is it just a couple ounces a day?

[findeight]

Tried everything and the herbal/naturals did not work at all on mine. Do not care to try the marble, it can be a source of infection and can also slip out unnoticed.

Now that we are into fall, that mare should be going into anestrus (no ovulation) for the winter months and not need much if anything.

Mine has about 2 weeks left of the Regumate and will stay off of it until spring...if she even needs it at 20. She has mellowed a bit. More likely go to Depo as/if needed.

[xabbracadabra]

Tried everything and the herbal/naturals did not work at all on mine. Do not care to try the marble, it can be a source of infection and can also slip out unnoticed.

Now that we are into fall, that mare should be going into anestrus (no ovulation) for the winter months and not need much if anything.

Mine has about 2 weeks left of the Regumate and will stay off of it until spring...if she even needs it at 20. She has mellowed a bit. More likely go to Depo as/if needed.

The thing is with this mare I don't think it has anything to do with her being in heat she just has an attitude because regumate didn't fully fix anything it just made it a little better...

[lilypondlane]

With the Mare Magic, I actually give them way more than the little scoop that comes in the bag -- more like a small handful, so maybe that's why it works so well. :) But even giving the two mares more than the prescribed amount, the big bag lasts for several months. We tried the marble on another mare, but her cervix is apparently abnormally tight and the vet had no sooner inserted it when she popped it right back out. Her rider is fearless and loves this opinionated mare, so she's not on anything now.

xabbracadabra, have you had this mare tested for ulcers? That would be a possibility worth looking into if you don't think the issues are hormonally based.

[xabbracadabra]

With the Mare Magic, I actually give them way more than the little scoop that comes in the bag -- more like a small handful, so maybe that's why it works so well. :) But even giving the two mares more than the prescribed amount, the big bag lasts for several months. We tried the marble on another mare, but her cervix is apparently abnormally tight and the vet had no sooner inserted it when she popped it right back out. Her rider is fearless and loves this opinionated mare, so she's not on anything now.

xabbracadabra, have you had this mare tested for ulcers? That would be a possibility worth looking into if you don't think the issues are hormonally based.

She's not my mare to test the owner would have to do that for her and I can't afford it. All I do is lease her so I'm doing all that I can $$ wise to keep her in good shape. I'll talk to the owner but I doubt that's it. Apparently she has always been like this. I think it's just a "no i'm doing it my way and my way is not going foward at all" type thing

[ryansgirl]

I put my mare on raspberry leaves - tried Mare Magic and saw a huge difference in her. I order from www.bulkherbstore.com (http://www.bulkherbstore.com) - very cheap to buy and well worth trying. She gets about two ounces a day. Granted she doesn't sound nearly like your mare but she does get super uncomfortable during her heat cycles. She's been on the rasp. leaves since May and I haven't seen her do anything even remotely close to showing that she's in heat (and she's with my gelding 24/7) or uncomfortable. :)

[c5rose]

Mare Magic did not work on my mare during the two months I had her on it. In fact, it almost seemed she became more miserable while on it. They're all different.

[JoyCat]

There is an injection called "equity" that you can use to keep her from cycling. It works the same as the regumate but unlike regumate, you only need to give 2 injections per year. The downside is that it is very expensive. We sell it for$278AUD (per shot) and that is with minimal mark up on it.

[Holly Jeanne]

It looks like Mare Magic is a calming agent. My mare is quiet and I really don't want to calm her down anymore. My problem is that her sides become very sensitive (to brushing or to leg). This started last fall and I was just about to get her tested for everything and then it stopped. It's been off and on this year (which is why I think it's associated with heat cycles) but, again this fall, it has gotten really bad. Once I get her warmed up and concentrating, it improves but we start out with pinning ears, swishing tail, and kicking out at the leg. She's been really good under saddle all summer (only showing sensitivity during heats when brushed) up until now so I really don't think it's an attitude thing. (She's 5) Regumate would definitely be a last resort. Any other ideas?

[ryansgirl]

It looks like Mare Magic is a calming agent. My mare is quiet and I really don't want to calm her down anymore. My problem is that her sides become very sensitive (to brushing or to leg). This started last fall and I was just about to get her tested for everything and then it stopped. It's been off and on this year (which is why I think it's associated with heat cycles) but, again this fall, it has gotten really bad. Once I get her warmed up and concentrating, it improves but we start out with pinning ears, swishing tail, and kicking out at the leg. She's been really good under saddle all summer (only showing sensitivity during heats when brushed) up until now so I really don't think it's an attitude thing. (She's 5) Regumate would definitely be a last resort. Any other ideas?

Mare Magic is not a calming agent... my mare is not calmer on it - she is the same as far as that goes. It helps make them more comfortable when their heat cycles are bad (think PMS for humans and we take stuff to make us more comfortable - humans use raspberry leaves for themselves too).

You should have the vet look at your mare - could be that something hurts and she's trying to tell you that by acting the way she is. My mare was having problems u/s so I took her in for a full workup - turns out she has Kissing Spines (it was clear once we saw the films). I would definitely call the vet...

:)

[Holly Jeanne]

Sorry. this is what I read that led me to believe that:


Mare Magic is an all natural herbal product [100% rasberry leaf], known to help influence a quiet disposition in mares and geldings.

From the website referenced above. I mistook "quiet" for being a calming agent. I plan to take her for a workup but I thought I'd try a herbal solution first. The behaviour coincides with her marish behaviour toward her pasture mate and is not consistent which is why I think it's hormonal and I'd rather start by trying a herbal solution. If no difference, vet is the next step. Even if there is a difference, it gives me something more specific to discuss with the vet.

[jherold]

From what I read, rasberry leaf may work if the problem is during the heat cycle. If it's all the time crankyness, chastberry works better. Mine is all around bitchy so I put her on 1 oz of ground chasteberry daily. (She only gets grain in the evening). It definately seems to work for her. She's less iritable and more tolerant of other horses. She still tests her boundries because it doesn't make her less dominant, but there is less of an edge to her, if that makes sense. I tried progesterone implants and they helped too, but they also made her a bit sluggish. You have to experiment with mares to see what works for them.

[ryansgirl]

Sorry. this is what I read that led me to believe that:


From the website referenced above. I mistook "quiet" for being a calming agent. I plan to take her for a workup but I thought I'd try a herbal solution first. The behaviour coincides with her marish behaviour toward her pasture mate and is not consistent which is why I think it's hormonal and I'd rather start by trying a herbal solution. If no difference, vet is the next step. Even if there is a difference, it gives me something more specific to discuss with the vet.

Ah that makes sense - I see why you thought it was a calming supplement :). Raspberry leaves are so cheap that's why i tried it on my mare. I love when you can find something cheap that works :yes::).

[xabbracadabra]

Thanks everyone! I talked to my trainer today about chaste berry and the raspberry leaves but she said the mare has already had colic surgery once so the owner dosen't want to risk having to go though that again since she hasn't had any colic like problems lately. I don't blame them for being careful she's an investment horse (or well supposed to be) we're just going to go back to her regumate shots that she was on before.

[Crazy Eventer]

Do any of you who are using the herbal supps know if they are legal for FEI comp.?