Mare not cycling yet... Anyone in the same situation ?

[Royal Monaco]

My mare has not started cycling yet. Usually she cycles all year long. She hasn't cycled since fall...

Is anyone here in the same situation ?

What are your experiences with regumate to induce cycling ?

Would you let nature go on for some more time or would you use regumate ?

Thanks !

[pintopiaffe]

You're even further north than me... I don't worry about it until June. Generally I might get some transitional cycles in March/April (I actually almost always get one in Jan/Feb! :eek: ) but then don't really start seen 'regular' cycles I can count until May.

I don't like to breed before June anyway... though that's getting late for many, but we had snow on June 6 one year when I was on foalwatch... <brrrrr> Plus I find blackflies to be very problematic for babies.

You certainly can try timing her in, but IME, even THAT doesn't work when Mother Nature is acting up. Two or three years ago we had a super cold/dark/wet late April and early May. NO one was cycling, and even when they did, the Reprogod vet was missing them left and right... they'd go from a 32 or 33 to gone overnight. A month later, wham, bam, thank you Ma'am. ;)

[Equine Reproduction]

What are your experiences with regumate to induce cycling?

Regumate does not induce cycling in the anestrus mare. It can have a positive impact on controlling erratic FSH waves and encouraging LH secretion in the late transitional mare, but unless the mare already has a good amount of follicular activity, and has had for several weeks, your success rate at promoting ovulation is going to be low. If your mare has been transitional for a while then you can give it a go, and it has a reasonable degree of success in stabilizing erratic estrus display typical of transition, and then promoting ovulatory follicular growth.

There are protocols to promote onset of transition in the mare, but they are generally found to be significantly more successful in warmer climates, which Montreal is not! :)

As you are probably aware, "phototropic stimulation (http://www.equine-reproduction.com/articles/early.htm)" ("putting the mare under lights" - follow that link for more details) is the best and easiest (and cheapest) method of encouraging earlier ovulations, but it's too late to do any good this year.

Good luck!

[EquusMagnificus]

Monaco, mine won't start cycling either! It seems late. My other broodmare has already cycled twice!!

[TheBandit]

My older mama-mare who is supposed to be retired is in raging, screaming heat right now. She cycled all winter. My younger mare cycled until Feb. Repo-God is coming tomorrow for breeding exams.

[justonemore]

I'm in Vermont and still waiting for my mare too...glad I'm not the the only one. Normally her first obvious heat is in early April, so this is late for her. I was also wondering about using regumate to induce cycling, I guess that idea is out. I'll continue to wait!

[pintopiaffe]

Oh, yes, I did fail to mention, "retired" 22yo has been in raging heat, like clockwork, for 3 cycles now. :uhoh:

[Royal Monaco]

Thanks everybody. I'm glad to see I'm not the only one waiting for the rising tail !

I forgot to mention that my mare has small follicules on the left ovary (hope I spelled those words right :D) and nothing on the right side. We also tried Lutalyse 2 weeks ago and it didn't work.

Pintopiaffe, my mare lives with another mare, an old mama who is always in heat too. I hope she would stimulate my mare but nada. Even the nice 4 y.o. gelding with plenty of chrome is not stimulating her !

I just keep my fingers crossed that Mother Nature will not forget my mare too long !

[sfstable]

One little pony I am leasing is not cycling yet either. Vet checked her this evening and he thinks we are still weeks out. She has not shed her winter coat completely out yet either and we are in Florida.

But the other pony she is turned out with is sitting with a 31cm follicle and we are breeding her this week. :)

[pintopiaffe]

She has not shed her winter coat completely out yet either and we are in Florida.

Last year or the year before (?) my vet mentioned the connection between shedding and cycles... he said if they are busy keeping warm, they're not going to cycle well or regularly. He mentioned that he's never seen a mare with really good cycles who has winter coat left... of course, there are many reasons for 'late' shedding... but if you think about them--most of them relate to hormones.

I *know* it's supposed to be all about daylength... but I'm SO far North and East, I have the best luck with fertility PAST the Solstice... and going right into early Oct. <shrugs>

[sfstable]

Last year or the year before (?) my vet mentioned the connection between shedding and cycles... he said if they are busy keeping warm, they're not going to cycle well or regularly. He mentioned that he's never seen a mare with really good cycles who has winter coat left... of course, there are many reasons for 'late' shedding... but if you think about them--most of them relate to hormones.

I *know* it's supposed to be all about daylength... but I'm SO far North and East, I have the best luck with fertility PAST the Solstice... and going right into early Oct. <shrugs>

There is a good correlation between coat shedding and cycling. The ones I have cycling are the ones whose coats have completely or almost completely shed out. We have had some weird weather this spring which is probably contributing to the late shedding.:)

[EquusMagnificus]

Pintopiaffe, I'd have to double check on that!

The only one that I have that is perfectly shedded out is pregnant! Being pregnant myself right now, I totally attribute it to the hormonal imbalance and frankly, just being unbelievably HOT all the time!! :lol: My poor mare has been trying desperately since January to get rid of that darn extra layer and boy, I understand her!!

But the non-cyling one still has some coat, and I believe the full-blown good cycler still has some coat as well. The non-cyling one was kept blanketed all winter, and came in at night. She never got *really* cold. :)

[grayfox]

I have one that's not cycling. I have the vet coming today to look at her again.

[Royal Monaco]

I went to see my mare this afternoon and I asked my friend (barn owner) if she noticed any signs of heat yet and she said no...

While we were talking in the field with the horses around us, my mare came close to me with her ass facing me, she raised her tail and showed me THE sign.

I am so thrilled. I will breed her next heat.

[Carrera]

About winter coat... I have one mare that is almost out of her winter furries and was in season like there is no tomorrow last week, and my little fur-ball...nothing as of yet.

Don't worry it will happen!