Foster Foal Service number:
021 4 A Foal
021 423 625

Losing a mare after foaling, and losing a new foal are two of the most heart-breaking things breeders can experience.

The NZTBA's Foster Foal Service aims to minimise the loss by linking orphaned foals with foster mares made available by breeders who understand the urgent situation of the foal deprived of his/her mother.  

If you're left with an orphan foal this spring, or have a mare that has very recently lost her foal, please contact:

North Island:
Phillip Smythe
Phone:  021 423 625
South Island:
Mike Perkins
03 318 0707
0210 439 545

To give you an idea of how valuable this service is to our members, here is an example of how the foster foal service worked over a season.

There were 56 calls for help.

• 23 mares and foals were successfully joined together.

Some of the reasons he was unable to help in the other 33 cases were:

• Two events on the same farm which solved themselves.
• The foal died before being able to be fostered. 
• Private contacts met the need first. 
• Some owners elected to bottle feed their orphan foals. 
• A couple of studs had more than one orphaned foal and decided to raise
  the two foals together.
• And in quite a few cases, there just wasn't a mare available. 

The NZTBA warmly thank the owners of mares who foster foals during the season. 


FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT THE NZTBA FOSTER FOAL SERVICE

1. How much does the service cost?
North Island:
The cost to NZTBA members is $150.00; for non-members the fee is $250.00. The fee is paid by the foal owner.
South Island:
Free to everybody 

2. What areas of New Zealand does the service cover?
Both the North Island and South Island are covered

3. Is there a contract covering the responsibilities of the parties involved in a foster foal arrangement?
There's no formal contract as such, but we do have a set of guidelines about "Who may be responsible for what". Please ask Philip Smythe or Mike Perkins for a copy.

4. How do I contact the service?
All that is required for when you have the misfortune to require our services, a simple phone call to (07) 888 2816 or Mob: 021 423 625 is all that's required for North Islanders.  Philip will outline the procedure for you.  Mike Perkins will give every assistance for the South Islanders.  His contact number is 021 0439 545

5. When I send a mare away to foster a foal, how do I know she's being well cared for? 
Just call or email Justine or Mike at any time to receive the latest news on your mare. Regular updated records of the location and well-being of each mare are kept.