ARAB MARE IN HEAT

Question
I HAVE A 13 YR OLD ARAB MARE. WE GOT A 15 YR OLD ARAB GELDING 10 DAYS AGO. HE WAS PREVIOUSLY A BREEDING STUD.
HE WAS CUT 3 YRS AGO.  SHE JUST CAME INTO HEAT AND HE IS
ACTING LIKE HE WANTS TO BREED WITH HER. WE HAVE BEEN KEEP-
ING THEM TOGETHER IN A LARGE PASTURE. WE HAD TO SEPARATE
THEM TODAY BECAUSE IT WAS GETTING OUT OF HAND. SHE HAD SOME BITES ON HER BACK AND WAS URINATING A LOT. NOW SHE IS VERY UPSET, RUNNING AND KICKING AND WHINNYING TO HIM. I'M
WORRIED THAT SHE WILL HURT HERSELF. HE SEEMS FINE, NOW THAT
SHE'S IN ANOTHER PEN. WILL WE EVER BE ABLE TO KEEP THEM
TOGETHER? UP UNTIL TODAY EVERYTHING HAD BEEN GOING WELL.
DO YOU THINK HE WILL CAUSE HER TO STAY IN HEAT FOR A LONGER
PERIOD OF TIME AND WILL IT HAPPEN MORE OFTEN?

Answer
Oh Boy! What you have going on here is a classic case of beginning "Horsey Love"
But it is going to be alright. Yes, you can put them together but your also going to have to keep them apart some too.

You have a mare and you bring home a RETIRED BREEDING STUD!

Hello, this boy is handsome and she knows it and well he just triggered her button so to speak. Geldings will act stud like and will try and mount but all this is OK as long as YOU KNOW FOR SURE HE IS GELDED. Simple bloodwork from your vet can determine this.

What you have to do in this situation is let them stay together for brief periods during the day so that they can "get used" to one another but dont allow several hours of togetherness because that is going to keep the "love in the air."  If you do this for the next couple of weeks you will see her calm down and him calm down. Keeping them together constantly only works them up and that is what your seeing right now.

You will notice on the times that you do let them stay together that they will exhibit wanting to breed and this is all OK. Let them PLAY and part of that behavior is the biting-whinnying-kicking that your seeing. This is normal for these guy's.  It will get old for both of them and they will calm it down. LIMIT THE TIME TOGETHER for awhile and you will see results.

Eventually they will get it together and be buddies!