?? i've always wondered about this... i didn't really know before that anything but humans did
has anyone ever been with a "virginal" horse? :blink: :)

I've never been with a mare, but I have had conciderable experience "preparing" a mare for breeding with a stud. At no time during cleaning of the vulva or examining the inner portion of the same have I ever seen evidence of a hymen in previously unbred mares or fillys. Thats not to say they don't occur, just my observations.

Why do humans have hymens anyway?

According to several books I read equines are among the few mammals who do have a hymen.

"A maiden mare should always have a speculum examination of her vagina prior to breeding, in order to detect and remove a persistent hymen, if present. Failure to remove the hymen may lead to breeding and/or foaling complications. "

Katherine Burnett, DVM: Prebreeding Examination of the Mare


"More common is a maiden mare with an imperforate hymen or an obstructing membrane partition. These are problems that can be corrected easily by the veterinarian at the time of examination. The membranes generally don’t interfere with breeding because they will be torn at that time, but tearing can lead to infection. It is better to eliminate these obstructions using sterile techniques, allowing the mare at least 2 or 3 weeks to heal before being bred, so there will be no soreness."

Heather Smith Thomas: Preparing the first-time broodmare

During my deeper accounts with fillies I occsionally felt the membrane, but not in all. LIke with human females there is a wide variety of extent and thickness. I also saw the result, when it was ruptured by a stallion being bred on a pasture. The mare bled quite a lot, but she came back immediately for more.

Thanks for the information hippomanes. Just goes to show that even years spent with equines doesn't preclude learning more :)

Its questions like these that have so totally enamoured with this forum. I grew up with horses and never knew that a horse could have a hymen!

I know with exercise and age human females hymen can be....destroyed?...my spur of the moment theory is that the hymen is present in all females of any species as a protective measure to ensure that impregnation will be impossible or so painful that the female will resist mating until physical maturity is reached?

Learn something new every day!!!!!! :)

Hi,
From what I've heard its a vestigial thing, left behind foring the development of the embryo into an infant. And it doesn't prevent conception. Several 'virgin births' turned out to be a case of premature ejaculation in which sperm went through the porous flesh of the hymen and proceeded to do their thing as normal :) Hence all the lectures in Sexuality and Health when I was in school concerning pregnancy without penetration, even witht he hymen remaining. Not sure if it serves any more useful purpose in a filly or mare, but I do know that the rumors about girls 'losing' theirs when riding or engaging in sports are sometimes true. Probably another reason for the coddling noble girls recieved back in the middle ages. Keeping the 'proof of authenticity' nicely intact as it were.

a very interesting thread -and very informative!

I guess being the homo I am -I never thought of the intact hymen as "proof of authenticity" -what a lousey thing for a woman to have to endure -that anyone would know thier previous personal life by nature telling on them -seems so unfair....

I can't speak for mares..but I have personally know a donkey jenny who had one :P

We encountered virgin mares who had one. For some mares, it's pretty occlusive, and you cannot fist them. For some others, it's like a net you break with your fist and your fingers. Like women, it hurts a bit. It's located at the entrance of the vagina, deep in the vulva, where a human penis cannot reach :)

MaFPAzOl © 2005

duno about that

I don't know about horses but I believe all mamels have them I do know that dogs have them. While having them intact can be a certificitate of authenticy it can also be a death curse! My Aust Shep bitch ( a virgin in terms of penetration, k9 or human) got an internaly generated uteran infection and because her hymen had never been ruptured she had no discharge and was near fatal toxic when I got her to the vet. She had five pounds of puss in her belly! Sometimes we do our fem pets a favor by making sure that hymen is open wheather it is done by a vet, a male of the same breed - specie or a loving human partner!

:rolleyes:

hmmm another legend in thier own mind? proof is in the puddin -maybe you would like to add to the mens meat thread in the general category -err that is if the pages are big enuff for you :lol: :lol: :lol:


ohhh make a paper sign with your bf name on it to hold in the pic -not that any of our members would ever take credit for something that wasn't truley thiers :rolleyes:

The hymen is most likely due to embryonic development. The same materials that make the male penis, in humans, the prepuce, or foreskin, and in most other mammals the sheath also has a homologue in the female; hence the vestigial hymen. All body parts have their complement. In fact, all mammals begin their development as a female, and the presence of a male 'Y' chromosome initiates testocerone during development that produces the primary male sex characteristics; development of testies and penis, in those who didnt recieve that inital jolt, they have the outward appearance as a female.

The testies=ovaries, The erectile tissue in the penile shaft becomes the erectile tissue in the lower third of the vaginal opening, allowing it to shift to proper alignment during arousal, and clitoris for pleasure (which strange enough in humans has 2x the amount of nerves as the male's head).

Unfortunately the sheath or foreskin becomes that darn layer of skin, the hymen, which is by all intents and purposes; useless! In some females the stupid thing never truely breaks enough (I am one of them!) to faciliate comfort during deep penetrating sex, and in some must be removed surgically to prevent toxicosis, especially before the first menstration because it blocks the flow of blood. At least most animals are able to avoid that feminine nightmare!

I dont know what happened to the uterus though. The males scrotum might just well be their vestigial uterus. :thinking:

And males have mammary glands, that are typically rendered useless by testocerone, but every once and a while and supposedly by suggestion there will be a male who gives milk.

most of this can be applied across the board for mammals, although spotted hyenas are definately one major exception, as females look like males, and even have an erectile clit.

Yes south, the 'authenticity' thing is way too overrated. There are many things that can break a hymen, not just sex, and it seems like the world completely ignored the fact females masterbate too. :rolleyes:

This post has been edited by AlphaDhole on May 13 2005, 12:43 AM