# Horse pees when running. Why?



## Carleen (Jun 19, 2009)

Is she in heat? Or does this happen year-round?


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## barrelracer892 (Apr 3, 2010)

No, she's not in heat. That's what I thought could be wrong too, but it's not.


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## Speed Racer (Oct 21, 2009)

A 'busted gut' would cause death, not her urinating on herself.

I've never heard of a horse doing that. It _could_ be nerves, but she could also have a UTI.

That would worry me, since it's so unusual. I'd have a vet take cultures and see if she has an infection.


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## Carleen (Jun 19, 2009)

I'd be concerned about a UTI as well.


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## Jacksmama (Jan 27, 2010)

Ditto, that just doesn't sound right. I've always been told a horse has to stop to pee?


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## ponyboy (Jul 24, 2008)

Could it be a urethral fistula? Not sure how that would happen to horse, just an idea.


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## MacabreMikolaj (May 9, 2009)

Ironically, Shay-las retired mare did that all the time as well. Turns out, she has either a severe soft tissue energy or a potentially fractured vertebrae (unable to determine without x-rays which we can't get without driving to the next province). I assume the extreme pain of having a rider on her back likely decreased her ability to control her bladder as she was concentrating so hard on keeping those muscles tight.

She's 19 and now retired, but was ridden her entire life without a diagnosis. Everyone just thought she was "fresh" when she spent her time bolting and bucking.


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## JustDressageIt (Oct 4, 2007)

Please encourage your friend to consult a vet. This is not normal to my knowledge.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## reining girl (Jan 30, 2009)

Its nerves. My barrel trainer said you would see mares doing that all the time at barrel races. I have seen several mares do it at barrel races to. It seems to only happen to young mares.


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## kiwigirl (Sep 30, 2009)

reining girl said:


> Its nerves. My barrel trainer said you would see mares doing that all the time at barrel races. I have seen several mares do it at barrel races to. It seems to only happen to young mares.


 Really? Are you sure? I have seen nervous horses, sweat, tremble, prance, dance, kick, roll eyes, rear, leap and hop, yet I have NEVER seen a horse urinate while doing these things. I have seen nervous horses stop in mid prance to wee and then carry on prancing after the wee. The only time I have ever seen a hirse wee while moving was an old, old horse who became completely incontinent and had to be put down not long after.


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## Alwaysbehind (Jul 10, 2009)

I am with Kiwi on this one.

I have a nervous mare. Sure she manures while she is flying sideways or trying to decide if the barn car will really pounce on her and eat her alive.

But she does not every leak urine or intentionally urinate even when totally freaking out. 

I have spent more than a few hours at horse shows and I have never seen a mare urinating because it is excited.

I agree that your friend needs to discuss this with their vet.


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## SorrelHorse (Apr 9, 2009)

Could be nerves, could not be.

There isn't ever really a definite answer to anything without a vet check. Maybe it is only nerves, but it could be something more serious.


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## Alwaysbehind (Jul 10, 2009)

SorrelHorse said:


> Could be nerves, could not be.


I would think if horses urinating was a nervous thing then many more of us would have experienced a horse doing it. 

It seems highly unlikely a horse would urinate when it is nervous as urinating normally puts them in a vulnerable position.


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## Speed Racer (Oct 21, 2009)

*Dogs* urinate when they're nervous, stressed, or over excited, not horses.

There could be any number of reasons why this mare is urinating during exercise, none of them good. 

I sure as hell wouldn't be taking any chances if it were one of my horses; I'd have a vet out to look at the animal pronto.


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## reining girl (Jan 30, 2009)

just something i have noticed and something my barrel trainer noticed. dont have to believe me i really dont care. maybe all of those horses had some kind of medical condition, i dont know i never asked.


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## Indyhorse (Dec 3, 2009)

Speed Racer said:


> *Dogs* urinate when they're nervous, stressed, or over excited, not horses.
> 
> There could be any number of reasons why this mare is urinating during exercise, none of them good.
> 
> I sure as hell wouldn't be taking any chances if it were one of my horses; I'd have a vet out to look at the animal pronto.


100% agree. I think it's a dangerous road to call it "nerves" and say good enough. I've NEVER seen a horse wee on the fly like that. Manure, sure. But I've never, ever seen a horse not stop everything they were doing to pee. Even the gelding I had a few years ago, who was obsessed with his job as a trail-guide horse and would never stop without reason, would stop to wee, although he did often crabwalk a bit through the tail end of the wee. A horse peeing while running full tilt is surely a sign something is wrong. Horses are not dogs, they are not submissive urinaters. I'd have the horse checked out yesterday.


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