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Racing Home Website Launched

'Racing Home', an online platform for educating and empowering racing's employers, employees and the self-employed, was launched by Women in Racing with support from the Racing Foundation, Kindred Group and the latter's flagship brand Unibet on Wednesday. The website focuses on motherhood/parenthood and providing easy access to information about rights and entitlements regarding pregnancy, maternity, paternity, adoption, shared parental leave, flexible working, self-employment and statutory pay.

Women in Racing Chair, Tallulah Lewis, said, “Women in Racing are incredible proud to be launching the Racing Home Project with three key initiatives which aim to have immediate impact on the lives of all working parents. The work we have been undertaking has identified some serious challenges faced by mothers and parents working in the horseracing industry and two years of research and webinars have led to Women in Racing in tandem with Simply Racing and the industry stakeholders developing meaningful solutions that will positively impact the working lives of many, enhancing, wellbeing, resilience and quality of life.”

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Why Do Some Mares Behave Like Stallions?

Though it's rare, mares can occasionally demonstrate behavior that people commonly associate with stallions — acting aggressively, dominating herdmates and even teasing or mounting other mares. Dr. Patrick McCue tells the American Quarter Horse Association that there are several possible causes for these behaviors.

These include:

Ovarian tumors – The most common ovarian tumors are granulosa cell tumors. About 40 to 50 percent of granulosa tumors contain theca cells, which produce large amounts of testosterone and can cause a mare to act like a stallion. Testosterone levels will remain high until the mare has the tumor surgically removed.

Pregnancy – Pregnant mares have elevated testosterone levels while their fetus produces gonads; the testosterone crosses the placenta into the mare's bloodstream and can affect her behavior. Mares begin to have increased testosterone levels around their fourth month of gestation and these levels peak around month seven. By the last trimester of pregnancy, as testosterone levels decrease, mares tend to become less aggressive.

Mares that aren't pregnant can experience testosterone fluctuations during their estrous cycles.
Steroids – Anabolic steroids can suppress estrus and increase stallion-like behavior, including aggression. These behaviors resolve once steroid use is terminated.

Pseudohermaphrodism – Though rare, pseudohermaphrodism in horses occurs when a horse looks like a mare, but has the genetic makeup of a male horse. These horses have testes instead of ovaries; they are cryptorchids that don't produce spermatozoa, but the testes produce enough testosterone to affect the horse. Horses that are pseudohermaphrodites may have female genitalia. Removing the testes will eliminate stallion-like behavior.

When Can A Mare Go Back To Work After Foaling?

A mare needs some time to rest and recover post-foaling, but just how long does she need before she can go back into work? Though each mare is different, if the mare was in good physical shape before foaling, she will most likely be able to return to work sooner than a horse who wasn't fit prior to having her baby, according to a report from the American Quarter Horse Association. Ensuring that the mare isn't overweight when she's bred – and when she foals – can speed her return to work.

Dr. Ben Espy says most mares can begin working again six to eight weeks after a complication-free foaling. However, some mares may experience pregnancy-related circulatory side effects, like edema in the legs and belly. This generally resolves in a few weeks after the foal is born. The ability for a mare to move around after foaling is often helpful in alleviating excess fluid.

Even after a normal birth, most mares have some minor vaginal tears, bruising, and abrasions. These issues normally heal within a week and don't hinder a mare's return to work. More serious complications like a breech birth or intense bleeding will require longer recovery time.

Any pre-foaling issues should be reassessed before the mare is asked to go back into work, including prior lameness issues. Asking a veterinarian to evaluate the mare's physical condition and soundness before going back to work is prudent.

When bringing a mare back into work, it's imperative that the owner or rider pay attention to her hydration. A lactating mare can drink as much as 10 more gallons of water per day than other horses. If the temperatures in which she is asked to work are hot and humid as well, she could require as many as 20 to 30 gallons of water per day to stay hydrated.