PMU stands for Pregnant Mares' Urine. Conjugated estrogens that come from the pregnant mares are used as a drug in pills, injections, creams, etc. to help lessen the symptoms of menopause in women and also for women who have had hysterectomies. It can also be used to reduce the risk of heart disease in woman over 50 and to prevent brittle bones.

      In November 2003, 9 million women were using some form of this premarin drug which is a 25% drop from the 12 million users in 1999. If you crack open one of the pills, you can tell where it comes from by the smell.

      This drug is the only human estrogen replacement that comes from animals. It was first introduced in 1942, but decades later it couldn't be ignored anymore what conditions the mares and foals were having to live in. But still, it became the #1 selling and most subscribed drug in 1975. HorseAid got involved in 1986 and in 1993 released a wide circulating article on PMU horse abuse and the health risks to woman using it. Some health risks include an increased risk of blood clots, strokes, ovarian and breast cancer, dementia, and heart disease.

      Even though we don't need this drug anymore and it is such a risk to the user, the abuse still goes on. And when the mares are no longer needed or the foals can't be sold, they're sent off to slaughter. The chance of a filly foal not going to slaughter is less than 1 in 10 and for colt foals, not even a 1 in 50 chance.

      There are PMU farms coming back in Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta because the laws regarding this industry aren't as strict as the ones in Ontario. There are over 100 PMU mares around today.

      Theses farms create a ton of waste and pollution and mares are confined in small standing stalls for 6 months with little exercise while they're pregnant. Water isn't even supplied the way it should be.

      Luckily, there are many other solutions for women needing medication to help them through menopuase and the inhumane use of PMU mares is unnecessary.

      View the help page to see on what you can do to help stop the use of PMU mares.