Scuderie San Martino combines the active ingredients of mare's milk, its transport substances (carrier) and organics in a single product line: Maremilk.

In all eras there are references to the use of mare's milk: already thousands of years ago mare's milk was considered as a healing and magical medicine, as well as a beauty ingredient. Cleopatra used to immerse herself in it for its revitalizing and hydrating properties. It is supposed, in fact, that he bathed in mare's milk to keep his skin soft like that of a baby. Even the Chinese emperors of the Ming Dynasty appreciated it, calling it "Divine Nectar".

Mare's milk contains around 40 nutrients and its antioxidant properties help fight free radicals and premature skin aging.

Mare's milk contains Alpha Hydroxy Acid (AHA), which helps lightly exfoliate the skin by stimulating cell turnover and simultaneously increases water retention capacity by increasing hydration.

The pH of mare's milk is similar to the pH of human skin, making it ideal for treating irritated and sensitive skin. Furthermore, mare's milk contains high volumes of vitamins C, A, K, B1, B6 and B12, as well as numerous minerals such as magnesium, potassium, calcium, sodium and phosphorus, all elements which are highly nourishing for the skin.

Exceptional products guaranteed by a high degree of purity are made with mare's milk: very useful for all skin types, but particularly for delicate, sensitive skin and skin with problems of eczema, neurodermatitis and psoriasis.

Skin marked by time can benefit from the characteristics of products based on mare's milk due to the ability of the active ingredients to stimulate the production of collagen and increase cell turnover, increasing its density and reducing wrinkles.

Our breeding philosophy as well as the production of our cosmetic line puts the well-being of our mares and their foals first. For this reason, milking begins only after the foals are two months old, when they begin to integrate the liquid diet with the solid diet typical of adult horses, so the modest quantities of milk taken do not interfere with nutrition and growth of the little ones.

Due to the physiological and ethological characteristics of equines, the foal and the mare remain together for the entire time of milk production and collection, thus maintaining a strong mother-child bond, not interfering with the normal psychophysical growth of the foal, nor with its natural nutrition.

Innovation and tradition make our cosmetics exclusive products, particularly rich from a formulation point of view and highly performing. We have merged our knowledge and skills with the professionalism of a pharmaceutical laboratory, leader in the formulation and production of natural cosmetic lines for over thirty years, making our line a unique, selected and effective product.

 

ANATOMY

The mare's mammary glands are located in the inguinal region between the two inner thighs, covered and protected by skin and hair. The mare normally has four mammary glands, two larger cranial and two smaller caudal. Each of the four glands is completely independent, with no passage of milk from one quarter to the other. They are separated and contained by a fibroelastic capsule and supported by the medial suspensatory ligament, which runs along the midline of the abdomen.

LACTATION CURVE OF THE MARE

Generally, the quantity of milk produced by the mare tends to increase in the first 2 – 3 months after giving birth. In the first two weeks, 4 to 8 liters are produced per day in thoroughbred horses, while 2 to 4 liters are produced in ponies. Milk production reflects the demand which in turn reflects the size of the foal, production in fact increases continuously in the 2 - 3 months after giving birth, when 10 - 18 liters of milk are produced per day for thoroughbreds and 8 - 12 liters in ponies.

After that period the foal's nutritional requirement drops and it begins to take an interest in solid foods, in this same period the quality of the milk decreases so as to encourage the foal to look for nutrients elsewhere. Lactation naturally lasts about a whole year, but the current management system reduces lactation to 6 months, when the quantity produced by the mare is lower than that produced immediately after giving birth.

The amount of milk produced by a Thoroughbred or riding horse is approximately 2000 – 3000 kg per lactation. The normal quantity of milk produced throughout lactation can be estimated by calculating 2 – 3 kg x 100 kg of animal weight. The corresponding equation in ponies is 5 kg x 100 kg of weight.

Foals normally suck more than a hundred times a day in the first week, reducing to 35 times a day by the 10th week. Initially the sucking is frequent but the quantity of milk ingested is minimal, as the days go by the frequency reduces but the quantity ingested increases, which can reach up to 250g.

 

MILK QUALITY AND COMPOSITION

The composition of the milk reflects the needs of the foal and during the initial stages of lactation the milk also contains immunoglobulins.

Species Total solids Fat Casein Whey protein Lactose

 

Species

Total Solids

Fat

Casein

Whey protein

Lactose

Umano

 12.4

3.8

0.4

0.6

7.0

Mucca

12.7

3.7

2.8

0.6

4.8

Capra

13.2

4.5

2.5

0.4

4.1

Pecora

19.3

7.4

4.6

0.9

4.8

Cavallo

11.2

1.9

1.3

1.2

6.2

 

Comparison of milk composition in different species, expressed as a percentage (from Jennes and Sloane, 1970)

 

COLOSTRUM

Colostrum, the first milk, contains relatively high concentrations of proteins and immunoglobulins. The protein concentration is in the order of 13.5% compared to 2.7% for the rest of the lactation. The main immunoglobulin present is G (IgG), followed by IgA and IgM. The fat concentration, however, is relatively low. Within 12 – 24 hours, protein levels drop dramatically and fat concentration increases. The foal's digestive system is "permeable" to immunoglobulins for the first 24 hours, this permeability is due to the enterocytes of the small intestine which absorb large proteins via pinocytosis. After 24 hours this ability is irreversibly lost because the enterocytes are replaced. It is therefore essential that the foal drinks colostrum in the first 24 hours after birth.

 

Components

%

 Water (%)

 89.0

Proteins (g kg¯¹)

16-20

 Lactose (g kg¯¹)

 61-69

 Fat  (g kg¯¹)

 11-13

 Ash (minerals, vitamins etc) (g kg¯¹)

 0.6-3

 Calcium (g kg¯¹)

 0.6-0.8

 Phosphorus (g kg¯¹) 

  0.2-0.4

Magnesium (mg kg¯¹)

65-90

Potassium (mg kg¯¹)

300-500

Sodium (mg kg¯¹)

 160-200

Copper (µg kg¯¹)

200-450

Zinc (µg kg¯¹)

800-25.000

 

Milk composition during most of the lactation in the mare (from Ullrey et al., 1966; Oftedal et al., 1983; Schryver et al., 1986; Saastamoinen et al., 1990; Martin et al., 1991; Frape, 1998)

 

FATS

The concentration of lipids in mare's milk is considered quite low when compared to that of other species. Fat is present in milk in the form of globules of saturated acids such as cholesterol and unsaturated fats such as free fatty acids, phospholipids and triglycerides. The 8% of triglycerides in proportion to total fat is very low compared to the 79% of beef.

 

PROTEINS

The proteins contained in milk during most of lactation have a concentration of 1.3% casein and 1.2% whey proteins.

 

LACTOSE

Lactose is the energy component of mare's milk (6.1%).

 

MINERALS

The concentration of minerals varies with the stage of lactation. Potassium and sodium tend to be high in colostrum (1200 mg kg and 500 mg kg) and decrease in the following 5 weeks (600 mg kg and 200 mg kg). Calcium is high in colostrum but tends to decrease immediately thereafter to reach a peak (1200 mg kg) in the third week post-partum. Magnesium is high in colostrum (500 mg kg) then drops rapidly in the following 12 hours and continues to drop for the entire duration of lactation. Phosphorus remains fairly stable (400-500 mg kg) for the first 8 weeks and then steadily decreases.