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A free scan shows the junk files, broken settings and background clutter dragging Windows down - then fixes them in one click.Free scan · Windows 10 & 11Yes, a mare can be milked by hand or with a machine, but her milk is produced first for a nursing foal. Collection must be planned around the foal’s access, the mare’s comfort, milk letdown and complete udder emptying. Published studies describe several management approaches rather than one schedule that is safe or effective for every mare, so a veterinarian should guide any mare-and-foal program.
Why milking a mare is different from milking a dairy cow
A mare’s udder stores relatively little milk between milkings. In a 2022 American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) proceedings chapter, Scott Austin, DVM, MS, DACVIM, writes: “Mares must be milked frequently due to the small size of the cisternal compartment.” The same clinical discussion describes difficulty stimulating milk letdown, soreness associated with hand milking and incomplete emptying as practical problems when milk must be maintained for a foal. These observations concern clinical management, including foals needing supplemental nutrition; they are not a universal dairy schedule.
The foal’s demand is substantial and changes with age. A 1983 study estimated milk intake of 16, 15 and 18 kg per day at 11, 25 and 39 days postpartum for five foals using that study’s methods. Those figures illustrate why removing milk without a foal-management plan can compromise nutrition; they are not current intake targets for every foal.
Reviews describe traditional milking beginning two or three months after foaling and approaches in which the foal is separated for a few hours before a milking session. A particular farm account reported temporary separation, otherwise continuous contact, and teat cleaning and disinfection. These are reported practices, not established welfare standards. The literature does not identify one universally correct separation interval, milking frequency or collection routine.
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Can you milk a mare by hand?
Yes. Hand milking has been studied and may be used when a mare accepts udder handling and releases milk reliably. It also allows the operator to monitor the udder and milk stream directly. However, hand milking can be slow, tiring and uncomfortable if excessive force is used. The AAEP clinical discussion specifically notes soreness and incomplete emptying as possible challenges.
A cautious hand-milking framework
Do not treat the following as a stand-alone protocol. Have an equine veterinarian or experienced breeding-farm professional adapt it to the mare, foal and reason for collection.
- Assess the pair first. Confirm that the foal is nursing adequately, growing appropriately and not being deprived by collection. Investigate udder heat, swelling, wounds, abnormal milk or signs of illness before milking.
- Use calm, hygienic handling. Clean hands and equipment and follow the veterinarian’s instructions for teat preparation. A farm report in the ICAR proceedings describes teat cleaning and disinfection, but that account does not establish a universal product or method.
- Support normal letdown. Foal contact is used in some described systems because stimulation can help letdown. Separation, restraint or repeated handling can instead make a mare anxious and reduce release.
- Use gentle, consistent pressure. Stop if the mare shows pain, kicks, repeatedly clamps her tail or becomes distressed. Forcing the udder can injure tissue and makes future handling harder.
- Check whether emptying is adequate. A mare that still has substantial milk, develops udder discomfort or produces an unexpectedly poor stream needs veterinary assessment rather than more vigorous squeezing.
- Return the foal promptly according to the management plan. The interval must account for the foal’s age, intake and any supplemental feeding; it cannot be inferred from a general milking recipe.
Can mares be machine milked?
Yes, machine milking has been investigated. The clearest direct comparison was a 25-day trial of eight Murgese mares. In that small, breed-specific study, machine milking produced a higher measured yield and required less milking time than hand milking. The researchers also reported no detected difference in the behavioral-activity and response-to-human measures they recorded. Those results show that machine milking can work under studied conditions; they do not prove that every mare will accept a machine, that any machine is suitable, or that welfare outcomes are equivalent in other settings.
| Measure | Machine milking | Hand milking | How to interpret it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Measured yield | 7.69 kg | 4.91 kg | Result from the eight-Murgese-mare, 25-day trial; not a universal yield. |
| Milking time | 1.80 minutes | 5.40 minutes | Observed in that same trial. |
| Milk fat | Higher in machine-milked samples | Lower than machine samples in the trial | Study result; the abstract does not establish a general composition difference. |
| Recorded behavior and response to humans | No detected difference in the measures reported | Absence of a detected difference in this small study is not a welfare guarantee. | |
The full study is published in the Journal of Dairy Science: “Behavior, Milk Yield, and Milk Composition of Machine-and Hand-Milked Murgese Mares.”
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What a machine cannot solve by itself
- Letdown: A pump cannot replace the mare’s need for calm, familiar stimulation.
- Fit and vacuum: Poorly fitted or improperly adjusted equipment can cause pain, teat injury or incomplete removal.
- Sanitation: Liners, tubing, containers and the udder require a cleaning routine appropriate to the intended use of the milk.
- Foal access: Faster collection does not make it acceptable to withhold milk the foal needs.
- Individual response: The Murgese trial involved eight mares for 25 days; other breeds, temperaments, lactation stages and equipment may behave differently.
How much milk does a mare produce?
There is no dependable single number for an individual mare. A 1991 Journal of Dairy Research study of 11 heavy-breed nursing mares estimated 21.7 kg per day in week 1 and 24.6 kg per day in week 8. Those are estimates from that study’s animals and methods, not a promise of what a particular mare will yield.
A 2022 review notes that quantity research remains incomplete and that measurement methods are not standardized. Yield varies with lactation stage, mare, breed, foal demand, feeding, health and how milk is collected. A collection measured after separation is not necessarily the same as the mare’s total production available to the foal.
For background on lactation stage and individual differences, see the 1991 PubMed record and the 2022 review in Animal.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Milk composition changes during lactation
Composition is not fixed. A study of Thoroughbred mares followed mineral concentrations over lactation and found that many measured concentrations fell over the sampled period. A much older study of four Percheron mares reported averages of 89.7% water and 2.3% protein in early-lactation samples. Because the latter study was small, historical and stage-specific, those values should not be used as a universal label.
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Composition studies can describe nutrients, but they do not establish that mare milk is a safe or complete substitute for human milk, suitable for a particular person, or a treatment. The review of proposed nutritional and health-promoting properties in the Czech Journal of Animal Science discusses possible uses without proving clinical treatment effects.
When milking requires veterinary help
Contact an equine veterinarian before collecting milk if the foal is weak, losing weight, nursing poorly or requires supplemental nutrition. Seek prompt examination for a hot, hard or painful udder; blood, pus, clots or an unusual smell in the milk; fever; wounds; marked swelling; or a sudden fall in production. Difficulty with letdown, persistent kicking or failure to empty the udder also warrants professional assessment.
These signs can indicate problems affecting both mare and foal. Increasing milking pressure or frequency without finding the cause can worsen pain and does not reliably restore production.
Quick Recap
Practical decision guide
| Your situation | Most defensible next step |
|---|---|
| The foal is healthy and the mare is being handled for a limited veterinary or management reason | Ask your veterinarian whether collection is necessary, how much can be removed and how foal access will be protected. |
| Hand milking is painful, slow or leaves the udder inadequately emptied | Stop forcing the mare; have an experienced professional evaluate technique, letdown, udder health and whether a machine is appropriate. |
| You are considering a milking machine | Use equipment selected and fitted for mares, obtain hands-on instruction and monitor the mare’s behavior, teat condition and the foal’s intake. |
| You want milk for people | Do not infer safety from composition studies. Address hygiene, pasteurization, legal requirements and the intended consumer with qualified veterinary and food-safety advice. |
Key evidence and its limits
- The 1991 study found increasing estimated yield from weeks 1 to 8 in 11 heavy-breed mares, while later reviews emphasize incomplete and non-standardized production measurements: PubMed and Animal review.
- The 2007 Murgese trial is the direct hand-versus-machine comparison, but it involved only eight mares for 25 days: Journal of Dairy Science.
- Clinical challenges involving frequent milking, letdown, soreness and incomplete emptying are discussed in the 2022 AAEP proceedings.
- Foal intake estimates come from five foals in a 1983 study: The Journal of Nutrition.
- Mineral changes across lactation were measured in five Thoroughbred mares: The Journal of Nutrition.
- Historical composition data came from four Percheron mares: Journal of Dairy Science.
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