Study examines how age and parity shape milk traits in Kushum mares
Bottom line
A new study in Animals examined 41 clinically healthy lactating Kushum mares in June to test how mare age and number of foalings relate to body measurements, udder morphology, milk yield, and milk composition in this indigenous Kazakh breed. The researchers grouped mares by age, from 4 to 16 years, and by parity, from 1 to 11 foalings, then measured body traits once, assessed udder morphometry in 30 mares, and analyzed milk production and composition. The paper adds breed-specific data to a thin evidence base in equine lactation, where age and parity are known to affect milk traits, but have not been well described in Kushum mares. (pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)
Why it matters: For equine veterinarians and breeding programs, the value here is practical benchmarking. Prior work in mares suggests milk yield can vary with age, parity, lactation stage, nutrition, and milking method, and that the relationship between age and output may be non-linear. Having morphometry and udder data tied specifically to Kushum mares could help clinicians and herd managers interpret whether lower yield or compositional shifts are likely physiologic, parity-related, or a signal to look harder at nutrition, mammary function, or foal growth. It also matters because Kushum mares are used for dairy production, with breed references typically placing average daily yield around 13 to 14 liters, so management decisions can have both foal-health and production implications. (pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)
What to watch: Watch for follow-up work that validates these findings across larger herds, multiple lactation stages, and commercial mare-milking systems, since broader equine milk research suggests timing in lactation and management conditions can materially change results. (aaep.org)
Key facts
- Study type
- Animals study
- Breed
- Kushum mares
- Sample size
- 41 clinically healthy lactating mares
- Study period
- June
- Age range
- 4 to 16 years
- Parity range
- 1 to 11 foalings
- Udder data
- Udder morphometry was assessed in 30 mares
- Main focus
- Age and parity were tested against body measurements, udder morphology, milk yield, and milk composition
A newly published Animals study takes a closer look at a question that matters in both foal nutrition and mare-milk production: how a mare’s age and number of foalings shape her body conformation, udder traits, milk yield, and milk composition. The work focused on 41 clinically healthy lactating Kushum mares, an indigenous Kazakh breed used for both meat and milk production, and grouped the animals by age and parity to identify patterns that may be useful in herd management and selection. (breeds.okstate.edu)
That focus fills a real gap. Reviews of dairy mare physiology note that, compared with cattle and small ruminants, equine milk production remains relatively under-studied, especially when it comes to the independent effects of age and parity. Existing literature does suggest those factors matter, but the evidence is scattered across breeds and production systems. A recent analysis of suckling mares found mare age and parity significantly influenced milk production, while other studies have shown that lactation stage, body condition, breed, and feeding system can all shift both output and composition. (pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)
In that context, breed-specific data are important. Kushum horses are recognized as a hardy, pasture-adapted breed in Kazakhstan, and published references generally describe mares producing roughly 13 to 14 liters of milk per day on average, with some reports of higher production in selected lines or types. More recent breed-level work from Kazakhstan has pointed to the economic importance of dairy productivity in Kushum horses, including reports of yields approaching 19.5 liters per day in some mares, though those figures come from selection-focused production studies rather than this clinical-research paper. (breeds.okstate.edu)
According to the study summary, the investigators evaluated mares aged 4 to 16 years and spanning 1 to 11 foalings. Body traits were measured once, udder morphometry was available for 30 mares, and milk variables were analyzed statistically across age and parity groups. Even without a broad press release or outside announcement, the paper aligns with a growing stream of Central Asian mare-milk research in MDPI journals that has been examining how age, foaling number, and lactation stage influence milk composition in native breeds under pasture conditions. Related recent work in Kazakh mares found that older mares and those with more foalings produced milk richer in fat, urea, and acidity, reinforcing the idea that age and parity can shift milk characteristics in ways that matter for both foals and milk processing. (mdpi.com)
Direct expert reaction to this specific paper was limited in publicly indexed sources, but the broader expert view is consistent: mammary anatomy, milking management, and stage of lactation all influence yield and udder health in dairy mares. A review in Animals emphasized that studying mammary physiology and anatomy is necessary to optimize production and welfare, while AAEP proceedings note that hand- versus machine-milking can affect milk yield and milking time. That matters when interpreting any single-breed study done at one time point, because management system and sampling window can shape the apparent effect of age or parity. (pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)
Why it matters: For veterinary professionals, this is less about a single headline finding and more about improving clinical context. In breeding farms, dairy mare operations, and equine neonatal care, veterinarians are often asked whether a mare’s lower milk output is expected for her age, whether udder conformation is likely to limit production, or whether milk composition differences could affect foal growth or milk harvest decisions. Research like this helps move those conversations from anecdote toward reference-based assessment, especially in regional breeds that are underrepresented in the literature. It may also support more targeted nutritional, reproductive, and culling decisions, since age and parity intersect with broader reproductive efficiency and productive longevity in mares. (pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)
There’s also a translational point for mixed equine practices outside Kazakhstan. Even though Kushum mares are a specific population, the study adds to a broader pattern suggesting that milk yield and composition should be interpreted through multiple lenses at once: age, parity, days in milk, body condition, and management. That’s useful when evaluating poor foal thrift, advising breeding farms, or helping mare-milk enterprises benchmark performance without over-attributing normal physiologic variation to disease. (beva.onlinelibrary.wiley.com)
What to watch: The next step is replication in larger cohorts and across the full lactation curve, ideally with repeated udder and milk measurements and standardized milking methods. If that happens, this line of work could become more actionable for predicting which mares are likely to combine strong maternal performance with desirable milk traits over time. (sciencedirect.com)