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Home / Equine Research Bank / Anim Front / Lactation in horses.
Animal frontiers : the review magazine of animal agriculture2023; 13(3); 96-100; doi: 10.1093/af/vfad003

Lactation in horses.

Abstract: No abstract available
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Publication Date: 2023-06-14 PubMed ID: 37324210PubMed Central: PMC10266743DOI: 10.1093/af/vfad003Google Scholar: Lookup
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Summary

This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.

The research article discusses the importance of lactation in horses and how mare colostrum provides important nutrients and bioactive factors crucial to a newborn foal’s health. It also provides insights into the structure of a mare’s udder and its low predisposition to diseases, as well as the milk production process.

Mare Colostrum and Its Role for Newborn Foals

  • The research highlights the importance of mare colostrum, the first milk produced post-birth, as a critical source of immunoglobulin G and other bioactive factors necessary for the foal’s health. This includes the foal’s protection from pathogens and establishment of gut microbiota, both of which can significantly influence foal health and growth.
  • Moreover, the nutritious elements in mare’s milk play a crucial part in supporting the foal’s growth and development for the first six to nine months of its life.

Lactation Process in Mares

  • Lactation is considered the most energetically demanding phase for a mare. A foal relies entirely on its mother’s milk for approximately the first month of life, after which it begins to consume other food.
  • Under human management, mares lactate for three to six months, equaling 25-50% of the gestation period. Lactation peaks approximately 30 to 60 days after foaling, where daily milk production can range from 12 to 15 liters, making up 21 to 25% of a foal’s body weight.

Structural Highlights of the Mare’s Udder

  • Mammary glands in mares begin to develop postnatally during puberty, pause, and is completed during the last two months of gestation. This tissue forms lobes (groups) of alveoli or small sacs that synthesize milk. These alveoli then drain into a duct system that collects and route the milk out of the udder during suckling.
  • Each half of a mare’s udder contains two separate mammary gland complexes. Each of these drains into distinct teat cisterns and teat canals. This is distinct from livestock like cows, ewes, and goats where milk produced from a single mammary gland converges at a single teat canal and orifice. By keeping milk from both mammary glands separate, it allows each milk to retain its unique properties until it reaches the foal’s mouth.
  • Additionally, the udder’s structure contributes to a mare’s low rate of diseases such as mastitis.

Cite This Article

APA
Reiter AS, Reed SA. (2023). Lactation in horses. Anim Front, 13(3), 96-100. https://doi.org/10.1093/af/vfad003

Publication

Animal frontiers : the review magazine of animal agriculture
ISSN: 2160-6064
NlmUniqueID: 101754918
Country: England
Language: English
Volume: 13
Issue: 3
Pages: 96-100

Researcher Affiliations

Reiter, Amanda S
  • Department of Animal Science, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, USA.
Reed, Sarah A
  • Department of Animal Science, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, USA.

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Citations

This article has been cited 5 times.
  1. Shokrollahi B, Choi JY, Won M, Kim ET, Lee SE, Ham JS. Koumiss (Fermented Mare's Milk) as a Functional Food: Bioactive Proteins, Peptides, and Future Perspectives. Foods 2025 Nov 18;14(22).
    doi: 10.3390/foods14223954pubmed: 41300112google scholar: lookup
  2. Kossaliyeva G, Rysbekuly K, Zhaparkulova K, Kozykan S, Li J, Serikbayeva A, Shynykul Z, Zhaparkulova M, Yessimsiitova Z. Chemical composition, physical properties, and immunomodulating study of mare's milk of the Adaev horse breed from Kazakhstan. Front Nutr 2025;12:1443031.
    doi: 10.3389/fnut.2025.1443031pubmed: 40357039google scholar: lookup
  3. Chen X, Gulbahar K, Ding H, Nie C, Gao X. Comparative analysis of proteomics and transcriptomics reveals novel mechanism underlying the antibacterial activity and immune-enhancing properties of horse milk. Front Nutr 2025;12:1512669.
    doi: 10.3389/fnut.2025.1512669pubmed: 40135224google scholar: lookup
  4. Del Prete C, Vastolo A, Pasolini MP, Cocchia N, Montano C, Cutrignelli MI. Effects of maternal dietary supplementation with antioxidants on clinical status of mares and their foal. BMC Vet Res 2024 Sep 11;20(1):404.
    doi: 10.1186/s12917-024-04252-zpubmed: 39256763google scholar: lookup
  5. Ulaangerel T, Wang M, Zhao B, Yi M, Shen Y, Mengkh Y, Wen X, Dugarjav M, Bou G. A Comparative Analysis of the Gene Expression Profiles in the Mammary Glands of Lactating and Nonlactating Mares at the Second Month of Gestation. Animals (Basel) 2024 Aug 9;14(16).
    doi: 10.3390/ani14162319pubmed: 39199853google scholar: lookup
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