[crazi4horses]

okay guys, my report is FINALLY done. For those of you who don't know, in my english class I was given an assignment to write a 5 pg(min.) essay on a controversial(sp) topic, and then give your views on it AFTER you have looked into it..I of course wanted to do something with horses[what a shock!] and immediatly thought..PREMARIN!..so anyways, here is my report if anyone is interested in it..please excuse to citations in it..if I didn't do them I would get an automatic deduction of 20 pts and im too lazy to take them out to post the essay here! Lol..

What is Premarin?

Premarin is a hormone replacement therapy drug. It was invented by Dr. Robert A. Wilson in the 1940’s.[10 Knight-Ridder/Tribune News] Premarin is produced by Wyeth- Ayerst Labratories[7,Humane Society of the United States, paragraph 1] and is currently taken by nearly 9 million women each day.[8, paragraph 1] Premarin is prescribed to women to relieve menopausal symptoms and to help treat and prevent osteoporosis along with decreasing risks of coronary heart disease. Along with the positive affects it has, come the negative ones. Any estrogen, including Premarin, increases the risks of cancer, heart attacks and blood clots.[6, Nutrition Health Review, paragraph 1]

The name Premarin, originates from PREgnant MAres uRINe. Each year close to 50,000 mares at 500 different barns located in North America[7,paragraph 2] are bred and hooked up to machines that collect thier urine. The urine is then taken and estrogen is extracted, later being combined with other ingredients and made into Premarin. This process, to some people is considered abuse but not all report are negative, and unfortunatly the negative ones are pushed to the public a lot more then the positive ones. Finding a report that is against the drug is a lot easier than finding someone for it.

The Negative Reports

According to the negative reports all of the horses in the premarin industry are severly mistreated. The mares are said to be confined in a small stall for up to 6 months of their 11 month pregnancy[4 ,redwings horse society, paragraph 3] and fit with bottles to collect there urine, both preventing them to move more than a step forward or backward, and to lay down.[8,pg2] Also they are deprived of water, making there urine more concentrated, therefore having more estrogen[3 equine advocates, inc., paragraph 4] which to the farmers means more money. When the “collection season” is done the mares are put out to pasture to foal, then put back with stallions and their babies taken away from them at the young age of 3 or 4 months instead of the normal 6 months. The end of august, when breeding season is over the mares are hooked up to collection devices if they are pregnant,[9,NAERIC] and if they aren’t they are sold to slaughter along with 98% of the colts, or male foals born and 90% of the fillies, or female foals born that year.[4, paragraph 2] The stallions are reportedly kept outside in the freezing weather. The mares also, even though in barns, are in below freezing temperatures. There have been reports of the barns having ice built up on the walls.[8, pg5] When they are sent to slaughter, they are actually sent to be fattened up then sent to slaughter for consumption in Asia and Europe as well as being used for glue and dog food.

Positive Reports

Although there is an overwhelming number of reports against the premarin industry, there are a few positive reports out there also. These say that the horses are taken excellent care of, and the only thing that is different about the way the farmers take care of their mares is that the mares are hooked up to collection devices for 6 months. They also say that the collection devices are bendable, comfortable and hung from the ceiling which makes moving around easy for the mares. The mares are still kept in small stalls, but they are big enough for the mare to move around a bit and lay down. All of they horses, including the mares, get sufficiant water and food along with exercise, which some people claim is not given. The horses are also given appropriate shelter from all types of weather according to those for premarin.[9] Debra Higgins Cavalier said in one of her reports “I was surprised to see that the conditions where PMU horses are stabled are as unremarkable as any farm that might be found in the horse farming states of Virginia, Kentucky, Colorado, or Texas. I saw multi-generational familes providing excellent hands-on care to their horses from morning until night.” [5]

Slaughter, and auctions are still a part of the report, even if it is positive, but the numbers are less. One lady I talked directly to, who worked on a PMU farm for a few years said “95% of all foals do not go to slaughter.” Also the people for premarin say that normal age for a foal to be taken away is 4 months, when most PMU foals are separated, although some people do wait until 6.

The farmers that are in the premarin industry claim to be professional breeders. Most of them were ranchers before they got into the premarin industry did breed and raise horses, they just didn’t collect the mares urine. The horses are said to be treated the same as before. In order to become a contracted PMU rancher, you have to follow the “recommended code of practice for the care and handling of horses in the PMU operations.” This Code of Practice covers everything from shelter to transportation.[9]

“The Recommended Code of Practice”

The code of practice that the ranchers have to follow covers a lot of things. It starts off with housing, then goes on to talk about maintenance, harnessing, health, nutrition, transportation, pasture and breeding management, handling of the horses, handling of the foals, inspections, suspension hitch, stalls, and finally the body score system the horses are on. Some of the rules the ranchers are recommended are: “all premisese should have a fire extinguisher in the PMU tank rooms” “All manure from every horse stable should be removed daily and should not be stored or accumulated in the exercise yard” “No PMU producer should use , on the PMU collection line, any mare that is foundered, stiff, lame, or physically disabled” and “a good supply of portable water must be available to the horse herd at all times.” There are also several other rules, and diagrams in the recommendation code. If the ranchers don’t follow these rules, or what is considered healthy and suitable for the horses, the ranch will more than likely be shut down.[12]

My Views on Premarin and the Treatment of the Animals

I personally, do not see anything wrong with the drug Premarin and although I wouldn’t hook my mare up to a machine to collect her urine, nor would I breed her several years in a row, as long as they treat the mares well, I don’t have a problem with the ranches either. The one thing I do not agree with is that some of the horses do go to slaughter. With all the reports on premarin you have to pick through all of the information and you go with who you believe is telling the truth. I have talked to people on both sides and I choose to believe the positive reports instead of the negative ones, although I don’t doubt the bad farms are out there. I met a lady through a forum online that worked on a PMU ranch for a while and her aunt and uncle own it. I choose to believe that she was telling the truth about how they treat the animals. I have also talked to a lady who is against the whole industry. Every year, she takes in over 30 horses from the United Pegasus Foundation, who rescues PMU horses being sent to slaughter. I think it is great that all of these horses are being saved, but I highly doubt all of those horses would be going to slaughter. Also, as much as I hate to say it because I love horses, slaughter is a part of life; it is how other things are fed. Also, it is what these horses are bred for, just like cow are bred in America to be slaughtered. Horses that are sent to meat markets go to Europe and Asia and are consumed by people and they are also used as dog food, and thier hooves as glue. When I first started this report, I was 100% against the premarin industry and now I look at it in a whole new way. This drug is helping 9 million women everyday, and even if there are PMU ranches out there that are not treating their horses right, they will be stopped soon. I hope to one day rescue a foal from the industry myself, but now I know that these foals were never abused, they just aren’t needed, and now they need a home somewhere else.


Thanks for reading it!! LEt me know what you think, I've been working really hard on it for last 2 months and have re written it like 4 times..ugh, I'm so glad it is over and passed in! Lol. thanks again

-Paige

[cowgurly02]

Very good report! I'm sure you'll get a great mark

[lovemyshy]

Just curious, what grade level are you? It is an excellent, very informative report, but found a couple of sentences that maybe could use a little tweaking.

[crazi4horses]

Thanks guys! I am in 9th grade, and I went over it two more times and my mom went over it once, so we did tweak a few sentences.

Cowgurly02..I'm glad you liked it! I was hoping you would see this...I hope I represented premarin okay. Lol

[Drafty1]

Very nice report. It is nice to see that your mind was changed by becoming more educated about premarin. If more people would learn the facts the world would be a better place.

[crazi4horses]

Thank you!

[gratifite]

Nice Job! Now here's my question Who in the world thought to collect urine from a mare to make medicine for women? It ranks right up there with the first person to think to eat an egg

[crazi4horses]

Dr. Robert A Wilson! Lol..no, I honestly don't know..he was just the first to do something about it!

[HorseCraze120]

I think its a wondreful paper paige! You've give all the good/bad facts on premairin and some i havent even herad of! Good luck with your paper im sure you will get a wonderfulg grade

[crazi4horses]

aww, thanks Ashley!