WE DO NOT BREED OUR MARES!
WE DO NOT BREED OUR MARES!
How does it work?
The nurse mare industry has been around for a long time and developed understandably, a negative reputation amongst a lot of people. Traditional nurse mare programs will breed their mares to bring them into milk and then orphan that foal to take the mare to a more valuable foal. This is not something ColdSpring Nurse Mares supports or condones.
It is extremely important to note this is what sets us apart. ColdSpring Nurse Mares aims to provide a very real and crucial service for orphaned foals in an ethical manner only. Our mares are never bred to bring them into lactation and we have no throw away foals as a result. While this does cause more costs incurred for ColdSpring Nurse Mares versus traditional programs, it is important to us that we do not contribute to overbreeding within the equine industry.
ColdSpring Nurse Mares has extensive experience bringing mares into lactation via a carefully curated medical protocol which corresponds directly with specific care and nutrition program for our mares. Doing this allows our mares to provide your foal with premium nutrition and care, just as mom would have.
All of our mares are well handled and cared for, receiving regular dentals, farrier care, vaccines, deworming and handling. We know each and every one of our mares on a personal level, their stories, their personalities and their needs. We know how stressful it is to have an orphan and bringing in a well acclimated and easy to work with mare helps the process go as smoothly as possible.
Our mares have served as moms to a wide variety of breeds and species. We have handled an extreme array, including wild ponies, quarter horses, warmbloods, thoroughbreds and even donkies! We have a variety of mares available which insures we can hand select the perfect fit for your foal. Additionally, our girls have been known to take on foals of all ages. Horse are horses and sometimes tragedy strikes weeks or even months into a little one’s life. It is not abnormal for us to get calls on foals that are a few months old and yes, we can help!
After the foal reaches six months, weaning occurs and the mares travel back to our home farm in Ocala, Florida where they have a vacation periods. At the farm our girls get to live out and just be horses amongst themselves on rolling green pastures with tons of room.
About our mares
It is no secret that owning horses is not cheap. Unfortunately, it is just not a feasible reality for some people to be able to afford their horses at times due to life changes, economic changes, etc. For others, they may have a horse that is no longer riding or breeding sound but loves babies and they want to see their horse as happy as it can be. We have mares in our program that are in all walks of life and of all breeds. Many of our girls have traveled the world as show horses, or race horses at either a thoroughbred or standardbred track. Some were pets, some are retired breeding stock. ColdSpring Nurse Mares supplies a safe, loving environment for these mares while still providing them with a purpose and a job - which so many of them absolutely love and need for their mental well-being. Just because they may not be able to horse show any more, race, or ride does not mean they are done! Horses are extremely intelligent beings and there is no denying the palpable connection made when pairing one of our mares to an orphan. Our mares love being moms!
With experience comes age and many of our mares are in their teens or twenties. We often get asked, at what age do your horses “retire”. For that, we have no set in stone answer aside from - when they tell us they’re ready. Ethical treatment of our mares is our #1 priority and we take a number of things into consideration. We aim to send out happy, healthy mares. If we notice one of our girls struggling in any way, they are retired. Many times, the girls have made such an impact on one of their orphan’s families we often get asked if they can retire them permanently when the time comes. Often, they are retired to our home farm for their remaining years. In some instances, their previous owners enjoy retiring them at their farms. It is unique to each mare, but rest assured we are constantly evaluating each individual with their best interests in mind.
How can I support your cause?
ColdSpring Nurse Mares welcomes and appreciates your support! Interacting with our social media, sharing our posts and spreading the word about our program is deeply appreciated. We are working on a variety of options for the future including subscription based services to content on our mares and behind the scenes on the day to day operations. Traditional donations are always appreciated as well and can be made either electronically or by mail. We are forever in need of leather halters, lead ropes, fly sprays, shampoos, hay, etc! As we plan to expand operations to reach the rescue community as well, we will be setting up a separate area for contributions to that program individually. Keep an eye out for updates on “Mares on a Mission - MOM” which allows the public to directly be involved in the process of making sure every foal in need has access to one of our nurse mares!