Feeling mareish

MARES GET SOME pretty bad press. Many horse owners have a love or hate mentality when it comes to female equines. I’m firmly in the ‘love’ camp. I’ve owned three mares and feel my best partnerships have been with them compared to geldings.

With an estimated 300,000 mares in the UK* and 93%** of mares in general showing undesirable behaviour when in season, it’s easy to see why owning a mare can prove to be challenging to say the least. Where the behaviour is extreme it’s not unheard of for a mare to be asked to move to another yard, and situations like this can seriously hinder your enjoyment and ability to bond with your mare.

However, there are solutions, as discussed at Nettex’s Miracle Mare webinar in March. These need to combine behavioural and environmental management, and appropriate and effective nutrition and dietary supplementation. With a better understanding of what makes her tick and a more thoughtful management routine, you will see your opinion of mares change.

REFERENCES

*British Equestrian Trade Association’s National Equestrian Survey 2019

**1.Mills, D