Are You Managing a Moody Mare?

Key Takeaways

• Mare behavior changes aren’t always “just hormones.” Mood swings can also stem from medical issues like allergies, pain, or ulcers, as well as stress, anxiety, and environmental changes.
• The estrus (heat) cycle plays a major role in behavior. Most mares cycle during spring and summer when daylight hours are longer, though some may cycle year-round.
• Supporting hormonal balance can improve comfort and rideability. Managing hormone fluctuations can help reduce crankiness, distraction, and discomfort during heat cycles.
• Natural supplements can help take the edge off. Products like Mare Magic and Command Serene support calmer behavior and stress management without hormones.
• Prescription options offer stronger control for performance mares. Regu-Mate suppresses estrus in most mares within days, helping maintain focus and consistency during training and competition.

Mares can be misunderstood for their at times, questionable, behavior. While more often than not, their mood swings are chalked up to hormones, these changes in behavior can actually be caused by many other factors, as well.

Here are a few examples:

• • Medical conditions, like allergies, pain and ulcers
  • Stress and anxiety, just like in humans
  • Environmental changes, such as weather, stabling environment and diet
  • Estrus (heat) cycle, which impacts hormone levels

Mares experience heat cycles periodically throughout the year, usually during spring and summer months. While some mares can cycle year-round, even during wintertime, it is more common for them to cycle during longer hours of daylight.

You can straighten your mare’s crown by helping manage her hormone levels, using these three product favorites.

Mare Magic

Help your mare be more comfortable during her cycle. Whether you have a mare that has a hard cycle, is moody or cranky, or just seems to be uncomfortable, this all-natural supplement will really help. “I have a very temperamental mare who isn't a joy when she's in heat. This product stops her fighting and her bucking. It even calms her down during wind storms,” said customer Lauren, who rated the supplement with five stars.

Regu-Mate

If your performance mare’s behavior and focus change when she’s in heat, she can not only cost you the class, she can cost you the hundreds to thousands of dollars it took to get there. You can help reduce undesirable changes in behavior and mood by suppressing your mare’s estrous (heat) cycle with Regu-Mate (altrenogest). Within three days of the start of treatment, Regu-Mate for horses will effectively suppress estrus in 95 percent of mares. Regu-Mate requires a veterinarian's prescription.

Command Serene

This all-natural, herb-free calming formula for horses is available in pellets, powder and paste forms. Command Serene contains concentrated levels of B-vitamins and magnesium. It counteracts the stress that leads to irritable, nervous, unpredictable behavior, and allows the horse to be more focused.

Whether for horse, livestock, or pet, Valley Vet Supply is your one-stop shop for trusted care. Explore more of our horse category at ValleyVet.com