Regulate!

[zombiemum123]

So after 5 years of battling a nutter of a mare iv had a long discussion with my vet and were really trying regumate.. just curious to other people's experiences with it? Tried everything on the shelf with no success. She's always tempremental but worse in summer... winters not that great though, can mares also season all winter too? Any thoughts comments welcome

[zombiemum123]

The titles suppose to say regumate

[BaldricksWife]

Mainly used it during mare pregnancies but know some people who use it as you are thinking, but if you compete under rules then it is on the prohibited list. Take care not to come in to contact with it yourself though! Have you asked your vet about inserting a marble?

[Booboostwo]

Used it on a crazy mare but it had no effect. Never bought a mare again! Sorry that doesn't help!

Have her ovaries been scoped?

[DraughtyWindow]

We tried Regumate. It made no difference. We then had her scoped for ulcers.... She has a few, grade 1-3. Now she's on Gastroguard for a month.
She's already kept out 24/7 all year and only fed forage, no cereal, no soya etc. Behaviour only happens in the spring and summer... (and she has added magnesium too).
Bloody mares!

[Ladyformation]

I've only used it on one mare and it was very successful. Twas a while ago so don't remember how long she was on it, but it was one relatively long course then everything settled down and didn't ever need it again.

[zombiemum123]

I agree as much as I love her and when she's good she's amazing but no mares again, iv tried all the supplements etc, magnesium, Agnes cactus etc but got to the end of my tether and called the vets! I suppose it's one of those things that I'll have to try and see. I suspect ulcers but the vet not, i treat her as if she had ulcers with avoiding feeds etc, the thing is she's better out competing then she is is home and have got worse when we moved yards- previous yard was mixed herd now is separated into mates and geldings- you would think this would help but no- worse?!?! Give up and get a hamster?

[zombiemum123]

Ovaries not scooped think that's the next step if regumate is unsuccessful

[zombiemum123]

Baldricks I asked my vet about competing she seemed to think it was fine? I'll have to look into it as I compete quite a lot

[DressageNut]

I tried it on one of my mares that was very herd-orientated and generally difficult (she had a clear idea of what she would and wouldn't do and stuck to it). Despite the scan picking up a lot of follicular activity - which prompted the vet to suggest it - it made very little difference. We then went down the lameness work-up route and again found very little, but that's a different story. Ultimately I think the issue was 99% down to her temperament - she didn't want to work with humans and wasn't willing to do so beyond a very limited extent so behaved accordingly.

[BaldricksWife]

Hi Zombiemum, depends on which rules, we compete under Jockey Club but FEI may well allow it. Some of my fellow competitors swear by marbles but have never done this myself.

[zombiemum123]

She is a love on the ground- quite high in the pecking order but this causes no issues just like you say if she doesn't want to do something when ridden she throws a buck and a rear in- FUN . I suppose it's gonna be a process of trial and error.

[zombiemum123]

I did suggest marble to the vet but she is optimistic about regumate- I'm not so optimistic. We shall see I suppose

[DraughtyWindow]

If it works, ask your vet for a prescription as it's far cheaper buying online. I think I even found some company that was cheaper than Viovet...let me know and I'll try and find it again.

[zombiemum123]

I told the vet initially that it is just too expensive and she prescribed porcine regumate and assured me it does the same job -for £66 I'm not complaining

[DraughtyWindow]

...porcine Regumate is still cheaper if bought on the Internet!

[zombiemum123]

Oh wow really! I'll look into it! Thank you xx

[Garnethair]

I feel the need to comment that most of the mares I've known can be absolute pigs, so that sounds about right

[villainousbroodmare]

I'm a stud vet.
Virtually all mares come into season approx every three weeks all spring, summer and autumn long, unless they are in foal. They all have "follicular activity". They will show oestrous behaviour for four or five days out of 21.
Regumate, given daily, will usually convince the mare that she is in foal and should smooth out oestrous behaviour variability. You cannot compete under most rules on Regumate, so check that with the relevant authority if you are competing. Regumate should not be handled by pregnant women and in fact I always advise that it be administered by a man, or at least wearing gloves to dispense it.
Inserting a marble (basically a snooker sized glass ball) into the uterus can have the same effect and bypasses the competition rules. However, it is not very popular as the mare may just pop it out, or more likely it can be hard to retrieve it when you want to.
An animal living out all the time in a stable and peaceful social group and not under a heavy workload is unlikely to have a level of gastric ulceration which would cause the behaviour you describe. However, it's worth treating if it has been diagnosed.

[villainousbroodmare]

Mares who are stabled in winter or living in mild climates may cycle all year.
It would be worth trying a different lowerfeeding regime and increased work schedule and a rider who takes absolutely no nonsense.

[zombiemum123]

Thanks so much for the info! The regumate has already started to work so I'm very pleased about that! So I think iv found my solution finally! Giving the regumate makes me a bit nervous to be honest especially as I'd like to get end of the year so I think see if she continues to improve and then think about marble. Does it have the same effect as regumate?

[zombiemum123]

Actually she has become worse in winter the last couple of years and that coincides with moving stables who have alternate turnout in winter so that's very interesting! Thank you

[villainousbroodmare]

The marble should have the same effect as the Regumate. It has actually been used for hundreds of years apparently, by some ingenious camel drivers who used a smooth stone to even out their female camels' mood swings.

[zombiemum123]

Really wow! I'll definitely speak to my vet soon

[Fireinthegrate]

I have just taken a mare on loan. She is on Lunar Eclipse from Simple Systems

www.simplesystemhorsefeeds.co.uk

I have only had the mare 3 weeks and have continued feeding the same as her owner has done. They have used it for the past 2 years and said it has made a big difference to her. Obviously I have not known the mare long and do not know what she is like without the supplement.

Might be worth taking a look at the link.

[DraughtyWindow]

Villain - I thought the same but after one month on Regumate it made no difference, hence we decided to scope and hey presto... vet thinks she had them pre-purchase 2 years ago as I keep her out 24/7 with access to forage at all times. Interestingly, the little mare had been stabled for a number of months by the previous owner as she'd contracted strangles and was very poorly. (Previous owner had only just bought pony from a dealer and 2 weeks later she came out with strangles).
The behaviour just manifests itself as not wanting to go forwards - but only when she reaches a certain level of fitness. She's fed Agrobs and Speedibeet with a forage plus balancer. Vet said that diet plus 24hr access to forage wouldn't have caused the ulcers so I'm really at a loss as to how I manage her from now on. Any suggestions? She travels extremely well, is very laid back at PC events/rallies, lives in a small herd and has perfect manners.
PS. Sorry if I've hijacked the post OP!!