What is a PMU?

50 or so years ago the drug company Wyeth-Ayerst Laboratories came out with the drug Premarin, an estrogen product made from Pregnant Mare’s Urine. It is prescribed for estrogen replacement therapy (ERT) to relieve hormonal deficiency symptoms associated with menopause or hysterectomy. Bio-identical hormone replacement is a natural, highly effective alternative to this drug. (Ask your Naturopathic Physician for more information). Obviously, the mares need to be pregnant in order to produce the hormone that is extracted from their urine. The by-products of this entire process are the baby horses. The mares need to be kept pregnant to be on the production lines, so by late spring they deliver their foals out on pasture, are re-bred, and back to work by fall.

Each September, the mares are rounded up from summer pasture and checked to see if they are pregnant. The 3 or 4 month old foals are separated from their mothers at that time and put in a separate pen to await the auction. (Normally, foals are not weaned until they are at least 6 months old). The mares that are pregnant go into the collection barns and remain on the ‘pee-lines’ until March or April. Each is kept tethered in a narrow stall with a rubber cup positioned over the mare’s vulva to collect the urine. The cup is held in place by a partial body harness and overhead supports. The tether and collection apparatus is very restrictive, and the mare is unable to turn around or take more than a few steps in any direction. They are suppose to be given time ‘off-line’ every day to be exercise or walked.

Unfortunately, most of the PMU ranches are in an area of North America that has the smallest density of population, the wide open spaces of the prairie provinces of Canada, and the state of North Dakota. That means fewer potential horse people to buy them when they go to auction in the fall. The sad truth is that a large portion of these wonderful animals end up at slaughter, exported to foreign meat markets.

This past decade has seen a lot of reform in the way that PMU mares are treated at the ranches. Because more people are aware of the PMU industry, positive changes, including higher quality breeding has manifested. The ranchers were encouraged to purchase or lease registered stallions to upgrade the foals produced. Nicer foals could mean more horse people as clients instead of slaughter. A good idea, one that we are thrilled with because of the quality of our babies! 

The ranchers we work with in Canada do not want their horses to go to slaughter. I buy as many as I can each year to bring back to our 60 acre farm in Duvall, WA. We gentle and train the foals so they will be ready for their new owners when they come to the Sanctuary looking for their true horse-mate.

A few years ago, the main PMU ranch we buy our foals from purchased three Nokota stallions to add to their breeding program. If you are not familiar with the Nokota horse ‘the wild horse of the North Dakota plains,’ it is worth taking a peak at their website www.Nokotahorse.org. These three stallions are descendants of the hardy, athletic, colorful horse of the Plains Indians and cowboys, the breed artist Frederic Remington portrayed in his paintings and sculptures. These were the famous Lakota Chief Sitting Bull’s horses. According to the Kuntz brothers, (the ones responsible for the breeds survival) “they are very solid, very sound, smart and kind with a disposition which is almost like a dog – they buddy-up so wonderful to their owners.”

The Nokota crosses that we have are from the traditional line. The traditional Nokotas resemble Spanish colonial breeds such as Barbs and Andalusians, 14 to 15 hands high, with large, kind eyes, broad foreheads, and thick mains and tails. They are compact with short backs, delicate heads and ears, large, round bones, dropped croups, and strong feet. With heads that are straight or slightly concave in profile, they posses keen intelligence and a calm, curious disposition. Many Nokotas are blue roan, overo and even dun. Their attributes include unusual strength, jumping ability, and endurance. Their calm and affectionate nature makes them ideal show jumpers, fox hunters, game horses, and trail horses. (from Saving the Nokota Horse, by Karin Winegar: Cowboys and Indians Magazine,  January 2006).

We are excited that the majority of our PMU babies are from this proud heritage. We are also pleased to be able to assist in our small way, with the continuation of this noble breed. The three Nokota stallions can be seen on our Stallions page. All the mares are a Percheron, Quarter horse cross. What we end up with is either a true to form Nokota looking foal, or a youngster that has a bit more bone, mass, and height. This last year’s crop of babies is the fanciest yet. The majority look like lovely, expensive, Sport horses! And what color!! We have quite a selection. Look at the baby pictures to get an idea of what stunning colors we have. We set our adoption fees according to what we paid for the foal, shipping, vetting, hoof care, training, feed and board. Hopefully, at the end of the day we have enough money to go back and buy more babies to bring home.