Anything besides regumate?

[~Lisa~]

I have a mare who has some hormonal issues and at this point it seems the best thing for her or perhaps the simple answer would be to stop her from cycling. Spaying her is an option however it is pricey I am wondering if anyone else has used any medications or even used a marble to stop them from cycling? I have heard regumate is the only thing to use and just wanting to check out that and other options before having a sit down consult with the vet.

 

[Nathan Luszcz]

Regumate and spaying really are the only two proven and reliable methods. There are other wives tales, sometimes they work sometimes they don't. Don't forget, Regumate and spaying may not solve this paticular issue, because not all issues are truely hormonal at their root.

 

[~Lisa~]

Thanks Nathan I am thinking to try medication first such as regumate to see if that does help solve the issue before looking at spaying her. Do you know if there is any danger with keeping them on regumate long term- she comes in all winter long pretty regular so would have to be long term.

 

[Tatonkas Dream]

I've never heard of any long term effects, of course check with your vet, but I once worked on a farm that a mare had unbelievable bad heat cycles, to the point of tying up, colicing, trashing and getting herself cast in the process and was on regumate for years this helped curb the painful cramps etc that she was going thru (almost like us being on BC)

But eventually her owner had her spayed and this was a ‘full size’ appy so it was by no means cheap but both horse and owner were much happier. And the owner could actually use/ride her on a regular basis – as believe me when she was ‘in’ you didn’t want to try working her, she rightly so and with just cause put the “B” in mare in heat temperaments. Even after that she was temperamental but was LOADS better to be around.

 

[wildoak]

Lisa, we had a big mare we kept on depo-provera while she was being shown - was very successful, she got an IM injection I believe about every 2 weeks. I tried this not long ago with the mare I am driving now.......might as well have been giving her air, it did absolutely nothing. My vet says it works on some, just doesn't on others, and my mares certainly proved that to be true. The big mare was one who would throw herself against the stall walls when she was in. She was very sore and uncomfortable, not to mention being witchy, so it was quite obvious when it did work.

Jan

 

[Willow Tree Miniatures]

HYPROVAL IS A HUMAN PRODUCT THAT CAN BE USED IN HORSES... IT IS A ONE A WEEK INJECTION. IT IS A LITTLE HIGHER THAT REGUMATE, BUT IT IS ONCE PER WEEK INSTEAD OF EVERYDAY.

 

[Nathan Luszcz]

Depo does not work in horses, they lack the receptor for it. No mare will respond to that paticular chemical. There are other chemicals that people CALL Depo, but are different drugs. That may be what you used.

Injectable natural progesterone is a nasty, expensive drug. It also does not truely last a week, which can lead to issues when its used to protect a pregancy in lieu of Regumate. I think we charged $50/wk for progesterone shots in full sized mares (400mg dose). Its thick, oil based, and can leave scars. It is very slow to be absorbed (the oil base) and horses will sometimes react to it, and will always start to resent you long term. Its not something I'd use personally... I prefer Regumate. Yes, its a pain to handle and dose, but it WORKS, and is much more steady. Regumate has no long term effect on mares... once you stop administering it its gone, and its influence is gone in a matter of 72 hours or less. You can use Regumate for 20 years and as soon as you stop the mare will resume normal reproductive activity. In colts, however, Regumate WILL have perminent effects.

 

[wildoak]

Nathan, I'll have to ask my vet specifically what she used.....she has always called it depo provera. Whatever it was, was very effective in the big mare but the mini as you say had absolutely no response to it. In fact she came into heat a couple of days after she had the injection. What about using a marble? This only keeps them from conceiving, correct?

Jan

 

[Nathan Luszcz]

There are mixed results with a marble. The numbers I remember off the top of my mind are that most mares respond for as long as the marble is inside... with some horses, that could be a week... with others, that may be a lifetime, with actually having to reach in through the cervix to remove it. It may help, but at the same time I personally wouldn't want to subject a mare to that. Inserting a foreign body is rarely the prefered method.

Also, marbles aren't easy to come by, and I've only heard of one size, a little larger than a golf ball. I don't know if they make miniature mare sized balls?