What is a PMU horse?

Many people don't know that there is a large industry that gathers Pregnant Mare Urine (PMU) for the hormones to use in hormone replacement drugs for menopausal women.   It is marketed under the name of Premarin.  PMU farms have hundreds of mares that they breed and hook up to collection devices in very small stalls for the last six months of their pregnancy.   They are taken "off-line" just before foaling and allowed to foal outside in open fields, but they are bred again shortly thereafter.  These mares are kept like this year after year, producing foals that no one wants, until they are no longer productive, then they are discarded.   Most of the foals are discarded as well,  a few fillies are kept to replace older mares, the rest of the fillies and most of the colts are sent to slaughter.  A filly foal has a less than 1 in 10 chance of not going to slaughter, a colt foal has a less than 1 in 50 chance.   Some of these foals are saved by rescue organizations.  My friend Toby was one of the lucky ones.

 Toby made the trip down from Manitoba when he was about 6 months old.  He and 47 other foals were taken in by a rescue group who quickly found themselves overwhelmed.  So Toby and 16 of he friends went for another trip to the MSPCA Nevins Farm.  After a few months of care there, he was ready to be adopted.  That is where I found him.  

The PMU industry has gotten smaller in recent years.  Stricter regulations and greater awareness of where Premarin actually comes from have had many farms throwing in the towel.  The problem of these unwanted foals still exists, though, and will until there is no longer a demand.  There are only so many homes for these foals so, please, think twice about taking Premarin.