What's in the Water?

Did you know that mares go into a time of anestrous? When the days get shorter and the temperatures drop, they stop going into heat each month. It's convenient for me, because I have 2 mares and a stallion. During the warmer time, when they have monthly cycles, they go outside in shifts. The girls go during the day, and when I get home from work in the afternoon, I let the stallion out alone.

I can let them out together between cycles, but since one of the mares is his daughter, it's critical that they do not breed. So I am a little nervous about taking that chance.

It is actually good for them to be out together, because like in the wild, the girls rule the roost. The boys are around for one thing... It's nice to see them all running around at full speed chasing each other to establish the hierarchy. When Major goes out alone, he just stands around and eats grass. The fresh air is good for him, but it's nicer to see him running and engaged.

Which is why I looked forward to anestrous. But, here it is January, and it hasn't happened. M keeps telling me it's because the temperatures have been warmer. But not this month! It's been frigid, below zero at times. Today will be the first day above freezing in ages (yay!). Kitten is in heat-- again. And Cleo is acting like she is. Kitten and Major are stalled next to each other, and there is all kinds of carrying on and fussing going on between the boards! In the summer, we went in one morning and he had kicked a board down in between the stalls! Kitten is moody, too, and Major is all testosterone and stallion-like. It's much easier to deal with them both at other times of the month.

I think M wants to breed Kitten in the spring, but not this early. So I continue my summertime routine of swapping them in/out of the pasture. This summer I may run water to the north pasture and put horses out there, so they can go out at the same time, and be truly separated.

I wonder what is making the girls continue their heat cycles? I don't know if they are false heats, or if they are truly fertile. Whatever it is, I am not drinking the well water.