When looking at horses to buy, you may not realise how much the sex of the horse impacts the asking price. It can make a huge difference: when I searched various websites for horses of the same height, skill and age range, I found that the average asking price of a gelding was £9796, but a mare with the same filters had an average of £6224. That is a third less than geldings. This enormous disparity suggests that mares are considered much less desirable than their gelding counterparts.
One of the reasons may be that mares are seen as aggressive. Mares are often called: moody, bitchy, mareish, bossy, and many others. But recent studies suggest this is a myth. In interactions between horses, mares and geldings have the same levels of aggression when turned out, and they have no difference in dominance (although the existence of dominance is a topic for another day). Other studies show that when interacting with humans, fillies are typically more tolerant and exploratory than colts.
So what is the source of the myth? Mares do sometimes score more poorly in assessments of horse-human interactions. This is most likely a simple feedback mechanism: by expecting a mare to act aggressively (even if unintentionally) you influence the horse into behaving in a more aggressive manner. These assessments act as a test of tolerance and previous handling rather than one of temperament. Confirmation bias like this is currently of great interest in medicine and psychology and should be just as important in equine.
Another source of prejudice against mares is that hormonal fluctuations are often seen as a complication to working and a source of lost training days. Just as in humans, seasonal hormonal fluctuation can often cause soreness around the ovaries and lower back, which can impact riding and increase aggression when ignored. If you have periods, or know someone who does, ask them how they would feel about going to the gym without pain medication. But while these fluctuations may not always be conducive to training, in horses it usually only lasts a few months, and there are (admittedly costly) hormone supplements to reduce these effects. A vet might also be able to help with longer or more severe imbalances.
The assumption that mares are grumpy or are expected to be aggressive because of seasonal heat completely disregards pain. Taking aggression at face value and not questioning past interactions or subtle behaviours places the onus of behaviour on an animal who cannot speak with words. Recognising and responding to the signs of pain, discomfort, stress, or fear can help build those important relationships with our horses and reduce aggressive behaviour. In future, consider how you are interacting with geldings and mares; do you call a reactive mare crazy and reactive gelding nervous? Are you reacting to the same behaviours differently or anticipating aggression from a mare?
If you have a mare who is exhibiting aggression frequently or you notice seasonal trends, speak to your vet about possible causes. If they find no physiological or hormonal reasons for the behaviour then speak to a behaviour consultant as frequent high level aggression is abnormal and indicative of additional problems.
References:
Image: iStock, (n.d.) Available at: https://thehorse.com/139452/behavior-problems-in-mares-ovaries-arent-always-to-blame/
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