Just say no

I first heard about "PMU foals" back when I was attending UNH and working at the horse barn there. That was oh, ten years ago. I didn't really give much thought to them at the time. I just assumed it was some type of breed I didn't know about, since my world was all about Saddlebreds. I've learned over the years exactly what a PMU foal is and something I read last night made me want to take some action. I'm not exactly sure what, but I thought I'd start with informing you about this and maybe together we can spread the word.

According to the Humane Society's website: As the name implies, Premarin® is a conjugated estrogen product extracted from pregnant mares' urine (PMU). It is manufactured by Wyeth-Ayerst Laboratories, Inc., and is most commonly prescribed for estrogen replacement therapy (ERT) to relieve hormonal deficiency symptoms associated with menopause or hysterectomy. More recently, it has been prescribed to help prevent osteoporosis and heart disease. Premarin® is the most widely used ERT drug, marketed for more than 50 years, and currently administered to more than nine million American women.

The key to that description is that this drug is derived from pregnant mares' urine. This has resulted in too many foals and too little good homes for them. The end result is that many end up in slaughter houses, as do their moms - when they can no longer produce babies. Not that their lives before they reach the slaughter house are glamorous. They're not. These mares are always in foal, receive no exercise and are kept hooked up to a bag collecting their urine.

I am not a crazy animal advocate. And, I tend to shy away from people that are. I understand that animals and animal testing are a big part of the pharmaceutical industry. However, when I read last night that there are a number of plant-derived or synthetic estrogens that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved as safe and effective for ERT. Some physicians believe that certain alternative estrogens may, in fact, be superior to Premarin® in terms of both performance and patient tolerance.

It caused me to pause. Well, what the hell? Why are we causing needless pain and suffering and death to these animals when there are such viable alternatives. Money, honey. That's why. This is big business. And it ain't gonna be easy to put an end to this practice. However. One way we can, is to not use this drug and to spread the word to others.

For further reading:

http://www.hsus.org/pets/issues_affecting_our_pets/equine_protection/the_facts_about_premarin.html

http://www.trot.me.com/_forum/index.php?cat=8029&sub=36218&threadnumber=413837

http://www.premarin.org/