# Crazy mare !



## calico (Apr 2, 2011)

I have a Welsh section D mare who will be 22 next month.
She is stabled at night during the winter months and during the day shares a field with similar sized horses who also come in at night. The other horses are geldings and she gets herded around a lot during the summer months by whoever considers themselves the boss.
I feed her outside the field during the summer to ensure that she she gets her vitamins and fly formula ( she suffers from sweet itch ) and spray her. She is usually waiting for me at the gate.
Suddenly all has changed. Two horses and a pony have joined the group. One mare and two geldings. Hooray I thought, someone else to share the herding.
The problem is she has become obsessed with the pony, a section A gelding, and will not be caught or leave his side. When the owner's daughter tried to catch the little fellow today my mare was becoming dangerously possessive running round him and reducing the girl to tears.
I need to catch her up each day to spray and check her etc but am at my wits end as she has changed overnight and will not be caught.
Is she mothering him ? I know that she has had 2 foals previously.
Any ideas?


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## Zayna (Apr 19, 2009)

My section D is a nightmare to catch in the summer.. usually 3 of us go out with a lunge rope and corner her.. once she's cornered she will let you go up and catch her. could be dangerous if your horse kicks or bites though. Is she turned out with a headcollar on?


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## AlexArt (Apr 25, 2010)

My neighbors 30 yr old Connie x TB does exactly the same thing with anything small, foal like or young, she has had a few foals in her younger years and lives with one of her daughters and joins ours for the summer for extra grazing, she even stole one of our mares foals last year which caused alot of confusion - she just wanted to mother it - his real mother was not impressed!! It's just that mares nature - we had to seperate her off and keep them seperate for the summer, it can be hormonal too and just be her age and her reproductive system up the creak and also being spring can set them off. 
If I were you I'd separate her and keep her in another herd but somewhere where she can see the pony but can't get to it - electric tape down the middle of the field would do fine and split her up with her usual buddies, or the lowest ranked gelding that's she's normally in with or even the new mare to improve her bond with a herd member - horses tend to form pairs in a herd, and leave the new ones in the other half so they get used to each other at a distance - it maybe the novelty wears off and she leaves it alone once she has a best buddy and everyone settles which can take a few months. If she does see it as a foal then it will more than likely wear off - even the most protective mares do eventually get bored of baby and settle, but it's not great if you are wanting to ride something that is being protected - or very safe - so please make sure an adult deals with her to start with not a child who may not read body language as well as someone with more experience!!!

Although my neighbor did tell me her mare when much younger was put in a field with some newbys that her friend had bought including a cob pony x - they were backing it as they had been told by the person who sold it that it was 4yrs old, her mare would not let anyone near it after they took it out for a hack a week or so after getting it - turned out when they got the vet out the cob x was only 2yrs old and she was protecting it!!
Just make sure whoever goes in the field wears a hard hat and body protector just to be on the safe side!!


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## calico (Apr 2, 2011)

Thanks Zayna and AlexArt for your replies.

I am pleased to say that everything has settled down now and the novelty has worn off. Megan is now back with her regular "boyfriend" and all is calm with the herd once again!


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