> Not only is it horse pee...but do you know how they collect this and what
> happens to those cute, sweet, adorable little babies after they are born?
> There are many websites educating folks about this. There is one that is
> particularly impacting. The rescue in my area has a gorgeous cream
> draft...she was a PMU foal out of Canada. Her name is Hope. One of the
> most stunning horses I've ever seen and sweet too. She and a large group
> of foals were brought into the USA and delivered to adopters. There are
> organized adoption runs several times per year. Unfortunately, not all
> the foals are this lucky.
>
> It's a sad thing when a foal is orphaned...I counsel folks with
> orphans...but sadder still when a foal is intentionally ripped from it's
> mom. I've raised some myself; orphans, not the PMU foals.
>
> Visualize this; It's night time, pitch dark and black outside. The
> coyotes are howling and this howling is slowly getting louder as the
> coyotes approach the property. The crickets, owls, dogs, and other animals
> making their nightly noises. You are a foal. Alone in the world.
> Instinctually you know you need a protector. You can't fend for yourself.
> You have a babies body, mind, soul, and spirit. You need warmth, comfort,
> protection, safety. You are a lucky little foal because a nice person
> rescued you from the slaughter man and brought you to their house. Your
> human family plays with you all day, nurtures you, loves on you, feeds you
> buckets of soothing warm milk. About 7:00 at night you begin feeling
> nervous...you've just had your last comforting bucket of warm milk...maybe
> you've been taken into the barn and locked up for safety, maybe you are
> left outside in your stall, maybe you even have the company of a goat,
> sheep, pig, or another horse.... The noises getting louder are frightening
> you more and more...your instincts tell you to find mama and seek the
> comfort and warmth of her udder...take a few comforting slurps of warm
> milk...nuzzle with her to abate your fear...There is no mama for you...it's
> you and the darkeness and a handful of other animals who butt you away from
> them. In response to your fear, you develop habits as a means of
> self-soothing...you chew on the wood rail, you chew the hair on the other
> horse's tail, you sway your head back and forth like an elephant at the
> zoo, you eat, and eat and eat,....or maybe you have no hay at night, you
> whinny and cry...or maybe fear prevents this instinctually knowing that the
> predators will pinpoint your location...I could give you countless
> scenarios...you are chastised gently by your adopters...it's not your
> fault...you are an infant. You need your mom's comfort. If you can't
> satisy your needs, this leads to frustration which can lead to all sorts of
> behaviors...you know the story. It can be dangerous for the owners
> depending upon the habits the foal relies on for self soothing.
>
> Anyway, just thought I'd put a plug in for the PMU foals who need us. They
> are really very sweet. My heart goes out to every one of them. There are
> also horses bred here in our country on a large scale, just for their
> milk...their foals are taken away at birth and the mare is sent off to
> nurse an expensive horse; for instance a thoroughbred destined for a racing
> career. I have the numbers somewhere. These foals can have a real rough
> start if they survive and if they are offered up for adoption...There are
> many physical and psychological as well as social problems for these little
> guys.
>
> There have always been alternatives to premarin. Recently one of the drug
> companies came out with a replacement that I believe is based on vegetable
> products. This is from a pharmaceutical company and requires a script.
> There are also product in the health food stores as well. I've used
> several of them. They even have a substitute for cycrin=progesterone.
>