Horse Blood Harvesting in Iceland Sparks Controversy

Animal welfare organizations continue to demand the closure of the controversial Icelandic horse farms – one year after a video exposed the mistreatment of horses and shocked the entire nation.

Iceland is one of the few countries in the world – and the only one in Europe – to employ this controversial method.

In our video report above, a cannula can be seen being inserted into the neck of a pregnant mare as blood is drawn from her at a «blood farm» in Selfoss in the south of the country. In response to the backlash, the farmers at the farm have chosen to remain anonymous.

The blood of pregnant mares is highly sought after due to the pregnancy hormone PMSG. It is then taken to a laboratory and used to enhance the fertility of other animals, including cows, sheep and pigs. Several litres per week can be extracted from each pregnant mare.

The hormone is processed by the biotech group Isteka, one of the market leaders in Europe. Blood collection is a lucrative business, allowing farmers to earn up to 10 million Icelandic kronur (approximately 70’000 euros) per year.

In 2021, the number of blood farms in Iceland tripled to 199, in which nearly 5’400 mares are kept solely for their blood.

Public Backlash

The release of the video last year prompted an outcry in Iceland and triggered police investigations. Many farmers felt compelled to withdraw from this business.

Animal Welfare Iceland has called for a complete ban on the practice, as the semi-wild horses are kept in small stalls and in some cases mistreated and beaten.

Do you think it is acceptable to take a frightened horse and stab it in the neck to produce a fertility drug that increases the suffering of other farm animals? Do you think that is acceptable? I believe most people would say no.

Rosa Lif Darradottir, deputy chairwoman of the organization

Arnthor Gudlaugsson, the managing director of Isteka, however, believes that the video does not provide an accurate picture.

«The video was, let us say, designed in a way that, in my opinion, gives an overly negative description of the process. There were also parts in the video that pointed to poor practices or practices that should have been better«, he says.

Government Response

The scandal sparked a debate in Iceland, where many residents learned of this practice for the first time, even though it has been in practice since 1979. Nevertheless, little has changed since then.

«It makes us reflect on where we stand with our ethics«, says Darradottir.

«Producing a fertility drug used in farm animals […] to boost their fertility beyond their natural capacity, just so we can have a steady stream of cheap pork […] That is not a noble thing«, she says.

Opponents also criticize the amount of blood drawn.

«This is quite simply mistreatment of animals, and there is a word for it: animal cruelty«, says Member of Parliament Inga Saeland, who has repeatedly proposed a ban on this practice, but without success.

However, stricter regulations came into force in August, granting authorities greater powers to oversee the industry and to «assess its future» over the next three years.