Due to the massive and repeated blood extractions, mares become anaemic or suffer from deficiency diseases, and injuries often remain untreated. The foals are systematically aborted, because the hormone can only be obtained during early pregnancy, and the foals are unwanted (unless female, and they may be kept to be used on the blood farm - colts are self to slaughter automatically). About 30% of mares drop out of the production every year: they either die on the pastures or are sent to slaughterhouses when they no longer get pregnant.