Premarin and PMU farms..... no thanks

  PMU means Pregnant Mare Urine. American PMU farms are the mass collection and production of pregnant mareurine. The urine collected contains a hormone variant called Premarin. This estrogen hormone is gathered through a catheter, then given to women in hope to alleviate menopause symptoms. Premarin is given in several forms; pills, creams, injections, patches and vaginal rings. As of June 2007 3.1 Million women are still prescribed Premarin.  

 Mares that have been successfully bred are sent to is what called “the line.” “The Line” is a term referring to the series of stalls the mares are kept in for a period of 160-180 days. Usually from October – April. These stalls are 3 ½ ft. wide X 8ft long X 5 ft high. Once tied on “the line”, the mares are fitted with a catheter, to collect the hormone rich urine. The average pleasure horse mare will produce .5 gal - .6 gal of urine a day. Before foaling, the mares are sent to pasture to deliver their foals. After the birthing process, the mares are kept with their foals for several months in outdoor pastures, usually March – August. From August – September, the mares are taken from their foals and bred again. With each re-breeding, the percentage of conception for each mare decreases. If the breeding process is unsuccessful the mares are either sent to auction or to slaughter. The mares that become pregnant, are returned to “the line” and the process begins all over. This process is in constant continuation as long as the mares are still able to become pregnant and produce an adequate amount of urine. If a mares output of urine decreases she is then sent to either auction or slaughter. The average mare is on “the line” for 8-9 years. Compared to a normal, pleasure horse’s life span of 20-30 years of age.

The foals, as a product of the breeding process face a bleak outlook. The filly’s are raised and as early as 2 yrs. of age are bred and introduced to “the line” and the PMU lifestyle. The colts are either auctioned off or sent to slaughter days after birth. The PMU farms have since been shut down in the United States. Many women however are still using the drugs today with out knowing where it came from.