Marish?

[patandchickens]

Quote:
Up to a point. But as with any kind of horse shopping, it is not that difficult to miss realizing something about a horse's personality if you only see it once or a few times. In particular, if the kind of "marish" you don't like is individuals who get really, really cranky or weird when they're in heat, it would be kinda hard to ensure you DO see the mare in heat (except by chance), particular if the seller is trying to actually sell the horse rather than just keep it around for months on end

To me, it kind of boils down to something like: if you really REALLY don't like "mare-y" mares, then get a gelding instead, unless you can get dependable character references on a particular sale mare (like you know people *whose word you trust and who see things in the same way as you do* who've known that particular horse on a regular basis for a good while). OTOH if you just would prefer not to have one whose heat cycles interfere too badly with showing, but can generally live with it, you may just have to get as much info as possible and then take a flier, remembering that Regumate is often helpful if you do not have problems using something like that. A lot of it depends on how much you are willing to let a horse have good days and bad days, and either work *with* or work *around* that.

Pat

 

[GalloFino]

Thanks much, y'all, for the help, I really appreciate it. Almost all the horses I've had as lesson horses or leased have been mares, but I've seen so many ads recently that say 'not marish at all!' that I've felt I need to learn a bit more about it.

 

[michickenwrangler]

Quote:
I feel the same way. The horses I showed in high school were mares and after that I worked at an Arab breeding stable and a small ranch where the majority of the horses were mares. Then when I got horses of my own, they were mares. They really do put their heart and soul into what they do.

My mare is 18 and a good friend has a 16 yr old mare. We always joke that our next horses will end up being geldings and we're likely to drive the vet crazy with calls: "Doc! I think something's wrong! My horse acts the same way every day! He isn't moody and hormonal!"

 

[Chickerdoodle13]

I've always felt my mares have always been very "in tune" with me. My geldings just do their own thing and aren't as concerned with my feelings. My mares always seem to know when I'm sad, or something's bothering me, or even when I'm happy. The geldings are just like the guys in my family: typical boys!

 

[welsummerchicks]

I've had plenty of 'in tune' geldings, I don't see that as something fixed about geldings.

As far as how to evaluate mare-ishness, I think the best way to do it is to ride the mare around other horses, watch how she acts when turned out, and see how she acts when you duck under her neck or brush her flanks. She might be some worse when in season, but her behavior will usually be pretty obvious all the time.

keep in mind...some marishness could be illness...and a lot of it is just poor training, or the horse being spoiled by an inexperienced trainer....so if you wind up with a horse that's marish, that's how you can try to remedy it.

So when buying, if some of it can be remedied, and some can't, just in looking at the animal, in trying it out, you can't tell what can be fixed and what cannot be, all you can tell is that you see a horse that looks like you can, or can't, handle what it does. It's best to assume that however the animal is acting, that is how it's going to be for the long term, can you stand it and work with it, or not.

A lot of times, a professional or an advanced rider might not care at all if a mare is marish - if she will jump five feet or does her other work well, she can pull any nasty faces she wants, they don't care, besides, one scowl, one well timed smack, a lot of it will go away.

That's also something the amateur or less experienced person has to watch for. The pro trainer might stifle all the behavior, it might be different when the amateur steps in...so don't just go by how the animal acts with the trainer, handle it yourself...and tend to 'aim low' - any behavior you see at the sale barn, will probably be much worse when you get the animal home and have it yourself for a while.

 

[patandchickens]

Quote:
Ah! In that case I think you should regard the statement as meaning not much more than "I really, really want to SELL this horse and it's a down market so I am workin' hard with both hands to think of things I can talk up about her". And probably not much mre than that

Pat

 

[bkreugar]

Quote:
I feel the same way. The horses I showed in high school were mares and after that I worked at an Arab breeding stable and a small ranch where the majority of the horses were mares. Then when I got horses of my own, they were mares. They really do put their heart and soul into what they do.

My mare is 18 and a good friend has a 16 yr old mare. We always joke that our next horses will end up being geldings and we're likely to drive the vet crazy with calls: "Doc! I think something's wrong! My horse acts the same way every day! He isn't moody and hormonal!"

The mare I have now (i've only had her for not quite 2 years) I can tell the MINUTE I go to get her if she is in a good mood or not. She almost always is and never gives me a problem catching her, but boy I can tell by just her ears if she is ILL. And if she is I just take her in groom her and chill with. To ride her on a "bad" day she isn't going to be a bucking rearing maniac, but all I want to work on will be harder than tommorow. She has yet to have 3 bad days in a row, so I don;t think it is a cycle thing. I think it is a bad day/mood thing.

I have shown her succesfully on one occasion where she was not in a great mood, but she was still workable. Just not her usual willing to please self.

I personally believe a lot of the people that prefer those geldings, want the steady, same every day tempermant. It is possible that
since I have experience with arabs, everything else is dull. But I sure like that smart/sharp tempermant. They pick up very quick!

Sorry for the hijack.

Mares seem to be a topic that makes people draw a line of love em or hate em.

 

[geebs]

Raspberry leaves work wonders for the menses.... Females are females... some of use hurt others do not... Raspberry leaves helps in both cases....