Uruguay | Blood farms | Blood mares on the pastures
Wunden an den Sprunggelenken, die vermutlich von Abwehrbewegungen in der Fixierbox stammen.
Eine Stute mit eiternder, stark geschwollener Verletzung.
Diese tiefe Wunde, die den Knochen freilegt, bleibt mindestens 6 Tage unversorgt.
Ein Pferd ist auf einer Waldlichtung gestorben, sich selbst überlassen.
Ein Pferd ist auf einer Waldlichtung gestorben, sich selbst überlassen.
Blood mares are kept in groups hidden in remote and vast forest pastures throughout the country. They are left to fend for themselves and many are in a miserable physical condition. As in previous years, large numbers of injured, sick or weak mares are observed on the pastures, all left without veterinary treatment. They show clear signs of pain as for example lameness, and many wounds are infected and heavily swollen. Furthermore, a lot of mares are severely emaciated, probably due to the high blood loss, as up to ten litres of blood are drawn from the mares every week and this during pregnancy. Iron deficiency and anaemia are the consequences. Horse skulls, bones and carcasses are found on the forest pastures and are evidence that horses have been left to die instead of being treated or euthanized. Health care and supervision are obviously insufficient or inexistent. Daily inspection would be very time-consuming. Even just finding these shy animals, who only regard humans as a danger, in the forests is very difficult.
It can be assumed that many injuries seen on mares on the pastures have occurred during the blood extraction process, due to the harsh treatment by the employees or defensive movements of the animals in the restraint boxes. They have injuries in the classic, predictable places, as for example the hocks.
