|
|
Elite Veteran
Posts: 1131
  
| I guess I never knew that some people don't approve of nurse mares until we had to get one for a foal whose momma passed away during foaling. I don't mean the ones whose foals die during birth, I mean the career nurse mares who are bred, then their foals are sent to be bottle fed (NOT talking about the ones whose foals are killed). So I'm wondering if its a discipline thing or if it just depends on how you were taught on how you feel about them? I'm not out for an argument, just curious on who feels what, since I have never had a problem with them, and it was only just brought to my attention that someone didn't like them today at the clinic. |
|
| |
|
 Shelter Dog Lover
Posts: 10277
| So they are bred each year and foal always taken away to be bottle fed so mare is available to lease out when the need is there? I don't think I like that very much even though I see the purpose in it. Seems cruel to have a mare give birth only to lose her foal each time. If one baby can be bottle raised why not the orphan?
Edited by rodeomom3 2015-03-24 7:08 PM
|
|
| |
|
 A Somebody to Everybody
Posts: 41354
Location: Under The Big Sky Of Texas | Sounds pretty cruel to breed a mare so that her baby can be taking away from her so she can be leased out to make mony for someone. Sad, poor mare and baby  |
|
| |
|
 Tried and True
Posts: 21185
Location: Where I am happiest | rodeomom3 - 2015-03-24 7:04 PM So they are bred each year and foal always taken away to be bottle fed so mare is available to lease out when the need is there? I don't think I like that very much.
Yes. Except there is very limited rescue resources for those foals so the ones who do get to go to be bottle fed, are the fortunate orphans. If there is such a thing as a fortunate orphan. It is a very sad sad situation and one that breaks my heart. |
|
| |
|
 Warmblood with Wings
Posts: 27846
 
Location: Florida.. | ThreeCorners - 2015-03-24 8:09 PM rodeomom3 - 2015-03-24 7:04 PM So they are bred each year and foal always taken away to be bottle fed so mare is available to lease out when the need is there? I don't think I like that very much. Yes. Except there is very limited rescue resources for those foals so the ones who do get to go to be bottle fed, are the fortunate orphans. If there is such a thing as a fortunate orphan. It is a very sad sad situation and one that breaks my heart.
so basically the mare is bred.... has a foal then its taken away so they can lease out the mare to a orphan for big bucks..and her real foal is bottle fed and may or may not make it . and this happens as a career for the mare so owners can make $$$$$$.. this pretty wrong if you ask me.. the orphans can be bottle fed.. but then again the mares owners dont make $$ so why would that be a good idea right..smh
|
|
| |
|
Tried and True
Posts: 21185
Location: Where I am happiest | Bibliafarm - 2015-03-24 7:21 PM ThreeCorners - 2015-03-24 8:09 PM rodeomom3 - 2015-03-24 7:04 PM So they are bred each year and foal always taken away to be bottle fed so mare is available to lease out when the need is there? I don't think I like that very much. Yes. Except there is very limited rescue resources for those foals so the ones who do get to go to be bottle fed, are the fortunate orphans. If there is such a thing as a fortunate orphan. It is a very sad sad situation and one that breaks my heart.
Exactly! https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/borntodie/nurse-mare-foals-born-to-die |
|
| |
|
Warmblood with Wings
Posts: 27846
Location: Florida.. | it reminds me of the foals born to the mares for birth control. tossed aside.. auctioned off.. etc.. pathetic imho |
|
| |
|
 Northern Chocolate Queen
Posts: 16576
Location: ND | even if I lost my mare and ended up with an orphan foal there is no way I'd be ok with supporting throwing away another foal so my baby could have a mom. I'd bottle feed my own colt if I couldn't find a mare who lost her foal. |
|
| |
|
Elite Veteran
Posts: 618
| The nurse mares are bred to anything to impregnate them. I'm friends with a rescue specifically for nurse mare foals and the ones they get in are weird crosses. I'm absolutely NOT ok with it. The premarin mares are similar. They keep the mares pregnant and collect the urine all day. As soon as the foals are born they are killed, mare rebred. Premarin is the drug they use to help soothe menopause symptoms. |
|
| |
|
Rad Dork
Posts: 5218
Location: Oklahoma | Wow, this breaks my heart. |
|
| |
|
Location: Choctaw, OK | I have a 2 month old colt who is from a nurse mare. We are raising him on bucket milk and milk pellets. I think its terribly sad. This foal still wants a mama. He is nice cow bred grulla baby and did get to stay on his mom for two weeks so his situation was better than most.
Edited by RoughstockKennel 2015-03-24 10:04 PM
|
|
| |
|
 Ms. Poutability
Posts: 2362
Location: In my own world | I read an article where a lot of TB goals are raised by nurse mares. Because they are worth so much when they are born and the mare needs to be rebred which requires travel because they won't AI it's too risky to send the foal with the mare. So it is raised by a nurse mare while the mare is shipped for rebreeding |
|
| |
|
 Hugs to You
Posts: 7550
Location: In The Land of Cotton | I was not aware of this until I saw it on FB a couple of years ago. The mares that are used for "medicine" are kept in standing stalls only. Tied in with bags on them to collect the urine. Sad situation. There are quite a few of these "farms". They take the babies and either kill them, or now rescues have been forming and they get in trailer loads of orphans each week.
I wonder if this is also where colostrum comes from that you can purchase?
I have no answers but think it should be stopped. |
|
| |
|
Shelter Dog Lover
Posts: 10277
| livinonlove&horses - 2015-03-25 7:40 AM I read an article where a lot of TB goals are raised by nurse mares. Because they are worth so much when they are born and the mare needs to be rebred which requires travel because they won't AI it's too risky to send the foal with the mare. So it is raised by a nurse mare while the mare is shipped for rebreeding
Yet another reason to not like horse racing- too many disposable horses to try and get that great one. |
|
| |
|
 Elite Veteran
Posts: 1182
Location: Do I hear Banjos? | I could never participate in this practice either as a foal owner needing a nurse mare just to allow me to re-breed the mare nor a nurse mare owner running that kind of business. It just would break my heart to know that just because I'm willing to pay...just because my foal is somehow considered more valuable...the other foal is left an orphan or killed. I'd feel just sick knowing that.
Now...when a mare dies and you can somehow connect your foal with a mare that had unfortunately lost her foal...that's a win win. This is something far darker and so very sad. And I didn't know it was a business model for some folks.
|
|
| |
|
 I Prefer a Beard
Posts: 1944
| Didn't know this existed makes me very sad
Edited by caspersabelpip 2015-03-25 8:12 AM
|
|
| |
|
Blessed 
Location: Here | I too was not educated on career nurse mares. I thought it was always mares that had lost their foals. I understand the purpose in a deceased foal and you have a mare with milk, but the TB deal makes me sad. It all makes me sad.... Foals are so fragile.... |
|
| |
|
Who Wants to Trade?
Posts: 4692
| Lots use hormones now. You can usually get a dry mare wet in 3-10 days at a cost of about $800. |
|
| |
|
Elite Veteran
Posts: 1131
| We have facilities here that breed registered foals, but they bottle feed all of them and send the mares off to be nurse mares. I know those are few and far between, but some owners don't have the facilities to bottle feed a foal every 3 hours, while some do. Its a service that people need, and use. Glad I could enlighten some of you of this side of breeding. |
|
| |
|
 Good Grief!
Posts: 6343
Location: Cap'n Joan Rotgut.....alberta | Bibliafarm - 2015-03-25 6:28 PM it reminds me of the foals born to the mares for birth control. tossed aside.. auctioned off.. etc.. pathetic imho
most pmu barns turned the mares out just before they would foal and they wouldnt be brought back in til fall after the babies were weaned......and i have bought a couple foals from pmu sales...i still have both of them........
and from what i have read i think this nurse mare thing is a money grab...you can bottle feed one just as easy as the other...
m |
|
| |
Folks on-line