This is the industry that produces PMU foals. Mare's urine is only valuable if the mare is pregnant. The foals are a by-product/waste material of the industry. The industry is huge and the demand for pregnant mare urine keeps growing.
The main drug that is produced from the mare urine is premarin. It is a hormone replacement that is used for treating menopause in women, breast cancer, prostate cancer and other conditions. Premarin is one of the highest prescribed drugs in the nation. Currently 9 million women are taking the drug, and those numbers are expected to increase as the baby-boom generation ages.
Animal rights activists are outraged by this industry. They claim it is unnecessary to use mares in this way because synthetic drug options from soy are available. They report that the mares are treated inhumanely and most of the 50 – 60,000 PMU foals go to slaughter every year. Many horse rescue organizations, like Spring Hill Horse Rescue in Nevada are organizing adoptions of these foals.
FoalQuest is an organization that is trying to help both the farmers and the PMU foals. Located in Canada, they are not an animal rights group and speak very highly of the PMU farmers they work with and the care their mares receive. They do admit that in such a large industry there is sure to be abuses, but they insist it is not the industry norm. They estimate 30% of the PMU foals are going to slaughter each year – and their mission is to save those foals.
Alleged mistreatment of the mares includes abusive confinement, limiting water intake, poor veterinary and farrier care, and traumatic, premature weaning of the foal.
According to FoalQuest, these impressions come from the process of collection. For 6-8 months while the mare is in foal, all of her urine must be collected. The mare has to be confined during this time for collection. This is referred to being “on the line” or “on the pee line”. The mares are kept in what I call “straight” stalls. Unlike the typical “box” stall, these stalls are more rectangular, and do not have a door. The horse is kept tied to the front of the stall. At one time straight stalls were the norm in most barns and box stalls were only for the elite. On a well-run farm, the rope is left long enough for the horse to move from side to side and lie down if she wants. Mares are said to be exercised regularly – but given the time and expense involved I have to wonder how much exercise even a well-run farm could provide.
