Stopping for a poo ?

Shysmum

Shysmum

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I was thinking about this when we were out yesterday. I always let the lad stop and make a big deal of his poo times, accompanied by grunting and a huge sigh. It's one of his pleasures in life, and he's much faster afterwards.. :eek:

I was helping at an RDA display one, that was watched by Princess Anne, and she said jokingly afterwards that you shouldn't let a horse stop to poo. RDA ponies take the time to have a breather as well as a poo, haha !

So what is the concensus on stopping or pushing them on ?
 
Mine don't stop. I wouldn't want them to do it in the middle of a dressage test, or jumping round, so I just don't let them.

I find that if you let them stop, as you say, they soon start making a big deal of it and use it as an excuse to be lazy.
 
My mare was an ex riding school horse, so when I bought her she'd already got into the habit of stopping to 'relieve' herself. I can't push her on, I could smack her senseless (which I wouldn't) but she won't budge until she's finished.

However, if we're on a sponsored ride or doing something she considers exciting, she'll quite happily multi-task and poo whilst on the move!
 
Patterdale said:
Mine don't stop. I wouldn't want them to do it in the middle of a dressage test, or jumping round, so I just don't let them.

I find that if you let them stop, as you say, they soon start making a big deal of it and use it as an excuse to be lazy.
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this :) always been taught to push them on through it
 
Our horses don't even try and stop. My old boy sometimes ground to a halt though which I went with because he normally kept moving.
 
Depends where we are and what we are doing. Generally if its in the school in walk I let him stop so its easier for me to pick up afterwards (lazy owner!) but normally he just keeps going!
 
If on a trail or on a loose rein, just having fun - we stop. If engaged in active exercises and jumping - we don't, but honestly, my gelding doesn't even offer stopping while concentrated on crossing a jump or anything of the kind.
 
Never let mine stop. There's no reason to. He is quite happy to keep on cantering around a SJ course while pooing and I've even known him manage to poo while going over a fence, so he can certainly keep on walking out hacking while pooing. He poos and walks in the field, so why stop when ridden?
 
Hippona said:
Out if interest....do you stop for a poo yourself or keep going?

Jus' wondering..... ;)
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Generally I stop, once I did not stop on a ride it was not pleasant!!!!

As for my horse if hacking out I do let her stop , she tends not to go in the school anyway.
 
I've got an image of Shy with a pleased grin on his face having a plop :) it sounds like all he needs to complete the picture is a magazine to read whilst he relieves himself.. Boys eh :D
I always let them stop if I'm hacking but the horses I have lessons on keep moving.
 
My lad always stops to poo. Never really thought about it to be honest. We don't compete or anything so it makes no difference to me.

I know I'd rather stop to poo if I was a horse so that's what he does.
 
If we have a contact and are working, we don't stop. If hacking, or on a loose rein, then we do.

My horse however doesn't tend to poo while I'm on him - he waits til I get off and then goes. I can count on one hand the numb rod times he's pooed while I've been on, and in all of them it's either been a very long ride, or he's been a bit stressed.
 
I think Shy would like a magazine on food tbh.

He will always stop to poo in any water, and we have it floating around us. Nice !
 
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If I'm schooling or working, i find it insufferably rude when they grind to a halt. The only exception I have is with youngsters - my current 4 y old you can tell he needs to go, but it takes a bit to get him to relax and go. I let him stop as I want him to learn to go rather than hold it and the tension affect his performance. As soon as he is comfortable going under saddle, the stopping will cut down and cease. I think f went through the same process at this age iirc, and he is now happy to go whilst moving so hopefully it won't be a long term issue.
 
M stops to poo, the piles in the field are all in neat little heaps and as we only hack anyway I dont mind if he stops. Tbh, when I first bought him I did try to make him walk on but he is a boy and cant multitask!
 
Shysmum said:
I think Shy would like a magazine on food tbh.

He will always stop to poo in any water, and we have it floating around us. Nice !
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Asbo cob does the same..loves to poo in water. He also has a " I need to poo on that bit of grass" but it's a ruse he uses to grab a mouthful of grass.
 
CobsGalore said:
See, I've never seen my horse poo and walk, even in the field!

He walks around, chooses his spot with precision (usually next to the muck heap), stops, poos, makes a few noises, sighs and walks on.

Another horse that would probably like a magazine to read!
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This. And if I force him to walk on when ridden he will, but he will stop pooing mid poo! This can't be comfortable and he feels stuffy to ride. Then at some point when he's bursting he will do an instant stop, from a canter if necessary, then poo before picking up the pace again. I've come to the conclusuon that he can't move and poo, so I'm not going to try to make him.
 
Mine poo on the go during schooling but are allowed to stop on a hack if they want to. They know the difference between work and out on a jolly.

One of mine did like to wee in private though so if he needed to go when out he would suddenly veer off up banks or disappear in the bushes with me spluttering "wtf... oh you need a wee".
 
My horse will poo and walk. When he was a bit younger I'd let him off but I don't fancy him stopping mid dressage test/SJ round so don't actively encourage it!

Relieved to hear of other horses pooing in water too, my gelding is obsessed with it! It is horrible to see it floating round though....
 
Hippona said:
Out if interest....do you stop for a poo yourself or keep going?

Jus' wondering..... ;)
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Antw23uk said:
Depends where we are and what we are doing. [...]
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I was amused by this sequence of replies :D

Mine stops dead - I really shouldn't allow it as it would be awful in dressage or jumping (and he's slowed to a real crawl before a practice jump before - would have liked to stop, and he's usually really whizzy!). I just feel awfully mean expecting him to carry on :( Usually I'm fairly sensible about what's reasonable for me vs what's reasonable for my horse, but for some reason I stick on this one!
 
If hacking mine stop, and they are allowed, having been an eventer in my earlier years, i never experienced competing on a horse that needed to stop and poo, i think the excitement of the event just keeps them going and doing at the same time.
 
I let mine stop, mainly because she's grey and I don't want her with ***** stains down her nice white legs!!
 
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