Stopping for a poo ?

I let my lad stop. He had grass sickness a few years ago and now seems to really struggle to 'go'. I haven't the heart to make him carry me and try to walk at the same time as tucking his legs under and arching his back
 
To go against the grain here, Nickel is very OCD about his toilet habits. He HAS to stop and it HAS to be off the road if we are hacking out. Even in his stable he will only go in one spot and will stop eating his hay to trundle to the back of his box to his toilet area then come back again. He also has to stretch his legs as far away from any falling poo, if some touches him he gets very upset. Having said all that he have never stopped when we are out competing or hunting, he still objects and kicks out if the poo touches him but it doesn't stop him. My friends all laugh at him hack out, as he starts to veer onto the verge with his bum and slows up, before doing the splits and have a poo!
 
Shy has a poo-ing spot in his stable too - very easy to muck out ! He never walks and poos in the field either - he does elephant poos, and seems to enjoy going - easy to poo pick :eek:
 
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 absolutely! Mine are expected to keep going. My friend allows hers to stop and they make such a big deal out of it. Now they will only go on grass and like to picnic at the same time!
 
I've been letting my youngster stop as it's easier to pick up in the school if it's just one pile & she wears hi viz legs wraps when we're out hacking, it's not nice taking them off covered in poo!
But we're going to have to put a stop to it as I ride & lead a lot, she's usually the led horse (as my other one, despite being in her 20s is too naughty to lead!), she's almost yanked my arm off a few times stopping suddenly for a poo.
 
never let them stop.....memories of being chased around the school with a lungeing whip when pony insisted on stopping is ingrained in my brain ;) besides why allow lazy habits when they are more than capable of carrying on?
 
Nope. I'm pretty sure if Kali were being chased by a lion, he wouldn't stop to poo . . . and I don't want him stopping in the middle of a dressage test or showjumping/XC round.

P
 
No I don't let them stop. TBH mine don't generally try to stop, they just poop on the go. I won't wait for anyone who does let their horse stop for a poo either. It's a silly habit to encourage a horse get into in my opinion.
 
When I first started riding mine I told him off for trying to stop for a poo. He has hardly ever pood since when being ridden, the only exception being if we are out on a really long ride when he might poo on a break. When I go and call him in the field he always has a poo and a wee as he comes to the gate and he will go again when he's turned back out. I wasn't telling him he couldn't poo on a ride but he decided that must be what I meant. He's done this for over 20 years hasn't taken any harm from it. The first sign I had from him that he was developing Cushings was when he wanted to stop for a wee when we were out which he had never done. Once he was on tablets he's never had to stop for a wee out riding again.
 
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My gelding has a hilarious pooping habit - on trails, he'll always mark the first hill we climb with a fresh, steamy pile. :D It HAS to be a hill.
 
Sometimes my horse stops for a poo but if I kick her on she walks and poos, she's pretty versatile like that
 
Mine will stop but only on a long hack out. Otherwise it's stable, field or trailer only!! And even field is pushing it as she goes the min she comes in so obviously holding it in! So the thought of her pooing mid dressage test is quite quite unlikely!!!!
 
I let them stop for a poo if they want to, it doesn't really bother me, I've never had a problem of a horse grinding to a halt in the middle of a sj round lol !
 
There is no way that I would want one of mine to get into this habit. I am the one who decides when they stop and would not want them stopping just for a poo in case it became a habit. It is not necessary. Some horses do it to evade work in which case they should feel the stick.
 
The majority of horses I ride are also used as driven horses.
It's not safe, nor practical to allow a horse to stop for a poo if its being used for driving. There's nothing more dangerous than driving a team of four at speed, and one suddenly deciding it needs to stop for a poo and for this reason, they're always made to keep moving.
 
Gloi said:
When I first started riding mine I told him off for trying to stop for a poo. He has hardly ever pood since when being ridden, the only exception being if we are out on a really long ride when he might poo on a break. When I go and call him in the field he always has a poo and a wee as he comes to the gate and he will go again when he's turned back out. I wasn't telling him he couldn't poo on a ride but he decided that must be what I meant. ]
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I relate to this. My rule is when hacking he can stop for a poo. When working then no. Actually working is whenever he is "picked up" on a contact, under instruction, even if this is out and about.

The trouble with this is that my horse has been told off for trying to stop and poo when working and now he rarely poos when working. This is an advantage when hiring a school (no poo picking!), but I would rather he was comfortable.

Not sure what the answer is though, as he is NOT allowed to stop when working!
 
BLIMEY Livetoride ! horses are best treated with respect and kindness - they tend to respond better !

Anyway, moving swiftly on, here is the boy in action - upstream of course..

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Thankfully it's never been an issue for Pie, he manages to poo without breaking his stride whatever speed we are doing. He has even pooed in mid air while jumping (added jet propulsion?!) - I know this because he had pebbledashed the filler and balanced a couple of lumps on the pole!
 
Mine never ever ever ever poos in a school. Not something I've taught her but I have to say I like it... No picking it up afterwards :) Out on hacks she doesn't stop to poo.
 
Stop otherwise he poohs down his leg and the spring grass is coming through and they've got white feathersI don't mind the odd relaxing poop and grunt (his not mine lol)
 
I try to get Rose to carry on and poo but I can only just mange it in walk. She comes to complete stops in canter and once my friend was jumping her she was literally about to jump when she needed to go so ground to a halt sending her front half (except feet, they stayed in front of the jump) over the jump, friend fortunately stayed on!
 
My mare refuses to move and poo. She is a tidy little thing and hates getting it on her hocks. You can do whatever you like - she will just stop, but I have to say in her defence, she never plays on it.
 
I know my boy can move and poo at the same time, but it's rare that I can persuade him to move on when he comes to a sudden stop to relieve himself, :( He's been in RS a long time and has always been allowed to stop (easier to keep arena clean) but unfortunately the lazy/crafty sod has learnt to stop, poo a bit, carry on, stop again...I think his record is 6 small "portions" in an hour, :O so I generally hope he "gets it out of his system" before we start proper work! A friend has a dressage horse who has actually stopped mid test, wouldn't fancy that during SJ though...
 
My native always stops for a poo. She never moves and poos at the same time - not even in the field. She always stops outside the same farm and has a poo on the way home. As for the comment above from some idiot "they should feel the stick", come and sit on my toilet for a dump and I'll gladly hit you with my whip while you're turfing one out. See how you like it.
 
My YO caught me and told me off about this yesterday! I always let my mare stop to poo on the road and she makes nice neat piles, but apparently in winter these can freeze solid like concrete and do a lot of damage if a car happens to hit one in the wrong way. So no more stopping to do a poo for us or the YO will know it was me!
 
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