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fifteen-hundred-pound mare will produce more than a nine hundred-pound mare.
    The horses are fitted with one of two methods of collection. Either they are internally cauterized or they are fitted with an external device. The hose that exits their body empties into a plastic container outside the horse’s stall.
    To create a greater concentration of estrogen in the urine, the horses are given only a limited amount of water. This combined with trying to grow a foal with little or no exercise often results in severe infections within the mare’s liver and kidneys. Although most horses’ normal life span is around thirty years of age, it is not uncommon for PMU mares to not survive past the second trimester of life because of their abnormal stress load.
    Until recently, most of the surviving colt population was sold to the slaughter market, while the fillies would be kept to replace their rapidly depleting mothers. All this equine woe continues today in support of an antiquated drug that hasalready been replicated synthetically in a much purer form. It has been estimated that since its inception, more than one million horses have perished within this industry.
    Currently, many PMU farms will host an annual autumn foal sale. Some do this solely to boost their bottom line and some because they honestly wish a better life for the livestock that supports them. Either way, things are slowly beginning to change for the horses born into this archaic industry.
    One of the foundations for this change is the widespread recognition that these draft-crossed babies grow up into incredibly versatile horses. As they filter into the working horse world, they are turning heads as remarkable trail, mountain, pack, and all-around family horses. Because of their impressive size, bone structure, and movement, they are commanding respect in nearly every show venue as well.
    My attention snapped back to Virginia, who was waiting for me when I pulled into her driveway only moments later. In unison, we entered the corral where all of her new arrivals were munching on hay.
    As we walked amongst them, they parted before us like a dodging school of very large fish. While we strolled together, we briefly discussed the current status of the remaining PMU farms. Within this conversation, my friend laughed at her own joke: “I mean really … what woman would knowingly want to rub horse pee all over her face or dose it down with a glass of water?”
    Virginia went on to fill in the details of her earlier account. “The ranch where we buy these youngsters is 1,200 miles away, deep within the province of Alberta in Canada. It is located not far from the foot of the Canadian Rockies … beautiful, but wild. During our few days at the PMU farm, they shot five bears thathad become so brazen that they were coming in and killing the horses. Because of the horses’ confinement, they had become easy targets for the marauding bears. Many of the foals did not survive.
    “While we were in Canada, our hosts drove approximately three hundred pairs of mares and foals into the squeeze chutes to be sorted apart from each other. As they came through the chutes, Vicki and I had about thirty seconds per foal to determine if we wanted to buy them. Instantly they were released into another large holding pen where they were permanently separated from their mother.”
    I could hear Virginia’s voice change subtly as she shifted her thoughts toward the reason why I was there. “The mothers and babies always come through together, usually with the mother in front of the foal. One pair came through and a wrangler noticed that the foal had sustained a bear attack. The colt’s whole hind end was involved, with most of the extensive damage done on his left rump and hamstring. They were going to ‘cull’ him out, which usually means an unfortunate end … but I just couldn’t let that happen.
    “When I saw him, I was surprised at how small he was. He couldn’t have been