How many of you have heard of nurse mares and their poor lil foals?

[gapeach]

http://www.lastchancecorral.org/foal_rescue/foal_rescue.html I just found this out last night from doing a search, I was horrified! I had no idea it went on.

 

[furby]

I used to work at a very large throughbred farm where they often used nurse mares. There were a few mares that would not take to their foals, or if a mare died they would use a nurse mare to raise the foals. At this farm these nurse mare babies are taken for their maother at around 4 months of age and bucket fed. Although their growth tends to be slowed down they do eventually catch up. I raised a foal that was a nurse mare baby and he turned into a very strapping handsome man! I also think it's sad. They seem so young and too little to be away from mom! The mare owners,however, often donate their mares in order to get a free breeding to a nice stallion and the foal are generally well cared for ( at least coming out of the farm I worked at.)

 

[gapeach]

From what I've read quite a few of these foals are sold for leather And they just take the foals from the throughbred mom's so they can breed mom to get another expensive baby.

 

[AmberwayGSD]

That doesnt seem anywhere near as bad as the Hormone Replacement mares for HRT for menopausal humanes.They keep them pregnant constantly and the foals are not cared for as all they care about is the pregnant mares urine.I do Not agree with either though.

 

[Saje]

PMU farms (pregnant mares urine - the hormones are used for the birth control pill and what she said ^) can be pretty cruel. But I had a friend who worked at one and she said it wasn't nearly as bad as people made it out to be. And if the owner is smart he/she will breed quality horses so they make even more money then just auctioning off inferior foals.

I'm not fond of the racing industry in general so I'm not really surprised that happens. I have doubts about how often it happens and that the foals would be used to leather??? Maybe occassionally but leather doesn't have the demand that it used to. It's always sad when people don't take responsibilty for their animals.

 

[bogolove]

That is so sad.

 

[yuckaduck]

It is aweful, why not allow them to grow up some and then sell them for jumpers or dressage. I know it all about the money as racing is a costly business but like anything else involving animals if you cannot afford to be responsible then it is something you should not do. I really have no use for the racing industry either. I love horses for their beauty and their loyalty.