PMU Mares - The Abuse Continues…

Premarin is a medication taken by women who are going through menopause. Estrogen is taken from the urine of the mares to produce the medication.

PMU mares are basically baby machines that are impregnated for 10+ years straight. It is horrible. The foals of the mares are considered a by-product of the business and are taken from their mothers between 2-4 months old and are sent to the slaughterhouses in Mexico and Canada.

The Conditions of PMU Mares

In addition to the barn we have 3 large pastures where most of the horses reside. These paddocks are in PMU mares are forced to stand for the last 6 months of their pregnancy in a small stall and attached to the urine collector strapped between their hind legs. The estrogen rich urine sent to a container. They cannot WALK, STRETCH, SIT, LIE DOWN, and OR BARELY MOVE.

In addition to this torcher they withhold water from the mares to make their urine more concentrated, thus, they get more money for the urine. This leaves the mares in a constant state of thirst. Liver and kidney disease are common in PMU mares.

Can you imagine women having to stand up for 6 months while you are pregnant? I don’t think you can. They stand on cold concrete floors resulting in swollen legs, aching bodies and heavy fatigue.
Over 75,000 mares are standing in pee-lines today.

While the life expectancy for most horses is well into their twenties and thirties, this is not the case for the PMU mare. Those mares who are considered to be "good producers" may find themselves standing on the "pee lines" for as long as twelve to fourteen years before they finally burn out -- at which point they will be scrapped and sent to the slaughter auctions for meat. Those mares who don't become impregnated will also find themselves being sent to the slaughter auctions.

The Foals

The foals born to the mares have a very short life. They are consider by-products of the PMU farms and are worth more sold at the slaughter auctions than they are to the farmer. On occasion, enough mares have stopped producing at one of the farms and the mares are sent to slaughter, then a few of the female foals may be saved, just waiting for a miserable life on the pee-line. When you think about it, if those are the only 2 choices, which one is better? Of course, neither. Resucing these poor animals is the only humane thing to do.

A filly foal has about a 10% chance of making it. A colt foal has about a 3% chance of not going to slaughter.

The Slaughter Houses

Many equines are take to the auctions and then onto the slaughter houses. They are sold for their meat to many countries who consume horse meat. Other equines at the auction include race horses who suffered injury or just weren't fast enough; miniature horses, ponies; donkeys, mules; draft horses; wild horses; stolen horses; young; old, sick and infirm; trusting companion horses and ponies whose humans lost interest or could no longer afford them.

For the PMU foals at the auctions, things just get worse. They are separated from their mothers and cry for them at the auction. They have not been weaned and often try to nurse from each other in their confusion and panic.

Since they closed the slaughterhouses in the United States- which sounds like a humane thing to do. Most of the horses sent to the slaughterhouses now have to endure a long trip inside a packed trailer to Mexico or Canada just to be slaughtered there in less humane conditions than in the United States.

We cannot let these conditions continue to exist. Please help by telling anyone you know who might be taking estrogen therapy to take an alternative medication.