Horses' Milk

[Labarum]

Horses' Milk seems to be the latest food fad.

Drinka pinta horse milk - it's coming to a doorstep near you
By Clare Chapman in Trochtelfingen-Haid
(Filed: 21/11/2004)

Horse milk could soon be coming to a doorstep near you after demand for the nutritionally rich product has surged across mainland Europe.

Although almost unknown in Britain, the milk used to be so popular in Germany that during the First World War it was delivered door-to-door.

It is now back in favour with health-conscious consumers because it is rich in vitamins and minerals, is easily digested and has just 1.5 per cent fat, compared with 3.7 per cent for cow's milk. It is also priced as a delicacy, with a litre costing as much as €11 (£7).

A decade ago, the milk was produced only in isolated German smallholdings. Now there are dozens of large-scale operations in France, Belgium and Holland, in addition to Germany and Austria.

Nadine de Brabander, who runs a horse farm with her husband, Frans, near Lier in Belgium, said: "You milk a horse in exactly the same way as you milk a cow - you just have to be a bit more careful about being kicked."

The de Brabanders started out with four mares but now have 57. They export more than 75,000 litres of milk a year in Europe and to America, bringing in about £580,000.

A mare produces far less milk than a cow - on average about three litres a day, compared with up to 40 litres - and needs to be milked as often as five times a day. Similar in consistency to semi-skimmed cow's milk, mare's milk tastes much sweeter.

Cleopatra famously bathed in ***'s milk to keep her skin young and beautiful. Horse milk drinkers claim that it can help dermatitis and eczema sufferers who either drink it or rub it into their skin.

At Sandra Gogel's farm in Trochtelfingen-Haid, near Stuttgart in Germany, the white-walled dairy hums to the rhythmic beat of the milking machinery.

Her South Tyrolean Haflinger horses are selected because they are placid, and give birth each year. They are stabled with their foal all the time, while cows are usually separated from their calf after about a week.

Mare's milk is popular because horses eat a natural diet, she said. "Health scares such as BSE, and the addition of antibiotics and hormones to fodder, mean that more people are looking for organic alternatives."

Dr Rene Madeleyn, of the paediatric department at the Filder Hospital in Stuttgart, said: "Mare's milk has many antibodies that help neutralise bacteria and viruses. It is the closest animal milk to human milk. We often give it to premature babies to increase strength and immunity."

Belgian-born Helen Goormans, who produces mare's milk in Ireland, said: "We are convinced that once a few people have tried it, it will quickly take off in the UK."


http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main...1/ixworld.html


and on the BBC:


http://news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/hi/ne...00/4537499.stm

[kkat55]

Hum...I don't know if I would want to try it. I've heard goat's milk is very good for you too, but ... if you weren't raised on it, it may be hard to give it a go.

[MotherOfGizmo]

Sounds kinda icky. But then, I don't like cow's milk either. Some countries eat horse meat as well, but I actually think that is illegal here, although I could be wrong.

[Analog6]

We used to breed horses and I can confess to tasting mare's milk. It is much sweeter than cow's milk - eg. you would definitely not need sugar on cereal if you ate it with mare's milk. But - I am not a big milk fan either, so may not be the best judge. It is interesting that it is the closest animal's milk to human milk. Personally, I wouldn't care to be miling horses, as they say in the article, they kick! I know this one from personal experience, and that most mares hate having their udder touched (some even have to be restrained at first so their foals can drink), although I guess they'd get used to it with regular handling.

[LC_Dave]

My reaction is grose!!!!

Where does the Milking stop!!!

But then again, maybe I should re-examine my consumption of dairy in the form of cheese and cream.


Ewwwwwww!!

[Lady_Hawke]

I hear tell that "whale" milk is the best because whales eat kelp and such. They have a place off of the coast in california where they have a whale farm. We went on a tour this past summer. Kind of expensive at $75 for adults and $50 for kids 12 and up but so worth it! You walk underground and watch divers milk whales. They have big glass windows for you to see into the tank and everything. Really outrageous. And the best thing is that whales can't kick you. Well I guess they can "flipper" you! But we didn't see that happen.
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Hows that for a "whale" of a tale!?
About horse milk - ew.

[LC_Dave]

okay..... now it's getting icky-er!!

[Kent]

Tam, that was disgusting... Milking a whale??? Ick! Horse's milk, well I used to love cow's milk and would probably try anything once. I wonder if Hood's will ever produce a Carb Countdown version. Probably not...

I will be drinking horsemilk the day I set foot in Mongolia.

[Analog6]

Yep, very common there, and they like the fermented version too, which is supposed to be very good for you, along the lines of biodynamic yoghurts, acidolphus etc. Let us all know how it tastes.