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Missing heat cycle

3K views 7 replies 4 participants last post by  CheyAut 
#1 ·
Sorry if this might be better suited to the health forum...I couldn't decide.

We have had our mare for coming on three months now and she has not gone into heat once. Some people tell me mares tend to go off their cycles during the winter...and some say they don't. The two other mares on the property are cycling regularly.

I suppose the stress of moving to a new home might make her skip, but it has been a while and she has settled in...so if that was the case, she probably would have gone into heat by now?

When we first got her, we learned that she had been bred 5 months prior and had a vet check her. She was clean, "ovary to ovary", and when we finally contacted the people who bred her, we were told there was a strong possibility that her former owner had terminated the foal (long story).

Could a termination mess with the heat cycle? What other things may cause a mare to skip (besides the obvious. I'm fairly certain the vet would have found a fetus when she was checked at 5 months).
 
#2 ·
Mare do not normally cycle this time of year. If you want to breed this early you needed to put the mare under lights back end of Nov first of Dec. That way they will start cycling by the end of this month.
 
#3 ·
I do not want to breed her, I was just curious as to why the other mares were still cycling while she was not. I am once again getting conflicting answers on whether or not mares cycle in the winter so I thought I'd come here and ask, as usual.

Also thought the breeding forum would be more appropriate since people interested in breeding might be more savvy about heat cycles and whatnot. ;)
 
#4 ·
Some mare will continue to cycle however most of the time they will not breed or catch. It is not a true heat. There are many factors to this.
 
#5 ·
I suppose it differs per individual horse, and where you live. I am deffinitely no horse breeding expert, but I know my mare doesn't go into heat in the winter. You will probably get conflicting answers as each horse is different, just like people. I'm sure if the termination was done by a certified vet, and she's gone this long without any infection, she should be ok. But of course, if you're really worried, and she shows no sign of going in in spring, then get in touch with your vet, to see what could be wrong.

But I wouldn't worry for now, as it is probably the time of year affecting her.
 
#7 ·
I will say that non of my mares are cycling however the one who has been under lights for the past month and a half is starting to flag at the stallion. I am hopping she starts to cycle in the next week as an negotiating about flushing an embryo and would like to get that out of the way by the end of feb. The others I do not expect to start until end of feb to end of march as that is the norm with those mares when not under lights.
 
#8 ·
I'm in Az, and all my mares cycle in the winter, and will breed and get pregnant. But MOST mares (in other places) don't do that in the winter.

Also, not all mares will show when they ARE in season. I have one like that. She's had two foals even, but still never shows. No amount of teasing works. I "pasture" breed her with my stallion and just keep a close eye on when she lets him breed, that's the only way I can breed her wtihout a vet checking when she's ovulating (which my vet doesn't like to do as she's a mini, and I dont' feel it necessary with her).
 
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