Question re Surrogate mares / foals ??? Prob very stupid Q !!

[treacle86]

Juust wondering after seeing post below re surrogate .

a friend has a very very maternal broodmare , she doesnt have a foal at present, just wondered probably very stupid question but a surrogate mare would , i imagine have to be a mare who has herself just lost a foal ????? rather than just a broodmare who would love to have another foal , but wouldnt have any milk etc ???? for silly question just wondered .

xx

sorry

 

[Shilasdair]

Well...if it is to be a foster mother, it needs to be running milk.
But if no suitable foster mare with milk is found, then bottle feeding the foal, while leaving it with the maternal broodmare would help fulfill its needs.
Mares like your friend's (and my older mare is the same) are great for putting weaned foals in with...
S

 

[piebaldsparkle]

Yes, mare still needs to be producing milk to be foster mare.

 

[treacle86]

I thought so , I guess im more thinking of as you say shilasdair , more just a motherly companion like ur mare and my friends mare , Just wondered because of course you may not be able to find a mare who could do the job , just wondered , maybe there would be a hormonal thing vets could do or that to get these very maternal caring mares to produce milk to take on poor orphans ,

xxx

 

[vicijp]

My vet put a foster foal with an old retired broodmare for company whilst being bottle fed. The mare hadn't foaled for a few years, but did begin to produce milk again.
I would imagine it is a 1 in a million chance though!