Can mares show signs of being in heat when pregant

pip15 · 11-01-2009, 03:34 PM

my mare is 3 months pregant and i saw her 2 days ago in the field smelling my other mares unrine and her own and putting her top lip in the air then she weed over it and started to wink and she looked as thoug she wanted to wee again can this happen i dont think any urine came out the second time she put her lip up and walked off and ate and dint do it after that is that normal behaviour can they show signs of being in heat. As am slightly worried advice please!

paintlver · 11-01-2009, 03:36 PM

Sure can have false heats.. A neighbor swore his horse wasn;t pregnant because he said she had heats...Well I took one look at her and yes for sure she was prego......

Eastowest · 11-01-2009, 03:50 PM

Yes mares can show signs of heat, up to full blown winking, squatting, peeing, backing into a stallion, while pregnant. I have had two mares like this and both delivered full term, healthy foals. One was an aged, experienced broodmare and she did this EVERY year.

What you are describing actually sounds more like stallion behavior-- a stallion will smell mare's urine and/or poop and "mark" over it with his own urine-- hormone fluctuations that increase testosterone levels in pregnant mares sometimes cause stallion-like behavior. Yes I had one of those too, earlier this year-- she teased and nickered at my in-heat mares, herded them around, and even mounted them.
And yes she is still pregnant....

But, if there are any doubts, having a preg check might set your mind at ease.

Laura Lyon
Eastowest
http://www.eastowest.com

frisco17 · 11-01-2009, 04:22 PM

my mare always goes into "heat" her 3rd month of pregnancy

Sheza_Angel · 11-01-2009, 07:19 PM

There are exceptions to the ones who don't, so yes, definitely. There truly are mares who will pretend they aren't in foal the entire pregnancy just about.

Long Leaf · 11-02-2009, 05:53 AM

I think I read that this can happen because this is the stage of pregnancy when the sexual organs of the foal are really developing. Wives tale is that if a mare acts "studly" while pregnant (as your mare is) that she's carrying a colt.

Equine Repro · 11-02-2009, 09:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pip15

my mare is 3 months pregant and i saw her 2 days ago in the field smelling my other mares unrine and her own and putting her top lip in the air then she weed over it and started to wink and she looked as thoug she wanted to wee again can this happen i dont think any urine came out the second time she put her lip up and walked off and ate and dint do it after that is that normal behaviour can they show signs of being in heat. As am slightly worried advice please!

Yes...up to 20% of mares will display estrus despite being pregnant. It is part of the whole cascade of hormones that result in the behavior. However, what you are describing is more stallion like behavior than estrus. And, to put your mind at rest there, yes, mares can behave like stallions as well when pregnant and again, it has to do with the whole hormonal cascade. Long Leaf is correct in that part of the reason for behavioral/hormonal changes have a direct correlation to the development of the fetal gonads that are part of pregnancy maintenance. However, a bit of information for you <smile>. Mares that display estrus during the early stages of pregnancy are SLIGHTLY more likely to be carrying a filly. However, mares that have stallion like behavior while pregnant are no more likely to be carrying a colt than a filly. Sorry

Hope the above helps!

Kathy St.Martin
Equine-Reproduction.com, LLC
http://www.equine-reproduction.com

ACCphotography · 11-02-2009, 09:47 AM

I was thinking that before you even got to it Kathy that which behavior they show could be a clue... how COOL.

Special Effects · 11-02-2009, 11:25 AM

I had one do this to me when I first got into breeding. The poor vet.

She was getting very tired of saying "yes the mare is still pregnant". I think she wanted to hit me.

When she started getting fat I relaxed. (the horse started getting fat, not the vet

)

It's scary though, the first time you go through it.

pip15 · 11-02-2009, 01:02 PM

that makes me feel better that it can happen and people are experiencing the same thing didnt want to drive my vet insane. i would like a colt as i have 3 mares so a boy would be nice. trust my mare to act like a staillion

11-01-2009, 03:34 PM	#1
pip15 Full Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Posts: 118 Images: 5	Can mares show signs of being in heat when pregant my mare is 3 months pregant and i saw her 2 days ago in the field smelling my other mares unrine and her own and putting her top lip in the air then she weed over it and started to wink and she looked as thoug she wanted to wee again can this happen i dont think any urine came out the second time she put her lip up and walked off and ate and dint do it after that is that normal behaviour can they show signs of being in heat. As am slightly worried advice please!

11-01-2009, 07:19 PM	#5
Sheza_Angel Senior Member+ Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Close to Galveston, TX Posts: 5,228 Images: 10	There are exceptions to the ones who don't, so yes, definitely. There truly are mares who will pretend they aren't in foal the entire pregnancy just about. __________________ Tara: Magnum (RSD Dark Victory x Magnums-Anastasia) '09 Arab colt Secret Again (Secret Hello x Miss Bridget) '01 OTTB gelding Angel '01 QH cross mare Kassey '01 TB/Paint mare I Have Been Gobbled by Thom Turkey!

11-02-2009, 05:53 AM	#6
Long Leaf Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Georgia Posts: 387 Images: 9	I think I read that this can happen because this is the stage of pregnancy when the sexual organs of the foal are really developing. Wives tale is that if a mare acts "studly" while pregnant (as your mare is) that she's carrying a colt. __________________ When most folks act like children, And fill you with remorse, Go out into your pasture...Wrap your arms around your horse. http://longleafsporthorses.com

11-02-2009, 09:47 AM	#8
ACCphotography Senior Member+ Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Lexington, KY Posts: 10,308 Images: 1	I was thinking that before you even got to it Kathy that which behavior they show could be a clue... how COOL. __________________ ACC 10,000 posts!!! (achieved on 11/09/09) First green star!!! (achieved on 01/17/09) Mod's nickname for me: "That's Not the Color!" (presented on 04/01/09) "We're not going to Guam are we?"

11-02-2009, 11:25 AM	#9
Special Effects Full Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: West Lincoln, Ont Posts: 151	I had one do this to me when I first got into breeding. The poor vet. She was getting very tired of saying "yes the mare is *still* pregnant". I think she wanted to hit me. When she started getting fat I relaxed. (the horse started getting fat, not the vet ) It's scary though, the first time you go through it. __________________ "Sometimes I just think funny things". - Dudley Moore in Arthur

11-01-2009, 03:36 PM	#2
paintlver Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: The great white north,,,,,Canada Posts: 1,274 Images: 149	Sure can have false heats.. A neighbor swore his horse wasn;t pregnant because he said she had heats...Well I took one look at her and yes for sure she was prego......

11-01-2009, 03:50 PM	#3
Eastowest Senior Member+ Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Michigan Posts: 516 Images: 26	Yes mares can show signs of heat, up to full blown winking, squatting, peeing, backing into a stallion, while pregnant. I have had two mares like this and both delivered full term, healthy foals. One was an aged, experienced broodmare and she did this EVERY year. What you are describing actually sounds more like stallion behavior-- a stallion will smell mare's urine and/or poop and "mark" over it with his own urine-- hormone fluctuations that increase testosterone levels in pregnant mares sometimes cause stallion-like behavior. Yes I had one of those too, earlier this year-- she teased and nickered at my in-heat mares, herded them around, and even mounted them. And yes she is still pregnant.... But, if there are any doubts, having a preg check might set your mind at ease. Laura Lyon Eastowest http://www.eastowest.com

11-01-2009, 04:22 PM	#4
frisco17 Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 364	my mare always goes into "heat" her 3rd month of pregnancy

11-02-2009, 01:02 PM	#10
pip15 Full Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Posts: 118 Images: 5	cool that makes me feel better that makes me feel better that it can happen and people are experiencing the same thing didnt want to drive my vet insane. i would like a colt as i have 3 mares so a boy would be nice. trust my mare to act like a staillion

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