Mares milk

[asmp]

Just read an article in The Telegraph about non-cow milk and they mentioned this:

Www.maresmilk.co.uk

Not sure I fancy it! Rather expensive too.

 

[ponynutz]

I mean to be fair the concept of any kind of milk is weird... but this is too close for comfort for me. Feels odd.

 

[cauda equina]

How do you milk a mare?

 

[Palindrome]

How do you milk a mare?

the same way you milk a cow or a goat. Women can hand express milk too when they are lactating.
I have seen soap made from horse milk a while back. The breeder was breeding haflingers and said they produce plenty of milk so there is enough for the foal and some extra to produce soap with.

 

[stangs]

I find it strange that people would be willing to drink cow's milk but not mare's milk. I'd consider buying some, if I knew what happens to the foals and exactly what they mean when they say they're farming it ethically. Their FB reveals many more horses than they show on their website...

 

[CanteringCarrot]

I mean to be fair the concept of any kind of milk is weird... but this is too close for comfort for me. Feels odd.

It is weird. Drinking another animals milk is weird. Drinking milk meant for calf, is weird.


They do make soaps from goats milk and donkey milk, so why not horse?

Would I drink milk from a horse? Probably not. I'm not hugely into milk at all and generally go for almond or oat milk anyway.

 

[Palindrome]

On the subject of plenty of milk, there is also a breeder (in Northern France if I remember well) who advertises for foster mares. They breed drafts who produce lots of milk and their mares will adopt the foal and feed him on top of their own foal. They charge a fairly expensive foal livery and you have to travel the foal to them.
I found it amazing that their mares will accept to adopt a foal in addition to their own foal.

 

[Lois Lame]

I've heard that mare's milk is much closer to human milk than is cow's milk.

 

[LadyGascoyne]

I find it strange that people would be willing to drink cow's milk but not mare's milk. I'd consider buying some, if I knew what happens to the foals and exactly what they mean when they say they're farming it ethically. Their FB reveals many more horses than they show on their website...

I went to see the horses once, to look at a selection of younger mares that had been bought from Belgium with the thought that we might get something similar for the husband. They have the farm in Bath and then more grazing near Stow-on-the-Wold.

The mares are lovely, big gentle things. The ones we looked at were Percheron x Trait du Nord and pure Trait du Nord. There were some Belgian Draft and Ardennes types too. The owner is exceptionally knowledgeable and works with horses in another area of his life too.

The Belgian heavy horses produce a huge amount of milk apparently, so there is plenty for foals and milking. They don’t produce vast quantities in like a commercial dairy farm would. The products are quite artisan and niche.

I’m not sure about trying them myself, as I’m a bit iffy about cows milk even though we have milk from the cows that graze up at our place, but I would have no concerns about the welfare of the mares.

I believe mares are kept and colts produced and sold, and the owner knows how to produce lovely, safe hacking horses.

Husband did ask me whether I thought we could make ‘horse cheese’ but apparently one needs camel rennet to do so, so I’ll leave everyone with that horrifying thought.