Most people know Iceland for its volcanoes, northern lights, dramatic landscapes, and distinctive culture. Yet beneath this beauty lies a troubling reality hidden from the public: blood farms. These facilities involve pregnant mares subjected to repeated abuse to collect blood, and the process is tied to a drug used to advance heat cycles in sows and young sheep, boosting livestock performance.
Footage released by various animal-welfare organizations travels worldwide, exposing the brutal treatment endured by mares on these farms. Strangely, blood farming operates legally in Iceland and is governed by regulations that, in theory, protect animal welfare while enabling the practice to continue.
In April, the Animal Welfare Foundation and other groups shared a powerful video that documents the conditions on some farms (the footage contains scenes that may be difficult to watch). The film shows mares locked in cramped cages, where workers strike different parts of their bodies with logs and sticks while the animals neigh in pain.
On large- scale holdings, blood is drawn from pregnant mares to obtain equine chorionic gonadotropin (eCG), a hormone used in livestock management. This product is part of a drug that stimulates sows and young sheep to enter heat prematurely, thereby increasing the rate at which offspring are produced for market needs.
According to the video released by the organization, five liters of blood are drawn from each mare weekly, typically for up to ten weeks. The practice appears to be gaining traction as foal prices rise and demand strengthens in recent months.
Following the investigation by the Video and Animal Welfare Foundation, Iceland’s health-control authorities acknowledged that some procedures appeared to contravene existing rules and threaten animal welfare. An official inquiry has been launched to examine the issues more closely.
More than 100 farms with 5,000 horses
The problem, however, persists. The Franz Weber Foundation has urged all parliamentary groups in Iceland to back a proposal to end the brutal practice of mare blood farming and to ban the operation of these facilities altogether.
Inside one of the farms the footage shows a mare in a stall, underscoring the isolation and confinement described by observers. The report notes that more than a hundred small facilities currently operate on the island, collectively drawing blood from around 5,000 horses each week in pursuit of the PMSG product used in breeding and growth programs.
The Franz Weber Foundation argues that such management practices violate European welfare standards and regrets that the European Union has not acted to block products tied to this mistreatment on Community soil.
It is highlighted that Iceland’s trade relations fall under the European Economic Area (EEA) agreement, which implies certain minimum protections for health, sanitation, and animal welfare need to be observed. The NGO cautions that these obligations should translate into stronger oversight for practices that affect animal welfare across borders.
Hormones to boost livestock production
PMSG-based veterinary products, used to increase fertility in breeding females, help producers harvest more offspring for meat and dairy markets. The broader context shows a tension between agricultural profitability and animal welfare that many groups want resolved in favor of stricter controls or outright prohibitions on harmful practices.
The footage also includes comments from breeders, who emphasize the economic importance of these methods for certain markets. They suggest that some segments of the livestock industry view cruelty as a necessary trade-off for profits, sparking debate among regulators, animal-rights groups, and farmers alike.
Observers urge policymakers to consider the ethical implications, the long-term health of animals, and the potential public health and market consequences of continuing or expanding such practices. The discussions touch on the responsibilities of governments to enforce welfare standards and to ensure that international trade agreements do not undermine humane treatment in livestock operations.
Anyone seeking a clearer picture of the situation can review the publicly released materials from animal-welfare organizations. These resources provide context on how blood farming operates, the regulatory gaps identified by investigators, and the reactions from Icelandic authorities and industry groups.
Questions arise about the balance between agricultural efficiency and animal welfare. Stakeholders advocate for transparent oversight, independent inspections, and robust penalties for violations to deter mistreatment. The aim is to align industry practices with evolving welfare expectations in Europe and North America while protecting the livelihoods tied to farming communities on the island.
Further information about the broader debate and regulatory responses is compiled by animal-welfare advocates and related organizations, which emphasize the need for ongoing scrutiny and reforms to assure humane treatment of all animals involved in livestock production.