Pregnant Mares and HRT – The Bad News Keeps on Coming

Tuesday's Horse

Posted on Nov 19, 2010 by Vivian

Written by JANE ALLIN
Chief Research Analyst

Expendable Flyer re Premarin and Prempro

Conventional HRT such as Premarin® and Prempro® is manufactured from conjugated equine estrogens (CEEs) extracted from pregnant mare’s urine. To produce these drugs, the pregnant mares are confined for 6 months connected to a urine collection device which chaffs their flanks and can induce inflammation and severe infections. To add to this discomfort, they are housed in stalls so small that they have difficulty lying down or turning around. A sorry and tedious life indeed.
Once they foal, they are re-impregnated immediately simply to start a cycle of torment they must endure for the rest of their lives. Foals are the by-products of this atrocious industry and most are either fattened for slaughter on feedlots or go directly to meat auctions. This is the same fate of the spent mares or those who are unsuccessful breeders.  More...