Help an Uneducated Woman...

[ChocoMare]

Ok, here's the scenario (real, not hypothetical):

Two Geldings, Two Mares on turn out together. All four get along very very well. One of the mares is mine (alpha). Other mare is owned by farm manager's wife. Two geldings owned by husband/wife team (co-boarders).

One of the geldings owners buys an 8-month old APHA Palomino colt. No testicles have descended. He's turned out with the other four. All is well. My mare (the alpha) "adopts" him as her own. Teaches him to be a horse.

Fast forward three months. Baby's testicles descend. I tell his owner to separate him so the mares don't get bred. Done.

UNTIL!.... A month ago and then repeated again over the last four days without my knowledge -- Farm manager's wife (owner of one of the mares and an idiot) tells my friend/stud's owner "Oh the mares aren't in season. You can turn him out with everyone else." :o

note--The reason I say "without my knowledge" is A) meaning they turned him out during the day/night while I was not there and returned him to isolation before I got there; and b) No one ever told me of the return to group turnout with stud -- until I catch stud boy out with the mares on Monday (yes, owner of colt was called and asked to remove him immediately. I will be having my mare pregnancy tested Saturday. If she is positive, owner will be reimbursing me the cost of the abortion.)

HERE'S THE EDUCATE ME PART: Can a mare/mares come back into season simply by being in the presence of a stallion? My friend (the stud colt's owner) says "no." Other horse people I've mentioned this to have said "yes."

So, yay or neigh (pun intended :winkgrin:). Thanks.

[EquusMagnificus]

Simply be being in the presence of a stallion : No. :winkgrin:

Hormones do the trick, not the stallion! I have asked a similar question re. the "stallion effect" not so long ago... perhaps you can try looking up the thread. :)

[ChocoMare]

Just found it. Thanks EM....answered that once and for all.

Please now jingle/pray that my mare is NOT pregnant. If she is, though, anyone know the going rate for the vet to chemically abort? And what all is involved on my part to care for her after the shot?

[pintopiaffe]

if it's the last four days--too soon to preg check.

The month-ago one will show up on palp/us.

Depends on you vet. Farm call plus: for me palp is about $20 , ultrasound if needed, $20.

The shot of prosti to bring her back into heat/end the pregnancy if needed, $6

BUT--I'd wait about 2 weeks. 6 weeks isn't too late at all for the first exposure, and then you won't need a second call. You want at least 17 days or so past the second exposure--depends on how good your vet is. Mine's ultrasound is old. He doesn't do them before 17/18 days. (he will palp and tell you what he thinks but won't really confirm ) and he prefers 19-22. Some repro vets with better/newer equip can do 15 days and following.

No aftercare really at all this early. She might sweat and act colicy from the prosti shot. Only a few do. But at this stage you never know the pg is lost except for the coming into heat again.

[ChocoMare]

Thanks PintoPiaffe.... that's a big "whew" on my part. :yes:

[EquusMagnificus]

I think there's another thread here about just giving the mare a microdose of prostaglandin, which won't affect her otherwise but will certainly get rid of the "thing" and THEN, have the mare U/S at day 14-15 to verify if it worked...

But I can't remember the title of the thread though!!

[ChocoMare]

Sorry to be a pest..... but,

--One more question (came from my friend, the stallion's owner) -- Apparently the farm manager's wife had wanted this yearling colt to breed her mare since the day my friend brought the little guy home. My friend basically said "No" BUT "if you wanted to, I would charge a stud fee." - Friend figured that was the end of it cuz farm manager's wife balked at that.

Then enter the above scenario/drama. Friend now firmly believes that the farm manager's wife deliberately lied about her mare not being in season so that the colt would be turned back out with the mares, thereby getting the foal she wanted by deceit. Can the colt's owner seek a stud fee after the fact?

I told her "Probably not, since there was written contract/agreement." She says she'll ..."take the woman to small claims court. Go ask those folks on COTH ;see what they say." :rolleyes:

Oy, such drama! :o So to humor her, go ahead.... let her have it. Thanks again.

[misita]

I think there's another thread here about just giving the mare a microdose of prostaglandin, which won't affect her otherwise but will certainly get rid of the "thing" and THEN, have the mare U/S at day 14-15 to verify if it worked...

But I can't remember the title of the thread though!!

Yep. This will do the trick.

[ChocoMare]

I think there's another thread here about just giving the mare a microdose of prostaglandin, which won't affect her otherwise but will certainly get rid of the "thing" and THEN, have the mare U/S at day 14-15 to verify if it worked...

But I can't remember the title of the thread though!!

Thanks again, EM. Found it! ;)

[spotnnotfarm]

Prayers sent your way! Please let us know what happens.

[Cloverbarley]

Although some 10 month old colts *can* breed mares, my experience is that colts who have been raised in a herd situation will not breed any mares until they are around 2 years old. It could be possible that the colt has bred your mare, but particularly if she is the alpha mare, I'd say it is doubtful.

[ChocoMare]

That's what I'm thinking/hoping too Clover. Penny, while a wonderful mare, takes no crap from no baby. She'd double barrel any horse she felt needed a "Come to Jesus Meeting."

[ChocoMare]

Thank you all for your guidance and help. Vet and I chose to do one dose of Estrumate. After getting the rest of the story from the colt's owner, we both felt confident that the one "Just In Case" dose should do it.