Pregnant Mare Urine (PMU) Drugs
Horses are highly sentient animals and deserve to live a natural life.
Pregnant mare urine (PMU) is one of the key ingredients in a vast majority of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) drugs, such as Premarin® and PremPro®. Thankfully the demand for PMU drugs has decreased due to a study by the Women’s Initiative Health (WIH) that showed an increased risk for a stroke, heart attack, or breast cancer. The decrease does not save the mares who are still imprisoned in PMU farms.
Life of a Premarin Horse
- They are impregnated continually.
- They live their lives imprisoned in a pen typically 3½’ wide by 8’ long.
- Rubber collection bags are affixed between their legs causing painful lesions and infections.
- They are kept dehydrated to produce the most profitable, concentrated urine.
- They are sent to slaughter when they can no longer get pregnant.
What Happens to the Foals after Birth?
- Female foals are often kept on PMU farms to replace their mothers where they are used and then go to slaughter.
- Male foals are useless to the trade and may be sold at auction or sent to slaughterhouses.
Take Action to Help End the Misery of PMU Horses
- Talk to your sisters in menopause and let them know of your decision to reject HRT or osteoporosis drugs made from pregnant mare urine.
- Adopt a PMU foal or adult horse if you have the knowledge and means to care for one.
- If you are taking HRT or medication for osteoporosis, determine if the drug is developed using PMU. If so, ask your physician about alternatives.
