According to a recent study from the U.S., removing the ovaries of mares can prevent unwanted behavior and reduce pain, even if hormone treatment has not worked before.\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n
From March to November, mares are in heat, which means they are ready to mate for about two to twelve days every three weeks. Estrus is hormonally controlled and <\/span>often leads to moody, sensitive and sometimes even aggressive behavior in mares<\/b>, often making them extremely difficult to handle. In some cases, mares also suffer from <\/span>severe pain in the abdominal area<\/b> during the period when they are ready to mate.<\/span><\/p>\n If the signs of estrus are <\/span>particularly severe or last for a long time<\/b>, one way to alleviate the symptoms is hormone therapy. Oftentimes Regumate, a liquid feed supplement to be taken orally,<\/span> which will prevent estrus and, ideally, all of its related behaviors<\/b>, is being used for this kind of therapy.<\/span><\/p>\n According to a study of 51 mares from the U.S. published in July, an ovariectomy is another particularly effective option for alleviating estrus symptoms. This surgical procedure<\/span> removes the mare’s ovaries<\/b>, making it particularly successful in relieving estrus-related behavior.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Ten horses in the study <\/span>showed no estrus or unwanted behavior six months after surgery<\/b>. Nine of the mares exhibited massive behavioral problems prior to treatment and suffered from tumorous changes in the ovaries. Five of the ten horses had <\/span>failed therapy with Altrenogest prior to having their ovaries removed<\/b>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Overall, ovariectomy was <\/span>successful in nine out of ten cases<\/b> in the remaining 41 horses. This means that the symptoms were completely eliminated, <\/span>even if the horse had previously been treated unsuccessfully with Altrenogest<\/b>. According to assistant professor of equine surgery at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Elizabeth M. Collar, DVM, PhD, Dipl. ACVS-LA, <\/span>some mares still showed minor signs of estrus<\/b> after the procedure, but significant signs were no longer present.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\nHormone therapy can prevent the heat<\/span><\/h2>\n
Success rate particularly high with ovariectomy<\/span><\/h2>\n
Ovariectomies may become more important in the future<\/span><\/h2>\n