# Regumate pros, cons, costs etc



## Thistle (5 May 2009)

As you will know if you read my Hambleden post I am considering Regumate for F.

She has been dreadful in her first 3 seasons this year, constantly standing near the fence, squealing and flirting with other horses. She struck through the fence and injured herself superficially 3 weeks ago.

On Sun she started squealing in the lorry like she does when she is in season. However she was fine and pleasant for the rest of the day, in hand.

However when B tried to warm her up for dressage she went really hollow if B tred to use her seat and tried to run off with her head totally inverted (no martingale as dressage) - this is a mare who has scored low 30's in her last 3 outings) If B used her reins then F just had a paddy and tried to go up (only has a nathe bit) the only way she could stop was with voice.

After 5 or 6 outbursts like this and the test time approaching we had to withdraw her.

She was also being nappy which she isn't usually.

Now on Sun it was just over 3 weeks since last in season so I guessed that she may be ovulating so hence the pain. (She sometimes seems to get severe back pain whilst in season - have her back checked every 8 weeks and it is perfect  last checked 2 weeks ago)

Would you say she is a candidate for Regumate?

Do I need a vet visit or can I chat over the phone and pick some up from the surgery - quicker option if I can as they are v busy foaling and a day behind due to mayday. I am a long time client but 3 of the 4 vets have changed lately and they don't know me.

It's something I have been considering for a while, she is a quirky being at the best of times but I really feel her seasons cause her pain.

After her behaviour on Sun I was expecting full blown season by now, but nothing - she is normally regular.

Her routine did change 2 weeks ago from out by day to night though.

Ideas?


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## Bossanova (5 May 2009)

We had to keep our first Opposition mare on regumate and I'm considering it for Moon as she tends to stop eating when she's in season as she spends all days with her bum to the fence so the boys can caress her bottom  
	
	
		
		
	


	




Def get the pig version as it's cheaper and works just as well. My vets give it to me without consultation but some may not- worth a chat with the one you do know!!


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## Sarah_Jane (5 May 2009)

I have used regumate in the past with a lot of success. I would ring your vet and see if you can try a months supply. It is expensive not sure how much at the moment but well worth it. You will know within a week if it is working and it took my mare from an unsettled lunatic to a easy horse. Def give it a try.


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## connie1288 (5 May 2009)

I wont use it on my mare because she has fab breeding and if she ever broke, a broodmare would be the obvious option, i was told long term use can affect fertility.
Last year there was a mare on it at work, it seemed to have no effect whatsoever!! 
I have used it to get a mare in foal and hold it, we used the pig equivalent as it is far cheaper.
I find NAF oestress helps my mare.


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## Thistle (5 May 2009)

Someone did suggest to me on Sunday that we should have her ovaries removed - not an option as F also has good breeding (Opposition)

Trouble is she just wants babies!

Does it affect fertility long term, I guessing you only use it during fertile months anyway.

I guess another option is the marble but vets say trial the regumate first to see if it is hormonal.


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## connie1288 (5 May 2009)

We fed it last year for the whole of the eventing season, i take that to be long term??
TBH not totally sure of the fertility problems but as soon as i heard it mentioned i wasnt touching it.


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## Joss (5 May 2009)

I would definitely try it.  Regumate Porcine is the best to try (much more economical than the equine version).  It will work as in controlling her seasons - however whether it works temperament wise is what you need to find out &amp; there is no alternative but to give it a go.  It does work for plenty of mares.  It is also regularly used with breeding mares to help catch the seasons at the correct time.

No you definitely should not need a vet visit, just a chat should do &amp; if they havent got some in stock it should come next day.

Personally I wouldnt worry about long term side effects just yet - see if it works first &amp; you can always give her a break when she has a longer break between comps &amp; presumably all winter.  The main thing to establish is the link between behaviour &amp; seasons.  You could at some point experiment with marbles - anyone had any success with these?

Let us know how it goes.


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## jennystreek (5 May 2009)

This is an interesting post, because I am also considering the same.

Munstead was our first event of the season, and needless to say, my mare was in season. She hates been worked correctly when in season, and threw a few strops in the dressage warm up, but I managed to work through it.... at least, I thought I had!
However, in the actual test, I went in to sitting trot to perform a serpentine and she threw all her toys out the pram, dug her feet in, and when I tried to move her on, she just reared and reared. Needless to say, we got eliminated, even though I managed to complete the test, just very hollow! Jumping was fine though, probably because I adopted a lighter seat.

My main concerns about using it are the cost - I've been advised by many people not to buy it directly from the vets as it will be VERY expensive. If I do buy it, then I shoudl try to negotiate it down to near cost price. Pig one is meant to be cheaper.

I'm also slightly concerned about touching it myself - I guess you just have to wear protective clothing?

although my mare is horrid when in season, I do feel really sorry for her. I know when its the wrong time of the month for me, I can barely function!  
	
	
		
		
	


	




, so seems mean in a way that I'm expecting her to complete a ODE. Maybe I'm just being soft though


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## Thistle (5 May 2009)

have just had a quick chat with vets - not F, Joss.

One of the vets will ring me back at some point hopefully and then I can go and pick some up.

I think the mare will never be straightforward as at some point in her life she has not been treated fairly and she can be very mistrusting. She wants to be your friend but sometimes feels threatened.

I am not expecting the Regumate to make her Mrs Friendly but am just hoping to iron out the bumps a bit.

She is def 100% worse when coming into season and also in season. Her behaviour changes, she becomes clingy and very short tempered and sensitive.

So basically a pain in the butt 1 week out of 3.

She will always be a strong minded independent being. that's why I like her!

Perhaps I should put teenage daughter on it too!

Just checked the vets do use Porcine.


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## Thistle (5 May 2009)

[ QUOTE ]
This is an interesting post, because I am also considering the same.

Munstead was our first event of the season, and needless to say, my mare was in season. She hates been worked correctly when in season, and threw a few strops in the dressage warm up, but I managed to work through it.... at least, I thought I had!
However, in the actual test, I went in to sitting trot to perform a serpentine and she threw all her toys out the pram, dug her feet in, and when I tried to move her on, she just reared and reared. Needless to say, we got eliminated, even though I managed to complete the test, just very hollow! Jumping was fine though, probably because I adopted a lighter seat.

My main concerns about using it are the cost - I've been advised by many people not to buy it directly from the vets as it will be VERY expensive. If I do buy it, then I shoudl try to negotiate it down to near cost price. Pig one is meant to be cheaper.

I'm also slightly concerned about touching it myself - I guess you just have to wear protective clothing?

although my mare is horrid when in season, I do feel really sorry for her. I know when its the wrong time of the month for me, I can barely function!  
	
	
		
		
	


	




, so seems mean in a way that I'm expecting her to complete a ODE. Maybe I'm just being soft though  
	
	
		
		
	


	





[/ QUOTE ]

That is so similar to us then!

The porcine one is about £60 a tub, but not sure how long that will last - anyone know ?

I already use herbs at approx £30 a month so at least that cost would go.


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## trotonsir (5 May 2009)

We had a mare who was very uncomfortable when in season and was much better on regumate.  The porcine version is cheaper.

You can get a prescription from the vet &amp; then buy it cheaper online, they will prob try their best not to issue one though!!


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## jojo23 (5 May 2009)

We had a mare who wouldn't jump when in season and as it was daughter's last year in juniors was a problem so spoke to our vet re regumate and he suggested trying marbles.  Basically they insert 3 marbles into the uterus and mare thinks she is in foal so no more seasons.  Cost about £70 to have them inserted, vet suggested we have them taken out after 6 months to give her uterus a break as it was a relatively new treatment and they do not know whether this will affect future fertility. The effect was immediate, when we had them removed she reverted to old ways so we put them back in until pony retired from SJ a few months later.  Would definately recommend, much cheaper then regumate and you do not have the hassle of handling something which could affect your own cycle.


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## Worried1 (5 May 2009)

I am not joking when I say Regumate has revolusionised my life.

Diva was an absolute bitch and I was contenplating turning her away and giving up on her.

She is now a different horse and I wish I had done is sooner.


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## Joss (5 May 2009)

hammiehamlet- cant help you on the expense front, you just have to decide if you can justify it. But  dont let 'handling' it put you off.  The porcine comes in a kind of can type thing with an accurate way of dispensing the amount you need. You are really unlikely to be spreading it about.  No need to make contact at all.  You can wear gloves if it really bothers you.


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## popsdosh (5 May 2009)

Having been through a discussion with our vet after our young mare decided bucking into canter is a fun game when in season.We went through all the options and he explained that a lot of young mares get a bit over stimulated at this time of year so we have tried an injection of receptal as a first line of attack.It is a treatment that is popular in the southern hemisphere countries it just boosts the LH hormone level and settles the ovaries down and whats more it is cheap!
If you want I will keep you updated with the outcome as we were not keen on regumate for long term use.
Apparantly there is a drug being used in France that stops ovulation for the whole summer and has no effect on future breeding hopefully this may soon be licenced here.


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## 1928sky (5 May 2009)

My mare is an absolute cowbag- squirts at everything and then wants to kick it if not truely in season!  I actually found it had a huge impact on my mare's dressage- much less resistant, swishy tailed and generally had a very positive effect.  Also she didn't squeal, squirt or kick anything else.    However she totally lost the jumping- she was so calm she just wasn't interested it was almost as if she had been jumping on some sort of mareish aggression, although while on it she didn't refuse it didn't feel like the same horse.  Hence now the regumate only comes out now for area dressage, and we used to have to give it to her when we did gosling cup so we didn't kill any of our team members in the team ride!


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## Thistle (5 May 2009)

I know what you mean about the GC team ride. I think our team used to get extra marks for keeping 4 quarrelling horses in the same arena!

F lsn't a young mare, she is 11 this year - old enough to know better. She was bad last year but settled eventually, this year she seems worse.

It's losing entry fees that pee me off too, let alone diesel etc.


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## jennystreek (5 May 2009)

I think I may give it a try. I have seen the marbles in action, but have also heard of horses that have 'popped' them back out somehow (I was doing work experience with a vet who told me)... may not be so cost effective if this happens.

I've been away all week, and just rode the mare who is in season again. She was awful and couldnt even canter a 20m circle without her throwing a strop.

Thistle - sounds like my mare is similar. I dont know her past, but wouldnt be suprised if she's had a bad experience when young, as she lacks a lot of confidence (for a 9 yr old), and definately has a few quirks. All this, coupled with hormones, makes her a complete monster, and frankly quite dangerous at times. 

One of those things that Ive been thinking about for a while, but I guess it wont harm anyone to give it a try. 

Thanks for the tips about dispensing it too!


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## madeleinewachman (12 May 2009)

This is a very interesting post and I couldn't believe the similarities in experience between some of the mares mentioned here and my own. She was about to go into her first Novice event and had a complete strop, hollowing her back and running away from the contact. She has also been known to be a little nappy and this usually happens when there are other horses around. When at home on her own, she is usually a dream. We were sure it must be her teeth or back, but both these are fine. We then came to the conclusion she must be in season..... and have been thinking about regumate. 
I am worried from this article that it might affect her fertility as she is well bred and I would hope to have a foal from her one day. I would be interested to know more about these marbles and if anyone else has had any experience of them. 

Alos there was mention of a new drug coming over from France which might be licensed. Does anyone know anymore about this and what the name of it is?


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## Thistle (12 May 2009)

F has now been on it a week, different horse - much more pleasant. Still having mini strops (she always does) but gives in really quickly.

I googled regumate and it#s porcine equivalent.

It's often used to help fertility and studies haven't shown adverse effects, inn the stuff I found.

I intend giving the mare a good seasonal break over the late autumn winter.


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