Nurse mare: The surrogate mothers for orphaned foals

What Is a Nurse Mare?

A nurse mare is a mare that either produces enough milk to nurse an additional foal or a mare that has lost her own foal and is able to care for another foal instead. In some cases, foals die due to complications during foaling or in the days following birth. In these situations, a nurse mare is urgently needed to raise the orphan foal. Although bottle-feeding a foal is possible, it should only be considered as a last resort when no suitable nurse mare can be found. Veterinarian and breeder Dr. Matilda Rattenhuber explains why nurse mares are so important for an orphan foal:

Requirements and Costs of a Nurse Mare

In many cases, a nurse mare has lost her own foal due to foaling complications, neonatal colic, or other unfortunate circumstances in the first weeks of the foal’s life. The mare is then left standing in an empty stall without her foal, but with a full udder. In these situations, efforts are made to place the mare as a nurse mare so that a foal that has lost its mother or has been rejected can still be given the best possible start in life.

What Are the Requirements for a Nurse Mare?

The special value of these mares lies in their instinctive ability to take on the role of a foster mother. They accept the orphan foal, provide it with milk, offer protection, and establish an important social bond. Their role is crucial not only for the foal’s physical development, but also for its emotional well-being.

The requirements for a suitable nurse mare are varied. She must be socially compatible and have a strong maternal instinct so that the acceptance and care of an unrelated foal can proceed smoothly. In addition to feeding the foal, nurse mares also play a key role in foal socialization. They teach the foal horse communication and help develop normal social behavior.

Nurse mares are selected according to specific criteria to ensure that they are suitable for raising a foal that is not their own. Maternal behavior and the mare’s physical ability to nurse a foal are especially important. The mare’s health, milk production, and mental well-being are also carefully assessed.

How Much Does a Nurse Mare Cost?

After a nurse mare has been placed, there are naturally ongoing costs involved. Anyone who needs a nurse mare should be aware of this. If the biological dam had not died or rejected the foal, similar costs would still arise. It is important to understand that simply allowing the foal to nurse from the mare is not enough. Both the foal and the mare continue to require veterinary care.

An orphan foal also does not thrive on care alone. Compared with a foal raised by its own dam, it often needs additional feed, vaccinations, and more intensive management during rearing.

In the first three months of life, orphan foals cost at least €800, and often more.

Before introducing an orphan foal to a nurse mare, it is important to consult a veterinarian. Why? A veterinarian can determine through examination how much colostrum the foal has already received. Based on this information, the next steps can be planned, including which supplements and supportive care the foal may still need.

Accordingly, you can expect the standard rearing costs for the mare and foal, plus the additional expenses caused by the special needs of an orphan foal. The next question is: who pays for this? This should be clarified in advance. Separating a nurse mare and an orphan foal is never a good idea. Once they have bonded, they must not be separated under any circumstances.

Before bringing them together, the following questions should be clarified:

Where will the nurse mare and orphan foal stay during the rearing period?
How will their care be organized?
Who will cover which costs?

In most cases, a short contract is the best solution. This usually regulates compensation for the mare owner and excludes liability on the part of the mare owner. The foal owner is generally responsible for the foal’s feed, veterinary care, farrier costs, and all other related expenses.

Who keeps the mare and foal during rearing?

In some cases, especially when the foal is not fit to travel, the nurse mare is brought to the foal. Often, however, the foal is taken to the nurse mare. Many nurse mare owners are highly experienced in raising orphan foals and know exactly what must be considered.

One example is Brigitte Forstner and her nurse mare Frau Vogel, who did not raise just one orphan foal, but sometimes even three at the same time. By now, Forstner has helped raise more than 38 orphan foals, many of them with the support of Frau Vogel. The nurse mare died in 2017 at the age of 30. However, Brigitte Forstner continues to help orphan foals and advises orphan foal owners during this difficult time.

Where can you find a nurse mare?

Today, there are several contact points for finding a nurse mare. When a nurse mare is needed, fast support is essential. We have put together an overview of the most important places to turn to.

Nationwide Nurse Mare Placement in Germany

Over the years, nurse mare placement has become very well organized. Even so, in an emergency it can still be difficult to find the right contact immediately. This is where Ingrid Wiegmann comes in. She is probably the most experienced nurse mare placement coordinator in Germany. Her nationwide foal emergency service, Ammenstuten Deutschland, operates on a voluntary and independent basis. The foal emergency service is available around the clock and is well connected with veterinary clinics, veterinarians, and breeders.

We visited Ingrid Wiegmann, and she explained to us how she brings orphan foals and nurse mares together:

contact information Ingrid Wiegmann
Ammenstuten Deutschland:
Mobil: (+49) 173-5151395
E-Mail: ammenstuten@gmail.com
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Nurse Mare Placement Groups

Groups have also formed on social media to connect nurse mares with orphan foals. In these groups, nurse mares are offered not only from Germany, but also from France, Austria, Switzerland, Belgium, the Netherlands, and other regions close to the German border.
Facebook group

ehorses helps place orphan foals with nurse mares

Companies with a strong reach on social media, such as ehorses, also use their platforms to help orphan foals find a new mother.
Read more here.

Orphan Foal Emergency Services

Together with Ingrid Wiegmann, Mike Otte helps place orphan foals and mares throughout Germany. Since it is usually better not to remove the nurse mare from her familiar environment, but instead bring the orphan foal to the nurse mare, a 24-hour emergency service was established.

Mike Otte travels directly to the orphan foals and assesses them together with the veterinarian. During this examination, it is determined whether the foal is fit for transport. In these moments, time is secondary for Otte, because the life of the foal comes first.

In close cooperation with ECG-Logistik and S-Dressage, the foal rescue team has access to specially equipped transport vans that allow the foals to be brought safely to the nurse mare. Mike Otte explains in this video how the transport vehicles are equipped and exactly how the process works:

Other Important Contacts

These are phone numbers every breeder should keep on hand. They may become essential not only if a broodmare dies and leaves behind an orphan foal, but also if a foal dies and the mare may be able to help another foal as a nurse mare.

Baden-Württemberg:

• Beckers Stutenmilchhof (colostrum): Schulstr. 3, 88299 Gebratzhofen / Leutkirch, Phone: 07563-511

Bavaria:

• Brigitte Forstner, 83512 Wasserburg am Inn, Phone: 01520 7184950
• Gestüt Lindenhof (colostrum): Barsikower Weg 6a, 16845 Rohrlack, Phone: 033928-70389, Mobile: 0174-1415535
• Hof Voss: Bardowicker Str. 6, 21357 Wittorf, Phone: 04133-7271, Mobile: 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 of the German Animal Welfare Federation / Bremer Tierschutzverein, Sottrum Equine Clinic: Phone: 04264-3561 (recorded message with available nurse mares and orphan foals), Advice and treatment: 04264-2945

Hesse:

• Nurse Mare Service GESTÜT ISARLAND: Ulrike Castle, Heimathshausen, 82319 Starnberg / Percha, Phone: 08151-89209 (nationwide contact list for owners of nurse mares and orphan foals, as well as sources for colostrum)
• Foal Orphanage, Wischmöhlenweg 21, 25436 Tornesch, Phone: 04122-56414

Lower Saxony:

• Oldenburg Nurse Mare Service: Contact person Mrs. Steffen, Phone: 0441-980610 or 0177-6570092
• Raising orphan foals: Foal Emergency Service (formerly Voß) in Tätendorf-Eppensen (Uelzen), Phone: 05806-263 or 01710-8328649
• Nurse Mare Service and colostrum: Mrs. Steindorfer, Phone: 08533-3332, Mobile: 0171-2683669
• Hof Voss: Bardowicker Str. 6, 21357 Wittorf, Phone: 04133-7271, Mobile: 0171-8328649 (foal farm and foal emergency service with nurse mares and colostrum depot)

North Rhine-Westphalia:

• Equine Clinic: Phone: 04172-6668, Mobile: 0171-4948618 or 0171-6451628
• hiPRO Foal Rescuers – complete first aid in emergency situations, specialist horse nutrition: B. Lenz, 31675 Bückeburg, Campina Straße 1, Phone: 05722-1095-96, Fax: 05722-3242
• Nurse Mare Service Gestüt Lindenhof (colostrum): Barsikower Weg 6a, 16845 Rohrlack, Phone: 033928-70389, Mobile: 0174-1415535
• Oldenburg Nurse Mare Service: Mr. Scharmann, Mobile: 0160-90526135
• Nurse Mare Service: Hochmoor Equine Clinic, von Braun Str. 10, 48712 Gescher-Hochmoor, Phone: 02863-20990
• Masterhorse Foal Emergency Service: Phone: 07150-4294, Additional number: 00800-6278374
• Salvana Foal Emergency Service: Phone: 04121-80461
• Stahr Foal Emergency Service in Süderbrarup, Phone: 04641-1002
• Moormann Nurse Mare Service and Foal Emergency Service, Phone: 0171-8328649
• Interessengemeinschaft Zugpferde, Phone: 02333-80144

Rhineland-Palatinate:

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

Saxony-Anhalt:

• Foal Emergency Service Gestüt Schellbach (private initiative) offers care for orphan foals, 24-hour hand-rearing, and if necessary colostrum delivery or emergency foal milk replacer packages. Gestüt Schellbach, Kirschweg 50, 06712 Schellbach (Saxony-Anhalt), Mobile (24/7): 0172-3662983

Schleswig-Holstein:

• Foal Emergency Service Lüneburger Heide: Bevenser Weg 3, Phone: 05806-263, Fax: 05806-263, Mobile: 0171-8328649, 29576 Tätendorf-Eppensen (district of Uelzen)

Austria:

• ‍‍Vienna Equine Clinic, Phone: 0043-1-25077-5453 or 0043-676-6119305

What if no nurse mare can be found?

If no nurse mare can be found, bottle-feeding is still an option. In this case, routine and consistency are essential, as explained by the Otte family, who are experts in bottle-rearing orphan foals.

The Otte family emphasizes that the top priority should always be to find a nurse mare. However, this can be difficult, and in many cases no suitable nurse mare can be found for the foal. It is also possible that a nurse mare may not accept the foal.

That is when the Otte family steps in. Everything began with a single orphan foal. Today, the family in Damme cares for several orphan foals each year. In the following video, you can see how the family raises foals with the bottle, what needs to be considered, and why routine is so important.

Introducing an Orphan Foal to a Nurse Mare

When integrating an orphan foal into the care of a nurse mare, a careful and gradual introduction is essential. Keeping the environment consistent for the potential nurse mare is particularly important in order to avoid additional stress. After losing her own foal, the mare often requires veterinary follow-up care.

To encourage the mare to accept the orphan foal, olfactory techniques can be very helpful, such as transferring the scent of the deceased foal to the orphan. In these cases, keeping the placental membranes can also be beneficial. The first introduction should always take place under close supervision to ensure the safety of both animals.

The time it takes until full acceptance varies from case to case and requires patience. Caring for an orphan foal can also be a positive turning point for the nurse mare, as this new role may give her renewed purpose and stability.

Frequently Asked Questions About Nurse Mares

Is every mare suitable as a nurse mare?
Choosing a nurse mare requires specific criteria to ensure the health and well-being of the foal. Adequate milk production is essential, but genetic compatibility in relation to the immune system also plays an important role. In particular, similarity within the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) is relevant, because this influences the mare’s natural body scent, which is important for bonding between mare and foal. Genetic similarity in these areas may improve the mare’s acceptance of the foal and is therefore an important factor when selecting a suitable nurse mare.

Can you raise a foal on the bottle?
Yes, it is possible. However, bottle-rearing should be avoided whenever possible. Bottle-fed foals are more prone to behavioral misimprinting and need social contact with other foals. That is why it is always advisable to carefully weigh all factors and seek help from experienced professionals, such as the Otte family in Damme, Ingrid Wiegmann, or Brigitte Forstner.

I have a nurse mare. Who should I contact?
Unlike standard horse sale listings, the process of offering or searching for a nurse mare works a little differently. If you have a nurse mare available, the best option is usually to contact Ingrid Wiegmann’s placement service. She and her team are connected nationwide with breeders, equine clinics, veterinarians, and equestrian associations, and they help match orphan foals with nurse mares and vice versa.