🥛 Mare's milk
Also known as: mare milk, horse milk
Low-fat, sweetish milk of the mare: 6.6% lactose and little protein; the base of koumiss, drunk on the steppes of Central Asia.
Mare's milk is the milk of the domestic mare, drunk in steppe regions and fermented into kumis. Mare's milk is the milk of the domestic mare, a traditional drink of the steppe herders of Central Asia and Mongolia. According to an estimate cited by FAO, about 30 million people drink it — in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Mongolia, as well as in Eastern and Central Europe. There are no official production statistics; a 2024 review puts European output at 1–1.3 million litres a year. 13
Milking a mare is not easy: she lets her milk down only when her foal is nearby, so she is milked a little at a time, 5–6 times a day. Milking starts about 20 days after the foal is born, and lactation lasts 5–6 months; in Mongolia one milking yields 580–640 ml. 23 Horses are more often kept for milk in cool areas, and for herders in Mongolia mare's milk is an important source of animal protein 2.
Nutritionally it is closer to human milk than cow's milk is: 100 g contains on average 2.0 g of protein, 1.6 g of fat and 6.6 g of lactose. Caseins make up only 40–45% of the protein, and polyunsaturated fatty acids exceed 20 g per 100 g of fatty acids, compared with about 6 g in cow's milk. It does not form a firm curd with rennet, so it is practically useless for cheese; instead it is fermented into koumiss, which contains 0.6–3% alcohol. 134
Mare's milk or cow's milk? Mare's milk is leaner, with 1.6 g of fat per 100 g against 3.3 g in cow's milk, and sweeter, with 6.6 g of lactose against 4.7 g. Caseins are only 40–45% of its protein, so it forms no firm curd with rennet, and that is why it ends up as koumiss rather than cheese. Its polyunsaturated fatty acids exceed 20 g per 100 g of fatty acids, against about 6 g in cow's milk. Nutritionally it is closer to human milk, yet that is not a reason to treat it as a substitute for it.
Mare's milk is a specialist product, so no protected-origin mark is to be expected. In Europe it is sold raw, frozen, or dried into powder or capsules, and the label should say which; read it before buying. Look for the words “mare's milk” or “horse milk” and for a producer's contact details. You will find it at a farm gate, an online shop of a mare dairy or a health-food shop. Frozen milk should stay frozen until use, and anyone with a cow's milk allergy should ask a doctor first.
Why it matters to you. In Europe mare's milk is sold raw, frozen, or dried into powder or capsules, so check how it has been processed. FAO considers it potentially suitable for some people with cow's milk allergy, but anaphylaxis to mare's milk specifically has also been described, so if you have an allergy, try it only under a doctor's supervision 356.
Facts
Composition per 100 g
| Fat | 1.6 g | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 2 g | |
| Lactose | 6.6 g | |
| Energy | 47 kcal | |
| Calcium | 95 mg |
Average values. Values vary a lot with breed, season, feed and stage of lactation. The bar shows the share of the maximum within this group of milks.
Sources: FAO 2013, гл. 3
How it connects to milk
🥛 Mare's milk ← gives ← 🐎 Mare → gives → 🥛 Milk
Links
- Whose milk
- 🐎 Mare
- What is made from it
- 🍶 Kumis
- Where it comes from
- 🔄 Milking
- Where it is stored or sold
- ❄️ Freezer
- What it contains
- 🧪 Whey protein, 🧪 Lactose, 🧪 Milk fat
- Benefits
- ❤️ Digestion, ❤️ Milk protein allergy
- Rich in
- 🍊 Vitamin C
- Part of
- 🥛 Milk by species
- Similar and different
- 🥛 Donkey milk, 🥛 Breast milk
Frequently asked questions
Where can I buy mare’s milk in Europe and in what form?
It is a specialist product sold raw, frozen, or dried into powder or capsules, at a farm gate, an online shop of a mare dairy or a health-food shop; the label should say which.
Is mare’s milk the same as koumiss?
No. Koumiss is the drink fermented from mare’s milk by lactic acid bacteria and yeasts, so it contains some alcohol.
Is “horse milk” on a label the same as mare’s milk?
Yes, look for “mare’s milk” or “horse milk” and for the producer’s contact details.
Why can’t you make cheese from mare’s milk?
With rennet it forms no firm curd, because caseins are only a small part of its protein.
Is it true that mare’s milk is lower in sugar than cow’s milk?
No. It is sweeter, with more lactose than cow’s milk, but lower in fat.
History
What to read next
- 🧪 Whey protein — A group of milk proteins that stay in solution once casein is precipitated: about 19% of the protein in cow's milk, mainly beta-lactoglobulin.
- ❤️ Digestion — How easily milk is digested depends on fat globule size, casein type and lactose.
- 🥛 Donkey milk — Milk of the jenny (she-donkey): 91% water, 0.7 g of fat and 6.4 g of lactose per 100 g; in protein and lactose it is close to human milk. Most children with cow's milk protein allergy tolerate it, but it is not a complete food for infants.
- ❄️ Freezer — Ice cream (−18 °C), and sometimes frozen milk or butter.
- 🍊 Vitamin C — A water-soluble vitamin: adults need about 40 mg a day, while a cup of cow’s milk (240 ml) has only about 5 mg.
Similar
🥛 Camel milk · 🥛 Donkey milk · 🥛 Reindeer milk · 🥛 Yak milk · 🥛 Breast milk · 🥛 Mithun milk
ℹ️ Dairy products contain lactose and milk proteins: if you are lactose intolerant or allergic to milk protein, ask a doctor.
Sources
- FAO. Milk and dairy products in human nutrition (2013), ch. 3
- FAO — Dairy animals: Other animals (horse, donkey, yak, reindeer)
- Nutritional Quality and Socio-Ecological Benefits of Mare Milk Produced under Grazing Management. Foods, 2024
- Koumiss (Fermented Mare's Milk) as a Functional Food: Bioactive Proteins, Peptides, and Future Perspectives. Foods, 2025
- Businco L. et al. Allergenicity of mare's milk in children with cow's milk allergy. J Allergy Clin Immunol, 2000
- Robles S. et al. Anaphylaxis to mare's milk. Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol, 2007