Nursing mare: The first mamas for orphan foals

What is a nurse mare?

A nurse mare is a mare that either produces enough milk to nurse another foal or a mare that has lost her foal and can nurse another foal. Sometimes it happens that the foal dies due to birth complications or even days after a foal has been born. In such cases, a nurse mare is always urgently sought to raise the foal, as rearing a foal by bottle is an option, but this should only be done in an extreme emergency if no nurse mare can be found for the foal. Veterinarian and breeder Dr. Matilda Rattenhuber explains why a nurse mare is so important for an orphaned foal:

Requirements and costs of a nurse mare

A nurse mare has usually lost the foal due to birth complications or the foal in the first few weeks of life due to colic in the foal or other sad circumstances. Now the mare stands in an empty stall without a foal with a full udder. In these cases, an attempt is made to place the mare as a nurse mare to give a foal that has lost its mother or been rejected a good start in life. 

What are the requirements for a nurse mare?

The special abilities of these trained mares are demonstrated by the fact that they instinctively take on the role of a surrogate mother. They accept the orphan foal, provide it with milk, offer protection and form social bonds. Their role is of great importance not only for the physical but also for the emotional well-being of young foals.

The demands on a broodmare are many and varied. She must be socially compatible and have a strong maternal instinct so that the acceptance and care of a foreign foal runs smoothly. In addition to feeding, nurse mares play a decisive role in the socialization of foals. They teach them horse communication and thus promote the development of their social behavior.

Broodmares are selected on the basis of specific criteria to ensure that they are suitable for rearing foals that are not their own. Maternal behavior and the mare's physical ability to suckle a foal play a particularly important role here. The mare's health, milk production and mental well-being are carefully checked.

How much does a nurse mare cost?

Some costs are incurred after the placement of a nurse mare. This should be clear to anyone who has to make use of a nurse mare. Because if the mother mare had not died or the foal had been rejected, similar costs would be incurred. It is important to understand that simply nursing the foal on the mare is not enough and that the foal and the mare will continue to need medical care. The foal does not live on air and love, but needs additional feed, vaccinations and much more in rearing compared to a foal that grows up with its mother. 

Orphan foals cost at least €800 in the first three months of their lives, often more. If the orphan foals are brought together with the nurse mare, it is important to consult a vet beforehand. Why? A vet can carry out tests to determine how much colostrum the foal has left. This information can be used to determine the further course and the supplements the foal needs.

So you can expect the normal rearing costs for mare and foal, plus the extra costs due to the special needs of the orphan foal. Now the question is, who pays for this? This should be clarified in advance! Because separating a nurse mare and an orphan foal is not a good idea. Once the two have found each other, they must NOT be separated under any circumstances. The following questions should be clarified before reuniting them:

• Where do the nurse mare and orphan foal stand during their rearing together?
• How is the supply regulated?
• Who bears which costs?

As a rule, a short contract proves to be the best option here. This contract stipulates an expense allowance for the mare owner and excludes the mare owner's liability. The foal owner pays for the foal's feed, vet, farrier and everything else.

Who do the mare and foal stay with during rearing?

In some cases, especially if the foal is not able to be transported, the nurse mare is brought to the foal. Often, however, the foal is also brought to the nurse mare. Many nurse mare owners are experienced in rearing orphan foals and know what needs to be taken into account. For example, Brigitte Forstner and her nurse mare Mrs. Vogel, who not only had one orphan foal, but sometimes three at the same time. Forstner has now reared more than 38 orphan foals. Also with the help of Mrs. Vogel. The nurse mare died in 2017 at the age of 30. But Brigitte Forstner wants to continue helping orphaned foals and advises orphan foal owners during this difficult time.

Where can you find a nurse mare?

There are now various places to go to find a nurse mare. If you are looking for a broodmare, you need help fast. We have put together an overview of all the places to go here. 

The brokers for broodmares throughout Germany

Over the years, the brokers for broodmares have become quite well organized. Nevertheless, in an emergency it is difficult to find the right place to go straight away. That's where Ingrid Wiegmann comes in. She is probably the most experienced go-between for broodmares in Germany. Her nationwide nurse mare emergency service in Germany works on a voluntary and independent basis. The foal emergency service is available around the clock and is well networked with clinics, vets and breeders. We visited Ingrid Wiegmann and she explained to us how she brings foals and broodmares together:

Contact details Ingrid Wiegmann
Nurse mares Germany:
Mobile: (+49) 173-5151395
E-Mail: ammenstuten@gmail.com
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Brokerage groups for broodmares

Groups have also formed on social media to bring broodmares and orphan foals together. This group also offers broodmares from outside Germany, from France, Austria, Switzerland, Belgium, the Netherlands or other countries close to the German border. To the Facebook group

Ehorses places orphan foals with broodmares

Many companies with a high reach on social media, such as ehorses, also use their reach to help orphaned foals find a new mom. Find out more here.

Orphan foals emergency services

Together with Ingrid Wiegmann, Mike Otte places orphan foals and mares throughout Germany. As it is better not to remove the nurse mare from her familiar surroundings, but to bring the orphan foal to the nurse mare, the 24-hour emergency service was set up. Mike Otte travels to the orphan foals and takes a look at the foal together with the vet. Here it is determined whether the foal is fit for transportation. At this point, time is of no importance to Otte, because the foal's life is more important. In close cooperation with the company ECG-Logistics and S-Dressagethe foal rescuers have transport sprinters at their disposal with which they can bring the foals safely to the nurse mare. Mike Otte explains in this video how the transporters are equipped and exactly how this works:

Other important points of contact

You should make a note of these numbers if you breed horses. This may not only be important for you if the broodmare dies and leaves an orphan foal behind, but also if your foal dies and your mare can help other foals as a nurse mare.

Baden-Württemberg:

• Beckers Stutenmilchhof (colostrum): Schulstr. 388299 Gebratzhofen/ Leutkirch, Tel: 07563-511

Bavaria:

• Brigitte Forstner, 83512 Wasserburg am Inn, Tel.: 01520 7184950
• Lindenhof stud farm (colostrum): Barsikower Weg 6a, 16845 Rohrlack, phone: 033928-70389, cell phone: 0174-1415535
• Hof Voss: Bardowicker Str.6, 21357 Wittorf, Tel.: 04133-7271, cell phone 0171-8328649 (foal farm and foal emergency service with nurse mares and colostrum depot)
• Silencio e.V. Nurse Mare Service. Phone: 0173-5151395

Bremen:

• Foal emergency service Deutscher Tierschutzbund / Bremer Tierschutzverein Tierklinik Sottrum: Tel.: 04264-3561 (telephone announcement of available nurse mares and orphaned foals), advice and treatment: Tel. 04264-2945

Hesse:

• Ammendienst GESTÜT ISARLAND: Ulrike Castle, Heimathshausen, 82319 Starnberg/Percha, phone 08151-89209 (nationwide forwarding of telephone numbers of owners of broodmares and orphaned foals, sources of colostrum)
• Foal orphanage, Wischmöhlenweg 21, 25436 Tornesch, Tel.: 04122-56414

Lower Saxony:

• Ammenstutenservice Oldenburg: Mrs. Steffen is the contact person here. Tel.: 0441-980610 or 0177-6570092
• Rearing of orphan foals: Foal emergency service (formerly Voß) in Tätendorf-Eppensen (Uelzen) Tel.: 05806-263 or 01710-8328649
• Nursing mare service and colostrum: Mrs. Steindorfer, Tel.: 08533-3332, Mobile: 0171-2683669
• Hof Voss: Bardowicker Str.6, 21357 Wittorf, Tel.: 04133-7271, cell phone 0171-8328649 (foal farm and foal emergency service with nurse mares and colostrum depot)
• Switzerland: SOS Foal Service, Pierre Matile, colostral database, Tel. 0041-344025910

North Rhine-Westphalia:

• Clinic for horses: Tel.: 04172-66 68, cell phone: 0171-4948618 or 0171-6451628
• hiPRO-FohlenRetter - complete first aid in emergency situations Special horse nutrition: B. Lenz, 31675 Bückeburg, Campina Straße 1, Tel.: 05722-1095-96, Fax: 05722-3242
• Ammendienst Gestüt Lindenhof (colostrum): Barsikower Weg 6a, 16845 Rohrlack, phone: 033928-70389, cell phone: 0174-1415535
• Nurse Mare Service Oldenburg: Mr. Scharmann, Mobile: 0160-90526135
• Nursing mare service: Tierklinik Hochmoor, von Braun Str. 10, 48712 Gescher-Hochmoor, Tel.: 02863-20990
• Masterhorse foal emergency service: Tel.: 07150-4294, additional no.: 00800-6278374
• Salvana foal emergency service: Tel.: 04121-80461
• Foal emergency service Stahr in Süderbrarup, Tel.: 04641-1002
• Nurse mare service and foal emergency service Moormann, Tel: 0171-8328649
• Community of interest for draft horses: Tel.: 02333-80144

Rhineland-Palatinate:

• Nursing mares: Haflingerzucht Jugendhof Westrich, 67752 Rutsweiler a.d. Lauter, Tel.: 06304-5155

‍Saxony-Anhalt:

• Foal emergency service Gestüt Schellbach (private initiative) offers care of orphan foals/24 hour hand rearing, if necessary delivery of colostrum or emergency packs of foal replacement milk. Gestüt Schellbach, Kirschweg 50, 06712 Schellbach (Saxony-Anhalt), mobile (around the clock) 0172-3662983

Schleswig-Holstein:

• Foal emergency service Lüneburger Heide: Bevenser Weg 3, phone: 05806-263, fax 05806-263, cell phone: 0171-8328649, 29576, Tätendorf-Eppensen (district of Uelzen)

Austria:

• Veterinary Clinic Vienna, Tel. 0043-1-25077 - 5453 or 0043-676-6119305

What to do if no broodmare can be found?

If no nurse mare can be found, there is still the option of bottle rearing. Routine is important here. As the Otte family, professionals in the bottle rearing of orphaned foals, explain. The Otte family emphasizes that the top priority is always to find a nurse mare. However, this can be difficult and often no nurse mare can be found for the foal. It is also possible that a nurse mare will not accept the foal. That's when the Otte family comes into play. It all started with an orphaned foal. Now the family in Damme looks after several orphaned foals a year. In the following video, you can see how the family raises the foals with the bottle, what you need to consider and why routine is important:

The reunion of orphan foal and nurse mare

When integrating an orphan foal into the care of a broodmare, a cautious approach is crucial. The consistency of the environment for the potential nurse mare is of great importance in order to avoid additional stress. After the loss of her own foal, the mare often requires veterinary aftercare. In order to promote acceptance of the orphan foal, the use of olfactory methods, such as transferring the smell of the deceased foal, is recommended. Keeping the egg skin can be beneficial in such cases. The first mating should always take place under supervision to ensure the safety of both animals. The duration of the process until full acceptance varies and requires patience. Caring for an orphan foal can also mean a positive turnaround for the nurse mare, as this task can give her new perspectives on life.

Frequently asked questions (FAQ) about broodmares

1. is every mare suitable as a nurse mare?

The selection of a broodmare requires specific prerequisites to ensure the health and well-being of the foal. Sufficient milk production is just as essential as genetic compatibility with regard to the immune system. Particularly important is a match in the area of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC), as this influences the body's own scents, which are crucial for the bond between mother and foal. Genetic similarity in these areas can favor the acceptance of the foal by the broodmare and is therefore an important aspect in the selection of a suitable broodmare.

2. can foals be bottle-fed?

Yes, that is possible. But it should be avoided if possible. Bottle-fed foals tend to have bad imprints and need social contact with other foals. It is therefore always advisable to weigh up all the factors and seek help from experienced people. For example, the Ott family in Damme, Ingrid Wegmann or Brigitte Forstner.

3. i have a nurse mare, who can i contact?

In contrast to advertisements for horses for sale, the offer nurse mare / search nurse mare process is a little different. In the best case scenario, if you have a broodmare, you should contact Ingrid Wiegmann's agency. She and her team are networked with breeders, clinics, vets and equestrian sport associations throughout Germany and place orphan foals with broodmares and vice versa.