NO QUESTION ABOUT IT: MARES ARE COMPLEX CREATURES. THEY CAN BE FRUSTRATING AND FUN, CONTRARY AND CAPTIVATING—ALL ON THE SAME DAY. HERE’S HOW TO FORGE A LASTING BOND WITH YOUR OWN SPECIAL MARE.
BASIC BIOLOGY T e typical mare cycles every 21
days and stays in heat (estrus) for about four to seven days, depending on the time of year. During estrus, ovarian follicles produce the hormone estrogen, which induces signs of re- ceptiveness: “winking” the vulva and squat ing to urinate in the presence of a stallion or teaser. Most mares ovulate 24 to 48 hours
before going out of heat. Then they enter diestrus for the next 14 days. During this time, the corpus luteum on the ovary produces progesterone, preventing signs of estrus and main- taining a pregnancy if one exists. Dur- ing diestrus, a mare does not accept a stallion’s advances and is considered out of heat. Aſt er 14 days, the corpus luteum regresses, and a mare who is not pregnant begins to cycle again.
HORMONAL HAVOC A complex interplay of factors that
T ese two mares, turned out together for over a year, coexist peacefully on a quiet trail ride.
begins with hormone levels and ex- tends to handling provides a basis for mare moodiness, many experts believe. “Some mares are hyperexcitable and diffi cult to handle at certain stages of their cycle,”
writes Sue McDonnell, PhD, author of T e Equid Ethogram: A Practical Field Guide to Horse Behavior, published in 2003 by Eclipse Press. For the last 20 years, McDonnell has studied equine behavior at the University of Pennsylvania’s New Bolton Center. From her work there, she notes that two other common concerns with performance mares are frequent urination and unwillingness to move forward during estrous cycles. In addition, many mares experience discomfort in the back and loin areas around the time of ovulation, according to McDonnell.
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