Toilet Training!?

[lovecharles]

My friend has a private field with two horses. She used to poo pick and put the droppings in the corners of the field. The horses now use these areas as the toilet! In that small part of the field, the grass is long as the horses won't eat from it as their droppings are there - however the rest of the field is practically poo-free! She cleans out the corners, leaving just a poo or two so they use it again, probably every month. The horses are on a strict worming plan.

I'm not sure what I think to this - what are your thoughts?

 

[debsflo]

some horses are very clean .my big mare is the same in her stable and field always in one small patch.makes life easier

 

[Paint it Lucky]

Sounds brilliant to me, wish I could get my horses to do this!

 

[Chico Mio]

When mine are on the paddock that has got grass in it, they always poo at one edge or in a corner - so they have more grass to eat I assume!!

 

[kerilli]

some of mine do that anyway, Katy in particular would only go on the 'stale' parts of the grass, never on the nice 'lawn' parts. i think this fastidiousness comes with age, the youngsters just do it anywhere!

 

[CastleMouse]

Ali does that too

 

[TarrSteps]

"Wild" horses and horses kept in large areas divide their area into roughs and lawns as a matter of course, even if it doesn't look obvious. It's only in restricted areas or on managed grazing they go where they stand.

Interestingly, I've also seen it when people use arena's for regular turnout - the horses tend to all go in the same spot, usually a corner. Stallions are obsessive about it but that's a marking behaviour.

That said, I suspect it's a learned behaviour. I knew a mare that was VERY neat, both in her stall and outside, and all her foals, boys and girls, were similarly neat and stayed that way for life. Personally, I thought it was definitely something to breed for.

I've found horses that come from large, stable herds, as with breeders, tend to be more inclined this way.

 

[Donkeymad]

I've had ponies and donkeys do that, so considerate. never had a horse do it though