Reproductive cycle[edit]

A nursing foal. Domesticated mares may nurse their foals an average of four to six months, occasionally
longer, depending on human management decisions and the temperament of a given mare.

Reproductive organs of the mare. (superior view)

Main articles: Horse breeding and Equine anatomy §  Mare

Mares carry their young (called foals) for approximately 11 months from conception to birth.
(Average range 320–370 days.)[2] Usually just one young is born; twins are rare. When
a domesticated mare foals, she nurses the foal for at least four to six months before it is weaned,
though mares in the wild may allow a foal to nurse for up to a year.
The estrous cycle, also known as "season" or "heat" of a mare occurs roughly every 19–22 days and
occurs from early spring into autumn. As the days shorten, most mares enter an anestrus period
during the winter and thus do not cycle in this period. The reproductive cycle in a mare is controlled
by the photoperiod (length of the day), the cycle first triggered when the days begin to lengthen. As
the days shorten, the mare returns to the anestrus period when she is not sexually receptive.
Anestrus prevents the mare from conceiving in the winter months, as that would result in her foaling
during the harshest part of the year, a time when it would be most difficult for the foal to survive. [3]
However, for most competitive purposes, foals are given an official "birthday" of January 1 (August 1
in the Southern hemisphere), and many breeders want foals to be born as early in the year as
possible. Therefore, many breeding farms begin to put mares "under lights" in late winter in order to
bring them out of anestrus early and allow conception to occur in February or March. One exception
to this general rule is the field of endurance riding, which requires horses to be 60 true calendar
months old (5 years) before competing at longer distances.
Fillies are sexually mature by age two and are sometimes bred at that age, but generally should not
be bred until they have stopped growing, usually by age four or five. [4]
A healthy, well-managed mare can produce a foal every year into her twenties, though not all
breeders will breed a mare every year. In addition, many mares are kept for riding and so are not
bred annually, as a mare in late pregnancy or nursing a foal is not able to perform at as athletic a
standard as one who is neither pregnant nor lactating. In addition, some mares become anxious
when separated from their foals, even temporarily, and thus are difficult to manage under saddle
until their foals are weaned.

Illustration of a cross-section of the birth process, though the foal in the womb has a leg back, illustrating a
problem delivery

Behavior[edit]
See also: horse behavior
Mares are considered easier to handle than stallions. However, geldings have little to no hormone-
driven behavior patterns at all, thus sometimes they are preferred to both mares and stallions. Mares
have a notorious, if generally undeserved, reputation for being "marish", meaning that they can be
cranky or unwilling when they come into season.[citation needed]
While a few mares may be somewhat more distractible or irritable when in heat, they are far less
easily distracted than a stallion at any time. Solid training usually minimizes hormonal behavior. For
competitive purposes, mares are sometimes placed on hormone therapies, such as the drug
Regumate, to help control hormonally based behavior. Some riders also use various herbal
remedies, most of which have not been extensively tested for effectiveness.
In relation to maternal behaviour, the formation of the bond between a mare and her foal "occurs
during the first few hours post-partum, but that of the foal to the mare takes place over a period of
days".[5]
Mares and geldings can be pastured together. However, mares may be a bit more territorial than
geldings, even though they are far less territorial than stallions. Sex-segregating herds may make for
less infighting, especially if kept in close quarters. However, studies also have shown that when a
"lead mare" or "boss mare" is in charge of a herd, all remaining animals rest for longer periods and
seem more at ease than do those in herds led by a gelding.
In wild herds, a "boss mare" or "lead mare" leads the band to grazing, to water, and away from
danger. She eats and drinks first, decides when the herd will move and to where. The herd stallion
usually brings up the rear and acts as a defender of th