September Horses of the Month!!!

Premarin is made from pregnant mare’s urine. Premarin is a drug which is most commonly used as an estrogen replacement therapy for women who suffer the negative symptoms of menopause.

In order to obtain the estrogen-rich urine, the mares spend about 6 months of the year confined to a 5 x 8 foot stall attached to a urine-collection device. During this period, these mares are unable to take more than a step or two in any direction, turn around or even lie down. These conditions often lead to serious health problems for the mare. As if this weren’t enough, these mares are impregnated within days of giving birth so that they can begin the cycle all over again.

The other cost of Premarin production is the foals born to these Premarin mares. The mares are bred so that they will produce pregnant mares’ urine, the necessary ingredient for Premarin. Little, if any, thought is given to the fate of the foals born to these mares. Most foals are separated from their mothers when they are just three to four months old instead of the standard six months old.

After the foals are separated from their mothers, these young foals are sent to the auction where they are sold in groups containing up to as many as 40 foals. The majority of these foals will be sold for slaughter. The horsemeat is then shipped to Europe and Asia for human consumption.

Melissa, Calypso, and Charisma, the three fillies, and Lover Boy (“LB”), the only colt, were rescued from a Premarin slaughter sale in Canada. They are September’s horse(s) of the month because they were brought to Redwings in September of 1996. At only 3 ½ months old, not quite weaned from their mothers, these Percheron crosses were provided with the safety, warmth, and freedom from any abuse, confinement, and slaughter that their mothers and fellow foals endured. The 3 mares are still in a pasture together and still, after 16 years, are very affectionate and playful with each other. LB is unaware of his size or breed as he lives with the “pesky boys”, a strong-willed group of mustangs and geldings who are known to be a little mischievous and slightly rowdy to anyone who goes into their pasture. All four serve as reminders and educational points on the plights horses face for the sake of human commodity.

TOP Left - Calypso, MIDDLE Left - Melissa, MIDDLE right - Charisma, BOTTOM right - Lover Boy