17/06/2026
We received a call from one of our longtime clients.
"I have a situation," she said. "I need one of your nurse mares, but my foal is in Kentucky."
The challenge? We had already placed our last available nurse mare of the season.
Like many of our clients, she was facing an urgent situation. We told her we had a solution, but it would require time. We had a mare available who could be prepared for the job, but she would need to be properly started on protocol and given the time necessary to build the milk volume required to sustain a large growing c**t.
Producing a reliable nurse mare is not a fast process. It takes knowledge, patience, and careful preparation. We don't rush mares through the process because the end goal is not simply producing milk, it's producing enough milk to support a foal's long-term health and growth.
Our client trusted the process and agreed to wait.
The c**t, a large youngster, had already been paired with a nurse mare from another program based primarily on proximity, but unfortunately, after three weeks, he was still requiring extensive supplementation 5-6 times per day. The owners, veterinarians, and barn managers ultimately agreed that the arrangement was not providing what the c**t needed to thrive.
This is why we place so much emphasis on nutrition, proper preparation, and knowing which of our mares can handle what types of foals. Not every mare can be matched with any foal. And not every mare can produce the quantity of milk that a specific foal requires.
We were recently surprised to hear veterinarians at one of the country's leading neonatal intensive care hospitals state that many hormone-induced nurse mares they encounter have only about a 50% success rate. To us, that's a staggering number!
At ColdSpring Mares, our milk production success rate is approximately 98%.
Hormone-induced nurse mares absolutely work when they are managed correctly. We have spent years refining our program, and the results speak for themselves. In fact, this same hospital has worked with numerous mares from our program and consistently comments on how easy our mares are to pair and how pleased they are with the outcomes for their clients.
And that brings us to Daisy.
Last year, Daisy was leased to a wonderful client who fell completely in love with her. When the lease ended, they generously offered to continue caring for Daisy and told us that if we ever needed her again, they would have her ready to step in and help. We decided it would be a great opportunity for Daisy to transition into semi retirement in a home that loved her as much as we do.
That kind of support means the world to us. While Daisy didn’t necessarily need to retire, our client’s willingness to help offset winter care costs while providing her with an exceptional home speaks volumes about both the quality of our mares and the incredible community that surrounds this program. Because of their care for Daisy, and their support of our mission, when we called about bringing Daisy in for this special c**t, they were happy to send their favorite mare back to Ocala so we could prepare her for the now five week old c**t.
Once she arrived in Kentucky, there was no looking back. She immediately embraced her role, bonded with the c**t, and provided exactly what he needed, no supplementing required. The c**t finally has the milk volume necessary to thrive, and Daisy is enjoying every minute of being his mom as seen here in their first turnout together. Daisy and the c**t will be shipping back home to Ocala in the next few weeks to spend their summers on the rich limestone soil Marion County is known for.
