To pee or not to pee that is the question...

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cheekywelshie

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So...i'm at the point where i think it is time to ask the vet.

Pony has always been a bit funny about peeing - but sometimes he goes straight away, others he takes a while and sometimes he just stops does the 'wee' stance then goes...then stops then goes then stops then eventually and this could be half an hour later goes!

It always happens at the beginning of the dressage test as well. So now I am completely worried about the test because pretty much as soon as the bell goes - IF he hasn't peed beforehand in the wamr up then I know there is one coming. Either when the bell goes or half way round the test. But today he pooed on the bell then stopped after the canter-trot transiton - hence the comment 'stopped for comfort break' on test sheet(!) then went again! he finally went for a wee on the way back home!

He does it on hacks but not as pronounced (ie not as muich stop start stop start) and when I ride in the fields he tends to just 'go'!

he's been like this for a while but it has got worse esp during the dressage so i have been thinking of giving that up!

A friend said it could be a bean in his willy?!?! I am thinking of ringing the vet tomorrow.
 
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Get him checked out but my guess he is taking the p*** but not literally, I have known many, especially ponies, do this as a way of getting out of work they soon get over it once they are told it is not allowed, as long as you know there is nothing physically wrong then try getting cross if he even thinks of stopping, he can manage to wait 10 mins, he certainly should not be stopping in trot or canter, going when you halt at the end I can understand but stopping at a faster pace is unacceptable, I think he is living up to your user name.

The other thing to try is to take him in to a newly bedded stable just before you tack up to ride, he may learn to go before working, also take him in after work rather than tying him up on concrete which will put him off going, my horse nearly always does droppings as I start getting him ready then comes back and has a pee as soon as he is untacked in his stable, they can become set in a routine and you can use that to your advantage.
 
A YO on a livery I was on had a boy who refused point blank to pee anywhere other than his stable! She regularly would arrive back at the yard in the wagon with said boy bursting, dash him into his stable for his pee, reload and dash back in time for her class. She'd had him for years and arrived with the habit. They tried everything including taking some of his bedding with him and never got to the bottom of it.
 
Do get him checked, I knew a riding school pony who was like this and used to get told off for trying it on and it turned out there was a medical cause. I can't remember exactly what now, but it was treated and he stopped doing it.
 
cheekywelshie said:
So...i'm at the point where i think it is time to ask the vet.

Pony has always been a bit funny about peeing - but sometimes he goes straight away, others he takes a while and sometimes he just stops does the 'wee' stance then goes...then stops then goes then stops then eventually and this could be half an hour later goes!

It always happens at the beginning of the dressage test as well. So now I am completely worried about the test because pretty much as soon as the bell goes - IF he hasn't peed beforehand in the wamr up then I know there is one coming. Either when the bell goes or half way round the test. But today he pooed on the bell then stopped after the canter-trot transiton - hence the comment 'stopped for comfort break' on test sheet(!) then went again! he finally went for a wee on the way back home!

He does it on hacks but not as pronounced (ie not as muich stop start stop start) and when I ride in the fields he tends to just 'go'!

he's been like this for a while but it has got worse esp during the dressage so i have been thinking of giving that up!

A friend said it could be a bean in his willy?!?! I am thinking of ringing the vet tomorrow.
Click to expand...
If you are not sure about the bean ,google EQUINE SMEGMA BEAN some times the size of the bean will slow the flow of urine ,and be quite uncomfortable.
 
He does the stretch and takes a bit doing that then groans then nothing happens he walks on again..which makes me wonder....

Today's test was even worse as he pooed as well - just as I was about to go down the centre line - and stopped! But at least that was quick!
 
Makemineacob said:
A YO on a livery I was on had a boy who refused point blank to pee anywhere other than his stable! She regularly would arrive back at the yard in the wagon with said boy bursting, dash him into his stable for his pee, reload and dash back in time for her class. She'd had him for years and arrived with the habit. They tried everything including taking some of his bedding with him and never got to the bottom of it.
Click to expand...

We had an eventer who was like this, it was so frustrating as he never jumped very well if he needed a pee and we sometimes competed 2 or more hours away from home. We used to put his travel boots on half an hour before leaving home and hoped he'd pee before we left. He never ever did it whilst at an event, goodness knows how he managed to hold on so long.
 
My six year old doesn't like weeing in his stable. He will try and wait till he is turned out in the morning. It's very rare I find a wee in his stable.
 
Might be worth asking vet to check for any problems for peace of mind OP.
Interesting to hear of horses only wanting to go in their stable etc, mine goes wherever he fancies, doesn't even stretch out half the time, just stops and pees while gazing around lazily!
 
How does he go in the stable/ field? If he takes just as long to pee there you may have a problem. My boy is very sharp and somtimes if he needs to pee when I ride he will assume the position, get distracted by a noise or something moving then will take a step and set himself up again. Im not worried, it's just a quirk. When he goes in the stable or field it's straight away, and he is often fine when on rides so long as he is relaxed lol.

As others have said I'd check for a bean.. if you've not done it before you can get the vet to sedate and do a thorough job :) it is easier than you think so if you're horse is not likely to kick just get some long gloves and water soluble.. stuff (ky) and go up!
 
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This! There was a pony at the riding school I learnt to ride at when I was little that used to pretend to need a pee whenever he was at the front of the group and it was his turn to trot. So that he would get overtaken and end up at the back again!


be positive said:
Get him checked out but my guess he is taking the p*** but not literally, I have known many, especially ponies, do this as a way of getting out of work they soon get over it once they are told it is not allowed, as long as you know there is nothing physically wrong then try getting cross if he even thinks of stopping, he can manage to wait 10 mins, he certainly should not be stopping in trot or canter, going when you halt at the end I can understand but stopping at a faster pace is unacceptable, I think he is living up to your user name.

The other thing to try is to take him in to a newly bedded stable just before you tack up to ride, he may learn to go before working, also take him in after work rather than tying him up on concrete which will put him off going, my horse nearly always does droppings as I start getting him ready then comes back and has a pee as soon as he is untacked in his stable, they can become set in a routine and you can use that to your advantage.
Click to expand...
 
Hmm, my boy has developed a routine of peeing near the beginning of a hack AND (just like my old pony) he's always stuffy until he has a poo (this applies to schooling too without the peeing part) After his poo he's sharp as a knife. He ALWAYS pees when I put him in his stable too. He also always has a pee when travelling but rarely whilst at a show.
 
I knew a horse who become quite funny about peeing due to a sacroilliac issue making the stance uncomfortable to hold, (he'd go to pee then decide not to, then try again later, so he was peeing in dribs and drabs) I think they looked at all sorts of thing before the vet/owner combo sussed it.
 
You need to get the vet out to be sure there is no problem. But I do know of at least one pony who had figured out that if you stop for a "pee" the rider stands quietly and stops asking you to move on.

My hunt gelding is one of those who won't pee outside his own stable if he can help it. I have no idea how he does it (I can't hold on all hunt!) but he always has had. We broke down once with him and 2 others on the lorry. We were there probably 3 or 4 hours after the hunt had finished with the mechanic on his back under the lorry in the pitch dark. All of a sudden - fluid everywhere. Poor bloke thought he had split the fuel pipe or something - came up dripping and spluttering to 3 women all trying not to laugh. All 3 geldings had let go at once....
 
My gelding decided to pooh in the middle of a dressage test recently and I made him keep going, the end result was that you could see my change of rein perfectly and there was no way the judge couldn't say I was straight as he poohed in a perfect straight line! :)
 
I'd probably check for a bean (get help if you've never done it) and then get a vet if that doesn't resolve it. The stop-start-stop might be nothing, but it might be something. I too have known someone with a "naughty" horse that it turned out had something wrong with his prostate (treatable).

I had a friend as a child who's pony stopped to pee in response to the bell in SJ classes! It never failed, as soon as the bell went he'd stop and assume the stance. At little comps she used to give his name as "Pavlov". And the boy i ride at the riding school always pees as soon as he's back in his stable, and sometimes he must have REALLY needed it because it's gallons, so that's obviously where he feels safe/best about doing it. Just have to watch your feet and make sure the girth isn't dangling in the splash zone if you've rushed to get his saddle off...
 
Well he's quite a tolerant boy but i have never been errr up there before! I guess I'll have to see if he dangles it out! I have seen him do the stretch in the field He doesn't do this all the time - but a lot of times. Where is the errr bean - is it at the end of the willy or do you have to fiddle around (feeling a bit sick at the thought!) From memory i don't remember him taking as long to pee in the stable but i have seen him d the 'wee stance' in the field then not wee then wee later
 
My gelding is another who won't wee while he's out. He never ever goes while he's being ridden, no matter how much I try to allow him to get comfortable. Its rather a relief (ha!) to find he's not the only one!

When he does go, though, he assumes the stance and lets go. I would be worried by stopping and starting, or taking up the position and then not going. In my (admittedly limited) experience of sheath cleaning, if you make sure you have warm hands, use warm water, and make your way slowly to the area in question, they can become quite relaxed (mine occasionally seems to enjoy sheath cleaning to a somewhat disturbing degree) in which case it's fairly easy to have a good feel around. If you reach all the way up and over the top (it might make sense when you get up there, it's hard to describe!, and then gently press down, that seem to persuade mine to 'let it all hang out'.

And someone WILL walk past and see you doing it and be horrified, it's inevitable :D
 
The bean is inside the end of the penis, the urethra hole has a sort of pocket almost at the end, just inside the end of the penis, so the wee can go past a bean until it gets to a certain size. Once it's too big though it can block wee. Sometimes you can squeeze gently behind the head of the penis and it pops out, sometimes you have to root around in there with a finger (i know! *shudders*). I have to confess the only male horse i have ever cared for was a stallion and they don't generally get beans (assuming they're "working" stallions) because they're using the equipment as nature intended. But then they do regard penis/sheath washing as foreplay which makes for a whole other sort of horrific...

There are lots of videos and articles online about sheath cleaning and finding the bean - some of them are a bit awful (just saw one where the guy wasn't wearing gloves! D:) but there are a fair few which should give you a good idea of what's necessary. Best of luck!
 
cheekywelshie said:
He does the stretch and takes a bit doing that then groans then nothing happens he walks on again..which makes me wonder....

Today's test was even worse as he pooed as well - just as I was about to go down the centre line - and stopped! But at least that was quick!
Click to expand...

A horse that takes the stance to wee and groans but passes no urine ,can be suffering from bladder stones, a large stone that causes a blockage will cause the bladder to rupture ,best thing to do is get the vet , better safe than sorry. This is more common in gelding than mares .
 
littletrotter said:
I'd probably check for a bean (get help if you've never done it) and then get a vet if that doesn't resolve it. The stop-start-stop might be nothing, but it might be something. I too have known someone with a "naughty" horse that it turned out had something wrong with his prostate (treatable).

I had a friend as a child who's pony stopped to pee in response to the bell in SJ classes! It never failed, as soon as the bell went he'd stop and assume the stance. At little comps she used to give his name as "Pavlov". And the boy i ride at the riding school always pees as soon as he's back in his stable, and sometimes he must have REALLY needed it because it's gallons, so that's obviously where he feels safe/best about doing it. Just have to watch your feet and make sure the girth isn't dangling in the splash zone if you've rushed to get his saddle off...
Click to expand...

I would also have this checked by a vet before making any assumptions about it being behavioural.

On the pony peeing at the bell, we always used to teach our horses to pee to a certain whistle. I wouldn't say they were trained to pee on command but whistling certainly helped to remind them to go if they could. Very handy for competing (or more specifically, just prior!).
 
He does pass urine just not at that point when he does his stretch..so it was 5 minutes later then a long wee came out! not sure if that makes any difference? Somtimes as well he does the wee stance then just goes straight away! But this is less than the stop stretch..go later
 
O k so i had a root around this morning gave it a quick clean and looked at the hole but couldn't see any bean!! Do i need to investigate inside...ugh not sure I can do that!!
 
I'm afraid so....

If you're going to get the vet out anyway you can just let them do it - mention you've heard about "a bean" but say you weren't really sure where to look - they'll look and be paid for the ordeal.
 
OK so I had another fiddle this morning around the tip of the willy and inside and couldn't see anything! Didn't seem much smegma either. I shoudl add that this issue has been going on for years but it seems to be more prounounced reently - when i have gone back to my old yard ot do dressage (less so with jumping )
 
I teach someone with a 24 YO 14.2 hh, very old and wise pony. He is ex-riding school, and wily.

He did loads of almost wees when ridden on the school, never hacking, but all the time to disruption on the school. He could wee perfectly well in the field/stable. Th vet checked anyway, and passed clean bill of health. After that he was allowed ONE wee stop, and if he did not wee we did a 10 minute warm up, when he was allowed another wee stop.

Very soon he would maybe take advantage of the first wee stop, but stopped using it as an excuse to rest all the time!
 
shergar said:
A horse that takes the stance to wee and groans but passes no urine ,can be suffering from bladder stones, a large stone that causes a blockage will cause the bladder to rupture ,best thing to do is get the vet , better safe than sorry. This is more common in gelding than mares .
Click to expand...

Agree with this. I would definitely be checking for urinary stones or a urinary infection. Sounds like he wants to go but physically can't.
 
Always worth a check but I have known several horses (all geldings!) use it as an excuse to get out of work. A friend's cob will do it every time he's being asked to do flatwork - never with jumping or out hacking. He's a standing joke at riding club now. He'll spend the first 10 minutes of a lesson stopping every 30 seconds or so. Occasionally he'll wee, but more often than not he won't. We always know when he's being serious as his tail flicks about, it stays still when he's putting it on.
 
Frank has always done this before a dressage test. Never when schooling/show jumping/any other activity.

A good trot sometimes helps :p and I have to kind of gauge it when to tell him off and make him go on and when he genuinely might get round to it..
 
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