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Horse Problem - Trailering Mare Problem - Sudden kicking/squealing when trailer is moving.

QUESTION: PLEASE HELP! We have an 18-year-old mare who has been trailered everywhere. We've had her for about 1 1/2 years. My daughter uses her for barrel racing and junior rodeo. She is my daughter's pride and joy. Within the last month and a half to two months, we have not been able to take the mare anywhere. Suddenly, she has started kicking so badly in the trailer that we have had to turn around. But...she loves the trailer. When the door is open, she is in immediately. Then once she's in the trailer, her tail starts swishing. As we leave, about 1/2 mile down the road, she starts squealing, then the kicking starts. It's like she is in heat. Squirting all over herself, winking like there is a stallion around and kicking. We tried hobbles, but she just kicks with both feet. She not only kicks, she bounces, too. We can only manage to get about 1-2 miles away max. We are waiting for a hormone panel to come back, but we are at a loss. My daughter is just devastated. When this horse is around another horse now, our gelding or other mare, she squeals and bangs her front feet at them also. I don't know if it is hormonal or just bad behavior. She never did this before the last couple of months.

Please help us. I think you are our last hope. I really don't know what to do with her. She has a sweet temperament even when she is kicking in the trailer. I don't consider her to be a grouchy mare, but when she squeals at her own feces and that of others, I think we have a problem more than I can fix. Thank you for taking the time to listen and hopefully you can give us some suggestions.

REPLY: Thanks for writing. Your problem is quite unique there for a "trailering problem." Since we like to first rule out potential physical problems with a horse in solving a particular sudden behavioral issue, I decided to run this particular problem by another expert, and she's also a veterinarian who graduated from the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine on the campus of Virginia Tech here in Blacksburg, Virginia, where I live. Chrissie is an extremely bright, astute gal, a horsewoman herself, and she has excellent instincts in the medical side of horse problems, as well. I network with a lot of experts in my field to help people achieve the best solutions to their horse problems that they possibly can. I'd like to pass along to you below Chrissie's comments on your mare trailer problem there:

To me, it does sound like a vet/medical problem. If the mare is acting unusual outside of the trailer as well and there hasn't been ANY negative experiences while driving her in the trailer or at a show, it supports a health issue. She is of the right age for an ovarian tumor, particularly a granulosa cell/granulosa-thecal cell tumor. These tumors can behave in a variety of ways as far as what hormones they secrete. Her body could be in a prolonged estrus (a regularly recurrent state of sexual excitability during which the female of some mammals will accept the male and is capable of conceiving), or some go into anestrus (the period of sexual quiescence, or inactivity, between two periods of sexual activity in cyclically breeding mammals]. The latter usually present for infertility problems.

The vet is on the right path checking the hormone levels. I wonder if they also did a rectal palpation +/- ultrasound to check the architecture of the ovaries. That would be helpful, but maybe they were waiting for the hormone test results before doing more invasive procedures. The mares with these tumors may be overly/prolonged "mare-ish" or if testosterone is being secreted, they may act stallion-ish, or some of both. As far as the trailor riding part, if there is no evidence to support some recent trailer trauma or accident, or sudden barn sour problem, it's important to know that these tumors can be quite painful. If things start "jiggling" inside her once they are driving (trailer jiggles her), it could hurt to have an enlarged ovary tugging on the ligament that holds it. This may also manifest as back pain/difficult to saddle etc. On the other hand, it could just be due to the excess hormones circulating in her making her act like a "super-mare." I would definitely keep checking out the medical issues there! Hope this helps.

Chrissie Long (Veterinarian)

So, that's our verdict there: have a very good vet check your horse thorougly for all the above possibilities that Chrissie went over there. If you're still not sure or not completely satisfied, nothing wrong with getting a second vet's opinion on the matter! And asking for more extensive tests. If this were only happening inside the trailer, not outside, you would want to check your trailer over thoroughly inside to make sure there's not something in there that could be hurting her. Everyone should check their trailer over carefully from time to time, just as a safety precaution. But since the new bizarre behavior is occurring outside the trailer, as well suddenly, I think we're probably onto something there and you should have that thoroughly checked out.

For more detailed information on granulosa-thecal cell tumors, click on this link (warning: graphic photos, but vet-medically educational)

http://www.equine-reproduction.com/articles/GCT.htm

And another helpful article on the subject:

http://www.dvmnewsmagazine.com/dvm/article/articleDetail.jsp?id=90522

And here:

http://www.horses-and-horse-information.com/articles/0901moodswings.shtml

Let me know how it goes. We are truly interested in helping you to find resolution to this problem that I know must be very difficult to deal with right now. Keep the faith, keep digging and I believe you'll find the answers. Keep us posted! And thanks, again, for writing.

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