Mare 4433279 224559848 2008-07-09T12:19:47Z Anthony Appleyard 119438 moved [[Mare (horse)]] to [[Mare]]: req {{otheruses|mare (disambiguation)}} {{redirect|Mares|the surname|Mares (surname)}} [[Image:Horses.london.750pix.jpg|thumb|right|220px|A broodmare and [[foal]]]] A '''mare''' is an adult [[female]] [[horse]] or other [[equidae|equine]].<ref>[http://www.askoxford.com/concise_oed/mare_1?view=uk Concise Oxford - mare]</ref> Most of the time, a mare is a female horse over the age of three, and a [[filly]] is a female horse age three and younger. However, in [[Thoroughbred]] [[horse racing]], a '''mare''' is defined as a female [[horse]] more than four years old;{{Fact|date=November 2007}} in [[harness racing]] a mare is a female horse more than three years old. The word can also be used for other female [[equine]] animals, particularly [[mule]]s and [[zebra]]s, though a female [[donkey]] is usually called a "jenny." A broodmare is a mare used for breeding. An adult male horse is called a [[Stallion (horse)|stallion]], or, if [[castration|castrated]], a [[gelding]]. Occasionally the term "horse" is used in a restrictive sense to designate only a male horse. ==Reproductive cycle== [[Image:Poulain ardennais 02.jpg|thumb|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.]] {{main|Horse breeding|Equine anatomy}} Mares carry their young, called [[foal]]s for approximately 11 months from conception to birth. (Average range 320-370 days.)<ref name=HandH156>Ensminger, M. E. ''Horses and Horsemanship: Animal Agriculture Series.'' Sixth Edition. Interstate Publishers, 1990. ISBN 0-8134-2883-1 p. 156</ref> Usually just one young is born; twins are rare. When a [[domestication|domesticated]] mare foals, she nurses the foal for at least four to six months before it is [[weaning|weaned]], though [[wild horse|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.<ref name=HandH150>Ensminger, M. E. ''Horses and Horsemanship: Animal Agriculture Series.'' Sixth Edition. Interstate Publishers, 1990. ISBN 0-8134-2883-1 p. 150</ref> 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 themselves have stopped growing, usually by age four or five.<ref name=HandH149>Ensminger, M. E. ''Horses and Horsemanship: Animal Agriculture Series.'' Sixth Edition. Interstate Publishers, 1990. ISBN 0-8134-2883-1 p. 149-150</ref> 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 [[lactation|lactating]]. In addition, some mares become [[separation anxiety|anxious when separated]] from their foals, even temporarily, and thus are difficult to manage under saddle until their foals are weaned. ==Behavior== {{seealso|horse behavior}} [[Image:Lovely Little Girl.jpg|thumb|left|A broodmare. Note slight distension of belly, indicating either early pregnancy or recent foaling.]] {{Unreferencedsection|date=November 2007}} Mares are considered easier to handle than [[Stallion (horse)|stallion]]s. However, [[gelding]]s have 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 [[estrous|season]]. However, there is considerable evidence that much "marish" [[horse behavior|behavior]] is the mostly result of humans expecting or allowing the mare to misbehave. Because horses in general are very attuned to the emotional state of their riders, expectation by a rider of difficult manners during estrus can create a [[self-fulfilling prophecy]] and a cranky mare. While a few mares may be somewhat more distractable 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 therapy|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. Some mare owners claim that mares are more intelligent and courageous and will work harder for their owners, and there are many stories and legends about the loyalty of a mare to her rider. Conversely, others claim that mares are more nervous and high-strung. In short, much lore about "marish" mares is due to simple [[anthropomorphism]], attributing stereotypically "female" behavior to mares. Mares and geldings can be pastured together. However, mares may be a bit more territorial. 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 the herd against predators and other stallions. ==Uses== {{Unreferencedsection|date=November 2007}} [[Image:Makybe Diva.jpg|thumb|Mares can be used in any equestrian sport. Famous race horse mare [[Makybe Diva]] after winning the Melbourne Cup for the third consecutive time.]] Mares are used in every [[Equestrianism|equestrian sport]] and usually compete equally with stallions and geldings in most events, though some competitions may offer classes open only to one sex of horse or another, particularly in [[halter (horse show)|breeding or "in-hand" conformation]] classes. In [[horse racing]], mares and fillies have their own races and only a small percentage compete against male horses. However, fillies have won classic horse races against colts, including the [[Kentucky Derby]], the [[Belmont Stakes]] and the [[Melbourne Cup]]. Mares are used as [[dairy]] animals in some cultures, especially by the [[nomads]] and formerly nomadic peoples of [[Central Asia]]. Fermented mare's milk, known as [[kumis]], is the national drink of [[Kyrgyzstan]]. Some mares, usually of [[draft horse]] breeding, are kept in North America for the production of their urine. Pregnant mares' urine is the [[active ingredient]] in the hormonal drug [[Premarin]] (derived from '''Pre'''gnant '''ma'''res' u'''rin'''e). ===Historic use=== Until the invention of [[castration]] and even later where there was less cultural acceptance of the practice, mares were less difficult to manage than stallions and thus preferred for most ordinary work. Historically, the [[Bedouin]] nomads of the [[Arabian peninsula]] preferred mares on their raids, because stallions would nicker to the opposing camps' horses, whereas mares would be quiet. However, other cultures preferred male horses over mares either due to a desire for more aggressive behavior in a fighting animal, or to not be inconvenienced with a loss of work ability due to a mare's pregnancy, [[parturition]] and [[lactation]]. ==Etymology== The word ''mare'', meaning "female horse," originated from the [[Gaulish language]] and took several forms prior to A.D. 900. In [[Old English]] the form was ''mere'' or ''mȳre'', the [[gender (language)|feminine forms]] for ''mearh'' (horse). The [[Old German]] form of the word was ''Mähre''. Similarly, in [[Irish language|Irish]] and [[Goidelic languages|Gaelic]], the word was ''marc,'' and in [[Welsh language|Welsh]], ''march.'' The word has no known [[cognates]] beyond [[Germanic languages|Germanic]] and [[Celtic languages|Celtic]].<ref>http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/mare Multiple definitions of Mare and its etymological origins. Web site accessed August 22, 2007</ref> Some derived terms are a ''mare's nest'', an expression for "excitement over something which does not exist"; and ''[[nightmare]]'', which began as a term meaning "an evil female spirit afflicting sleepers with a feeling of suffocation." However, this term may not be directly connected etymologically with the word for female horse, but rather to [[homophone]]s that meant "incubus" or "goblin."<ref>[http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?search=mare&searchmode=none Etymology OnLine], accessed November 25, 2007</ref> A [[homograph]] that has nothing to do with female horses confuses the [[etymology]] of the word. This is the [[Latin]] word ''"[[Lunar mare|mare]]"'' (pronounced "ma-re", two syllables), which is used primarily in [[astronomy]] and describes the large, dark, [[basalt]]ic plains on Earth's [[Moon]]. It is the Latin word for "sea", from which words like [[wiktionary:Marine|marine]] and [[Oceans|maritime]] were also derived. ==See also== *[[Horse breeding]] *[[Stallion (horse)]] *[[Gelding]] *[[Filly]] *[[Foal]] ==References== {{reflist}} {{Equidae}} [[Category:Types of horses]] [[Category:Horse breeding and studs]] [[Category:Famous mares]] [[da:Hoppe]] [[de:Stute]] [[ja:牝馬]] [[nl:Merrie]] [[no:Hoppe]] [[pl:Klacz]] [[sk:Kobyla (samica)]] [[sv:Sto]]