1. Where do you like to hang out?
In the cat run, or even better, OUTSIDE! Otherwise, somewhere comfy to nap, such as #1's bed!
2. Who is your kitty crush?
Well, I am a bit of a young cat about town at the moment, and no-one has expressed any particular interest in me so far...
3. What is your favourite scent?
Ham!
4. What is your favourite TV show?
I am with Mama Tama in that I don't really watch TV...
5. What is your favourite feline wisdom?
"Purr Your Way Through Life"
#1 taking over here as I have some questions for fellow blogging humans today. Yesterday, I had the privilege of visiting a centre that produces fresh mare's milk, using draft horses, mainly Percherons. Mare's milk is excellent for anyone with allergies to cow's milk and is also good for people with certain skin conditions, such as eczema or psoriasis. The mares are kept with their foals. They are not milked at all for the first five weeks of the foal's life, and then spend 8 hours a day in special milking sheds. The rest of the time, they graze freely in vast pastures. The three milkings yield 8-9 litres a day (as opposed to 25-45 litres for cows). The foals are always present as a mare will not give milk unless her foal is there. The operation is certified organic.
In the milking shed, supervised by one of their gorgeous Bergers Picard
Heading back out to the pastures mid-afternoon:
Catching up on the gossip...
Smaller pastures for mares with very young foals
The milk is naturally low fat but tastes sweeter than cow's milk, with a little nutty after-taste. I find it quite delicious. My questions to you are: How do you feel about mare's milk? Would you try it/buy it? Do you find it a strange concept? Do you think there is anything wrong with milking mares? I look forward yo your thoughts!
Regular programming will resume tomorrow!
We're not sure how we feel about Horses being milked. It doesn't seem quite right ~ we like to think of them frolicking in the fields and living as natural a life as possible ~ rather than being milked for mankind. We understand you telling us it is all done carefully and they are well treated .... but ... we'd rather they didn't.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing that one -
ReplyDeleteGiven you said it is done quite equine-ly, I don't see why not - why should cows and goats be the only ones -
How cool to see their special khanine snoopervisor!
Khyra says HI to Tommy!
Khyra's Mom
I've never tried horse milk before but I'm absolutely fine with it. I don't see it as a strange concept at all. We humans have been drinking milk from cows, goats, camels, sheep, water buffalo, etc. What makes horse milk different from the rest? I don't see anything wrong with milking mares. Not at all. I don't think milking them affects the quality of their lives. Just as long they are well treated & well cared. I feel the same way for the other animals too.
ReplyDeleteJudging from those pictures, those horses look incredible healthy (not to mention, gorgeous too!) & they have a very BIG land to roam around freely. It looks like they are having a wonderful life! I would definitely like to try horse milk someday. I bet it has a very interesting taste to it.
From the human:
ReplyDeleteMilk has been one of my obsessions lately. The idea of mares milk does feel strange to me, partly because (this will sound really stupid) I never really thought they could produce milk. I get similarly surprised when I see goat's milk I mostly drink rice milk, as I have trouble ethically reconciling the way cows milk is produced. I do drink some cows milk from a local organic farm, and the conditions sound very similar there.
To my mind, I don't have too much of a problem with it so long as it is done kindly, with the welfare of the animals being the prime concern. The fact that the foal's are kept with the mum makes it seem ethically superior to me than with cows who have their babies taken away.
P.S. When did Fernant get so HUGE?!?!
We think that the place where they are milking the mares looks very humane. It's good to see that they are being so well treated. To us, horses were not an animal bred for food purposes, so drinking their milk is not appealing in our opinion.
ReplyDeleteInteresting!
ReplyDeleteMum isn't sure how she feels about horses' milk - she doesn't drink very much milk due to an allergy - but she just can't drink black tea! It just seems strange to her to think of horses being milked like cows! We think she is going to sit on the fence on this one (we hope she doesn't fall off!)
ReplyDeleteLuv Hannah and Lucy xx xx
Staff sees nothing wrong with this and would try it. She likes cow milk but not soy milk or lactose free milk. Can cheese be made from horse milk?
ReplyDeleteWhile I don't want hormone substitutes produced from pregnant mares (I read a awful article about that), if tbe milk is produced as you described, I would give it a try.
ReplyDeleteI am so with you--ham is excellent!
ReplyDeleteI feel that all dairy is exploitive of animals. I would like to see the scope of that exploitation narrowed rather than widened.
ReplyDeleteAnd what, exactly, do you think would happen to those animals in that case? I am not bering sarcastic, but the very existence of most farm animals is based on some kind of benefit they bring to humans. The issue in most cases is not what that benefit is but the quality of life they are made to lead. Should that benefit disappear, so will the animals. Would that be a good thing?
ReplyDeleteMy human does not drink milk, except for almond milk and actually does not like cow's milk at all! She has a chiropractor who is from France, and he once mentioned to her that horses are utilized far more in France in the food industry than in the U.S. So horse's milk sounds like a strange concept to many in America, but it probably seems perfectly normal there. I think that maybe is one of the reasons some humans are having a hard time wrapping their heads around the idea. All that said, my human thinks that horse's milk sounds like it tastes much better than cow's milk and after your description would be willing to try it, as long as it was organic and humanely produced.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Amber-Mae. It doesn't seem a hardship to those wonderful mares and foals. For those who drink milk, does it really matter which animal it comes from?
ReplyDeleteI have offered my personal opinion and it is only my personal opinion. "Exactly" does sound a bit sarcastic. I don't set myself up to determine the resolve of any situation "exactly". I leave "exactly" to a higher authority.
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't be opposed to trying mare's milk or to its' humane production wherein the horses' needs are met with equal respect to human benefits. I suppose my hesitation to a worldwide or mass production of mare's milk isn't because of any opposition I may have to its' "foreigness" or possible strange taste,rather , my slight discomfort with its' production is rooted in my knowledge of human nature and the inevitable greed that lies therein. My fear is that that greed would enable some people to exploit milk producing mares as other animals from whom mankind financially benefits , are at times exploited.That would be a shame.It's obvious, however, that the mares you pictured are exceedingly well cared for and that their needs are being properly met.Does this help? Probably not...
ReplyDeleteLP , the critters in The Cottage
We enjoyed reading your meow meow meme answers :-) You are very cute in your #1's bed!!
ReplyDeleteAbout mare's milk, well...I don't know. I just have never thought about milking them. But sounds like it is a good alternative for those who have certain conditions.
Have a wonderful weekend :-)
Horse milk? hmm..never had that before..
ReplyDeleteNevertheless they're all beautiful!!
Mom drinks only soy milk and gives me a little yoghurt from time to time.
P.s - We did received some white chocolate cookies and some prawn rice crackers from our guests in Japan! I love the cookies except that mom's being too stingy to share it with me...:(
Cheers,
Maxx
Mommy can't drink cow's milk, so she said mare's milk might be good!
ReplyDeleteSounds strange, but makes sense. Many animals give milk for their young and humans also utilize it too.
ReplyDeleteObviously other animals do not give nearly as much milk as cows do, but for those who have allergies, but like to have milk, it would make sense.
You can see that these mares are used properly for their milk to benefit both the foal and to get the milk. It would be interesting to taste it sometime.
Mum's parents were both brought up on farms, so mum is used to the ideas of milking, farming etc.
you sure got a mixture of furry ones over there. My Lily would probably scream at them
ReplyDeleteBenny & Lily
Hee-hee, i like your napping spot. Mom thinks milking mares sounds ok to her.
ReplyDeleteYou learn something new every day!
ReplyDeleteI grew up on a cattle ranch. But I've had some goat's milk. I wouldn't mind trying mare's milk. Compared to cow's milk, is mare's milk fare more expensive?
Mandu's Mom
Well, we found the whole idea of mare's milk fascinating and would love to try some. We liked the idea of that 'nutty' taste you mentioned.
ReplyDeleteWe are sending Sorcha over to her French cousins next summer for a month and we're really looking forward to how it will expand her 'taste' buds. Her Mom's month in France when she was 16 (many many years ago) set her up with a huge love and appreciation of French food. That month near Toulouse nearly 30 years ago was only the beginning of many trips to France!
However, poor Sorcha is spending a month this summer in the Irish Gaeltacht - speaking Irish and eating food that most certainly be very boring. No mares milk in the west of Ireland but we think it's more the pity .....
I learned a lot reading your post and from what you describe, the horses are well cared for and their foals are with them...and look at the benefits of mare's milk to those who can't have cow's milk.
ReplyDelete