Artificially producing milk in a mare?

[Marigold4]

Just out of curiosity really, I see on the foster mare facebook page, that a mare can be artificially made to produce milk for a foster foal? Can someone explain how this works and how recently a mare must have had a foal in order for this to happen?

 

[ester]

It mainly uses domperidone to induce lactation
I think also then oxytocin/prostaglandin so that the mare 'thinks' she has foaled.

IIRC it can be used on maidens too.

 

[Marigold4]

So the mare doesn't need to have recently had a foal? Mine has had two foals and is a lovely mum. She would love a foal to look after but I guess it's complicated and expensive.

 

[Elf On A Shelf]

I'm unsure of cost but yes you can trick the body into thinking it has had a foal when it really hasn't. It takes a few days for everything to work and the mare start to produce milk so it's not an instant instant thing. If you know of an orphan foal and are willing to offer up your mare then I am sure someone will happily take you up on the offer. Most mares go to live with the foals and not the other way round.

 

[Cortez]

Yes, I have had to do this with mares that didn't produce milk due to a fungus on grass (this was endemic in ryegrass in the state where I moved my stud farm to in the USA - doesn't occur here as far as I know). I can't remember the name of the drug we used now - it was actually a human drug developed for dementia patients! - took a few days to work, but the mares then lactated normally.