Nurse Mare Farms - The Equine Industrys "Other" Dirty Little Secret
Much the same as PMU farms where mares are kept pregnant for the high hormore content of their urine during pregnancy for use in hormore replacement therapy, where the babies thusly produced are unwanted / disposable by-products, Nurse Mare Farms keep their mares pregant for the colostrum-Rich mothers milk for use on foals other than their own. The unwanted babies are byproducts deprived of their much need first taste of colostrum rich mother milk, and are usually immediately killed and discarded "or otherwise" disposed of. See Vid:
http://www.metacafe.com/watch/253770/horse_slaughter_and_nurse_mare_foals/
Much the same as PMU farms where mares are kept pregnant for the high hormore content of their urine during pregnancy for use in hormore replacement therapy, where the babies thusly produced are unwanted / disposable by-products, Nurse Mare Farms keep their mares pregant for the colostrum-Rich mothers milk for use on foals other than their own. The unwanted babies are byproducts deprived of their much need first taste of colostrum rich mother milk, and are usually immediately killed and discarded "or otherwise" disposed of. See Vid:
http://www.metacafe.com/watch/253770/horse_slaughter_and_nurse_mare_foals/
The colostrum-rich first milk of the mother is reserved for the "better," more important foals the industry deems "more worthy" of attention. The colostrum is "banked" or the mares are used as surrogate mothers for the "privlidged foals" whos mothers cant be with them because they are being bred back right away or need to continue on in her career and not have to be burdned with the raising of a baby. Someone astutely observed that the whole nasty business could be avoided if the Jockey Club would just make a rule that the baby horses stay with their moms until weaned, as it should be! Such a rule would help cut down on over-breeding too! So ah,....we think this is definately a subject that needs more exploration & exposure, as seems there are some simple solitions to this problem of "needing to kill" baby horses, but here is some info which you can use for a start. Hoping we can all contribute here and learn together on this subject at hand, in hopes of "seperating the wheat from the chaffe" in acertaining the good guys from the bad in the busniess of producing unwanted babies, and also as to those compassionate souls who are trying to save them, well, at least some of them, anyway. But Friends of Equines is about saving them all. . Who of these "NurseMare Farms" producing so many unwanted babies is willing to work with the rescues, and who is not,... and if not, why not? And if so, how far are they willing to go to to help us save all the babies? These things we must know.
Be sure to see and sign the petition to help expose and stop this practice;
The Petition:
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/21/stop-the-killing-of-newborn-baby-horses
Also you can join our Yahoo Group created also to expose and stop this practice:
http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/StopTheKillingOfNurseMareFoals/
Be sure and page all the way down to see an International Nurse Mare Farm Directory;
What is a Nurse Mare Farm?
http://p3_acres.tripod.com/id51.htm
Equine Colostrum Banks - An Introduction
http://www.horse-previews.com/colostrumbank/index.html#listing
Got Milk? Central Kentucky Colostrum Bank in Need
by: Erin Ryder, TheHorse.com News Editor
May 21 2008, Article # 11912
Veterinarians with Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital in Lexington, Ky., have put out a call for colostrum donations as their supply has dwindled in the midst of foaling season. Colostrum is a sticky, high-protein milk secreted during the first 24 hours following birth and is characterized by a high content of antibodies. These antibodies are a foal's first line of defense against potential infection. If a foal is unable to nurse, or the mare does ...
Full Article:
http://www.thehorse.com/ViewArticle.aspx?ID=11912&nID=5&src=RA
More On Collecting Colostrum / But No Mention of What Becomes of the Foals who were supposed to get the "collected" colostrum
http://www.hagyardpharmacy.com/colostrum.html
NurseMare Foal Rescues;
Annies Little Orphans
http://www.eaglehillfarm.com/Nurse_Mare_Foals.html
http://www.eaglehillfarm.com/Nurse_Mare_Foals.html
and here are some of our targets below, in the directory of Foal-Killing Farms. DISCLAIMER: Not all NurseMare farms kill their foals, but we dont know who is or who aint. Only they know and we are waiting for them to TELL US their "official" positions! Whoa, we say unto them, and ask, "Who goes there, FRIEND or FOE of Equines?"
Nurse Mare Farm Directory
Alabama
Magnolia Farms
Christi Parsons
P.O. Box 33
Odenville, Al 35120
MrsCPParsons@gateway.net
Florida
Cedar Hill Farm
Bill Johnson
2850 S.E. 160 Ave.
Morriston, Fl. 32668
352/528-2056
Fax 352/529-2045
bj98@mfi.net
Indiana
Fairview Equine Center
Thomas W. Arens
PO Box 745
Westfield, IN 46074-0745
800/246-2413; 317/877-0338,
fax 317/848-8854
tarens@mibor.net
www.fairviewequinecenter.com
Kentucky
Circle Creek Farm
Archie and Robin Barnes
2048 East Hickman Rd.
Nicholasville, KY 40356
859/272-1835; mobile 859/229-1750;
fax 859/245-5970
barnesccf@aol.com
Horse Play Farm
Emmett Davis
PO Box 52,
Paris, KY 40361
859/987-3399
Legacy Land
Gail Curtsinger
1820 Clintonville Rd.
Winchester, KY 40391
859/745-6122, 859/299-3077
Mountain View Farms
Paul E. Stamper
PO Box 127
Ezel, KY 41425
606/725-5635; pager 606/482-6206; mobile 606/875-7679
paul@mrtc.com
Roseberry's Nurse Mares
Tammy or Don Roseberry
PO Box 162
Butler, KY 41006
859/472-5421; fax 859/472-5421
tmare1@aol.com
Maryland
Pouska Farm
Kathleen (Dolly) Pouska
2720 Biggs Highway
North East, MD 21901
410/658-5062;
fax 410/658-5062
Michigan
Goose Creek Ranch
995 61st St.
Pullman, MI 49450-9778
616/236-5918, phone and fax
gcreek@accn.org
Missouri
Box LT Morab & Cattle Ranch
RR3, Box 235
Ava, MO 65608-9553
417/683-4426
tluedke@morab.com
www.morab.com/boxlt.html
New York
The Nursemare Farm
Debra Pease
P.O. Box 60
Claverack, N.Y. 12513
518/799-6874 or 518/755-6350
ber02368@berk.com
Sandy Kistner Nurse Mare Service
Sandy Kistner
Warwick, NY 10990
845/988-5265; fax 845/988-5265
rentsiklensan@webtv.net
Texas
herwood's Farm & Equine Nursery
345 Woelke Rd.
Seguin, TX 78155
830/303-5444; fax 210/824-7562
ashington
Puget Sound Equine Reproduction Center
17028 Trombley Rd.
Snohomish, WA 98290
360/568-7455, 360/568-3111; fax 360/568-7037
info@pilchuckvet.com
www.pilchuckvet.com
Canada
AA Arabians
Sheila Clarkson
rr#4 orangeville ont l9w 2z1
519/941-4387
sheila@inetsonic.com
Carson Farms
R.R.#3 Listowel,
Ontario, Canada N4W 3G8.
519/291-2049; fax 519/291-5065
sales@davidcarson.on.ca
www.davidcarson.on.ca
Cyberfoal 2000
Peter Hurst
Site 30, Box 11, RR8
Calgary, Alberta, Canada T2J 2T9
403/931-3840
hurstt@cadvision.com
www.cyberfoal.com
Read more about Nurse-mare farms here:
http://www.freewebs.com/friendsofequines/babyhorsekillers.htm
Posts
14 comments:
Excuse me, but maybe you should get more facts before you write. I have been a foaling attendant and worked with nurse mares. I also have a nursemare baby for a pleasure horse. First, the nursemare's colostrum is ususally(never in my own experience) not used for the adopted foal. Unless the biological mother dies, or hasn't produced colostrum, her baby gets colostrum from her before it is put on a nursemare. If a foal on a big horse farm needs colostrum it is purchased from a colostrum bank, it isn't taken away from another mares foal. Second, most of us who work with horses do so because we love them. Most horse people take good care of their animals. If there were no need for nursemares, then there would be no nursemare babies, would you prefer them to not be born? Many people enjoy the care you give to a nursemare foal, as I am at this time. I wonder how many of you folks who are waving the alarm flag against nursemare babies and other farm animal cruelty issues support abortion? There are many worse issues in life to spend your time on than worrying about this and criticizing it without having all the facts.
I think anonymous needs all the facts!
This artical has me crying..... it is so sad that people can write and other people can read a nd believe this stuff. I haved worked on a farm for 25 years and used a many nursemare and all have been because their mother has died. If a nursemare has a foal it get the colostrum, then when she is needed she is shipped to the foal. Please get all the fact before you publish anymore about things you don't know. Also the banks are for foals that can not drink the mares milk at birth to 24 hours because it can sometimes kill the foal. It is tested and if the milkand foal are of the some then the banks come into play. If you would like I could educate you before your next post. Not being funny or nasty, just want the truth.
Angie Murray, KY
I just want to ask you some questions Angie...what happened to the babies of the nursemares you used? Did that foal get left alone in a stall after his mother got shipped away to care for some other foal? I've cared for these orphans, they are underweight, sick with upper respiratory infections, filthy and hungry and miserable. I'm sure there are some farms that are responsible, but there are plenty of unsavory people that use these mares to make a buck. Why not use hormone treatment to induce a nurse mare rather than sentence her foal to neglect?
Don't get me wrong, I'm not accusing you of caring or not caring about horse welfare...but do you KNOW what happened to that foal, or do you just HOPE that it was okay? Some of the nurse mare providers take the foal out back and shoot them, and then tell you that the foal died of "natural causes".
Dr. H
Thanks for ones marvelous posting! I seriously enjoyed reading it, you're a great author.I will be sure to bookmark your blog and definitely will come back in the foreseeable future. I want to encourage you continue your great job, have a nice day!
WHY CAN'T you people get you're stories correct.....this story is full of 1/2 truths.....It amazes me that people can just sit down type of something they know nothing about and others read and believe everything in it.....Why don't you come to Kentucky for one full foaling season and see what goes on before you write 1/2 truths....
I want the true story regarding nurse mares' foals. I am very skeptical as to some things I've ben told. I was even told 20,000 TB foals needed nurse mares in one year alone. I said in 2009, The Jockey Club only registerd about 32,721 foals...give or take a few who were never registered or died. I've even been told TB mares have their foals taken away & put on a nurse mare so the TB mare can return to racing...which is absurd! If she was racing, you would not stop her racing career to breed her! I have asked for statistics on these nurse mare throwaway babies. But, no one answers me, therefore, making me all the more skeptical. I have raised one TB 13 day old orphan on milk replalcer...he is just fine. I appreciate receiving some truthful answers. Thank you!
Glad to have stumbled on this site. I have sent an email to every Google listing I can find to get "facts" on nurse mare foals. What farms they come from and how many to try to identify the problem. No one has answered me to date. Just like there are cruel back yard owners, I am sure there are cruel people that breed horses. But I am not finding the 'facts' that say there is a major issue with nurse mare foals. Yes, a disposable foal can be raised so a purebred one can be raised as a horse. TBs especially have to learn herd instinct and when there is money involved I am sure the purebred will win out. But if anyone out there has yearly documentation of the number of foals and exactly which farms they come from I would be interested. Thanks.
FYI: Many of your links are not working.
whoever hosts this site needs to get their facts straight before randomly posting farm names! I am the owner of Magnolia Farms in Alabama and we are NOT a nurse mare farm. I just happened to have a mare that would nurse foals other than her own and thought I would offer if anyone looses a mare the opportunity to let the foal nurse from the mare rather than having to feed it from a bottle. There are MANY benefits for a foal to be nursed by a horse rather than a bottle that I am not going to list here. I am sure at least part if not all of the above info may be true, but I know for a fact it is not true of all farms listed here.
I have been looking for nurse mare farms in Florida, but have not gotten any responses. I would be willing to take in some of these babies, buy just don't know where to go. Any suggestions?
We are going to try and become a non-profit and help some foals. If anyone know of any farms who needs some foals to be collected we will hopefully be set up for next year. We re located in FL and willing to travel.
I think this is a great article, but people need to know that not everything they read is true. I don't think everything on this is false, it is just a different opinion. Annie | http://www.sh-hs.org/South_Haven_Orthopedics.aspx
Simply not true. Having worked in TB industry for 8 years at breeding farm, and traveling to FL each year with our mares in foal, to be foaled out there, bred back, and then going and getting mare and her own foal?
I never one time saw a nursemare, nor even heard of this either.
All over Ocala FL, and TB mares with their own foals beside them.
But secret shame? I know better.
Money making scam is more like it.
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