Cold Spring Mares: Raising the Standard
Founded in 2018, Cold Spring Mares is a nonprofit dedicated to providing ethical nurse mares—without breeding and without throwaway foals. Using a protocol developed by founder Bronwyn Watts, our mares come into milk without contributing to overpopulation, offering a humane solution in times of loss.
Many of our mares are retired broodmares or horses without riding careers. As nurse mares, they find renewed purpose and provide orphan foals with the nurturing they need to thrive. When their work is done, they retire safely and with dignity.
Operating ethically costs more—but with your support, we’re making this compassionate alternative more accessible. Together, we can change the industry standard and give more mares and foals the futures they deserve.
About the Founder
Bronwyn Watts has spent her life with horses. Raised on a working farm in rural southwest Virginia, her journey began at birth and was shaped through years in 4-H and Pony Club. With over 30 years of experience in the horse world, she’s built a reputation on knowledge, care, and unwavering standards.
Since 2004, Bronwyn has worked as a professional groom in Three-Day Eventing, supporting top-tier athletes at major competitions across the U.S. and Canada. Her deep commitment to equine welfare led her to create Cold Spring Mares—an ethical nurse mare program built on compassion, innovation, and purpose.
At the heart of it all is her belief that every horse deserves dignity, and every foal deserves a chance.