Seems like a urinary tract infection? What could it be?

OK, this is probably going to come across as dumb, but I haven't owned a mare in years until now.

I have a 20 month old filly, who I just brought home on Friday. Today, when I put her in her stall, she peed, and it was a normal amount, but it looked really similar to orange juice.

A few minutes later, she spread her legs, lifted her tail, and peed again, but this time just a tiny bit came out.

A few minutes later, same thing.

Is this a normal mare thing to do? She was in her stall not facing any other horses when it happened. It's January - it shouldn't be anything having to do with her heat cycle, should it? I have read that urinary tract infections are very rare, so I'm thinking it is unlikely that's what it is. But what is it, then?

It could be a UTI or maybe even a kidney infection. I had a shetland pony that did the same thing and she had a UTI and curiously at the same time we also found a really nasty abcess in the back portion of her frog. I do not know if those two could have been linked but, we put her on a sulfur medication that I got from the vet and she cleared up in a few days.

Is this the filly that goes nuts when you take her into the barn away from her friend? Maybe it's stress peeing?

You could take a urine sample into your vet, it just takes a minute to test.

20 months? Is that old enough to be starting in heat? One of my mare's pee is quite a bit more colourful when she's in heat.

I know with my mare, she'll pee, and then a few minutes later do a similar thing but like nothing comes out.

Not sure how old they have to be to start their heat cycle though

I have had a mare start their first heat cycle at 13 months, told that it should usually be around 18 months.

I was thinking that they usually don't start a heat cycle in the winter?

Oh no... my girl is ready 'most any season! Though less so in the winter -- its the lack of light that turns them off!