When mares get marish...

So this week, is the week i dread. Montana went into heat. For some horses, heat is completely normal. They act fine. Montana on the other hand, is a different horse. She bucks, bites, kicks, refuses to do simple things like back up, or side pass. This means, for one week every 3 weeks, Montana gets "off work". She stands in her pen, munching on hay, when we halter her through the fence to avoid getting trampled or kicked at. THIS IS NOT SAFE. Not only is this frustrating, but it is dangerous. The horse learns they can get away with things by having a nasty inappropriate behavior. After trying many things, we have found that what works best, while keeping a budget, is raspberry leaves. We grow raspberries here on the farm and there leaves can be extremely beneficial. When I notice Montana's attitude change from perfect little mare to nasty aggressive beast, I add about 10 chopped raspberry leaves to her grain along with 1 tea bag of lavender chamomile tea, to calm her nerves, and a tablespoon of catnip, to relax her body. A very important thing to know when working with a mare in heat, is that they typically aren't like this. Montana and I took a long time to develop an understanding of the fact that she was in misery, not trying to harm me. However, though your horse has no exception to being dangerous, you need to keep yourself safe, while making sure you remain level headed during the situation. You cannot allow yourself to bust out a whip and scream in rage at the horse who is just trying to communicate somethings not right. Nipping while in heat can often be a way of the horse trying to tell you they don't feel well, and they may need some help. Feel free to comment below with any questions you might have about aggressive horses in heat or suggestions and advice on equine heat medications! I'm always happy to help!