Premarin (pre-pregnant, mare – horse) is a mixture of “natural” estrogens used to treat menopausal symptoms, dysfunctional uterine bleeding, and certain cancers.  Did you know that Premarin comes from the urine of pregnant mares (female horse)?  Did you know that there are such things as “Pee Farms” where they lock up these pregnant horses practically starving them, giving them no where to move and only allowing them water a few times a day, making sure that their urine remains strong?  If you knew all of this, would you stop taking Premarin?  I am curious as to why PETA is not all over this.

In order for these “Pee Farms” to profit from the hormones in the pregnant Mares’ urine, they have to house tens of thousands of pregnant mares and confine them in small stalls when the horse is about 4 months pregnant.  These so-called stalls are as small as 8 feet by 3.5 feet, barely big enough for the pregnant horse to stand, definitely not big enough for her to turn around in.  On top of the stalls being so tiny, the mares are tied by rope in the front.  There is a flexible rubber harness that suspends from the ceiling and is passed under each of their tails to collect their urine 24 hours a day.  This keeps their vulva area moist and has a tendency to cause infections and irritations.

These poor horses are kept in these inhumane stalls for up to 6 months at a time with absolutely no exercise, causing them foot and leg issues.   The mares are not aloud water, until their specific “water” time which is only a few times a day.  The water is delivered to the mares and only specific amounts, so that the mares do not dilute their urine by drinking too much water.  These poor horses are dehydrated. 

A few days before the mares are due, they let them out into a small area near their stable.  After the foal is born, each mare is expected to become pregnant within two weeks and the process starts over.  If she cannot become pregnant then they send her to the slaughter house.  Most of the foals, when born are taken away to be slaughtered for meat.  Around 40,000 foals are killed a year.  Very few are sold for riding horses, and very few female foals are kept to replace their mother.

These “Pee Farms” are mainly located in Canada, but there are a few in North Dakota.  There are said to be around 439 “Pee Farms”, with an estimated 55,000-65,000 mares on the production line and if you consider how many foals they produce a year, stallions and replacement mares, over 100,000 suffer a year from the production of Premarin.

In the United States, three quarters of the women using a replacement hormone (HRT) take Premarin.  What women need to know is that there are other solutions for this replacement hormone than hurting all of these innocent horses.  You can find estrogens from plants such as soy beans or yams.  Please ask your Doctor to see what else you can do besides taking Premarin, save a life.