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The Icelandic Veterinary Authority (MAST) has unexpectedly granted the pharmaceutical company Ísteka a new, two-year license to collect blood from pregnant mares. In doing so, it is acting in violation of current law. We will not accept this. Together with partner organizations, we are taking legal action against this decision.

Together with partner organizations, we are calling for the consistent enforcement of EU law in the Icelandic horse blood industry in an open letter. For us, it is clear that blood collection from pregnant mares for PMSG is not a secondary agricultural activity, but a scientific procedure in accordance with the EU/EEA Directive – and must therefore…

The Austrian Icelandic Horse Association reports on our research in Iceland in the current issue of its association magazine "Islandpferde in Österreich" (Icelandic horses in Austria). This attention is particularly valuable in view of the fateful year 2026 for blood mares. Now the government and veterinary authorities must decide whether they want…

In their Issue No. 46/2025, the magazines “Sonntag” and “Doppelpunkt” provide an in-depth look at the abuses we uncovered at so-called blood farms in Iceland and South America. There, blood is drawn from thousands of pregnant mares to extract the hormone PMSG. This hormone is used in pig breeding to synchronize “production.” Our investigation…

On Monday (20 October), together with partner organisations, we handed over 300,000 signatures to Icelandic Minister Hanna Katrín Friðriksson. Our message is clear: Iceland must finally put an end to cruel blood farms. The Minister listened to us and thanked us for our work, but did not make any official commitment.

Zusammen mit unserer Partnerorganisation in Island, Dýraverndarsamband Íslands (DÍS), haben wir die gravierenden Tierschutzverstöße, die wir bei unserer Recherche in Island vorgefunden haben, der Polizei gemeldet. Die isländischen Behörden müssen handeln, bevor die nächste Blutsaison losgeht.

In autumn 2024, we conducted further investigations into the production of the fertility hormone PMSG from the blood of pregnant Icelandic mares. The mares are semi-wild and have little contact with humans other than for blood collection. Recent footage, obtained at six blood farms, shows that the horses endure immense stress and suffering during…

In summer 2023, we conduct further investigations into the production of the fertility hormone PMSG in Iceland. The new footage from two blood farms shows that the suffering of the blood mares continues. They are kicked, beaten and confined in injury-inducing restraint boxes. The mares are frightened or panic, they resist and try to escape.

The…

On this relatively small blood farm, blood is extracted today from 60 mares in three restraint boxes, which takes three hours in total. The mares are restrained in the boxes with a belt over their backs so that they cannot rear up. Their heads are pulled up by a rope and fixed to one side of the box. Then, a large-bore cannula is inserted into…