# train a horse to pee in paddock rather than stall?



## Buckcherry

I feel your pain, We have a stall connected to our paddock as well and he has 24/7 access and he will walk to his stall from where ever he is in the field to come pee in his stalls. It's so aggrevating. I don't know how to stop it thought lol


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## Walkamile

LOL! Yeah, my mare does that too. I think it's because she doesn't like the "splash" of urine on her legs. 

If you can figure out how to train them not to pee in their stall, I'll be all ears!


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## Haylee

My horse never poops or pee's in his stall. He and his "room mate" have a seperate stall for there "bathroom."


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## Pilot

Could be a way of them claiming their own space or I've heard horses will sometimes prefer to go bathroom in their cleanest spaces


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## dirtymartini

Funny how horses are NOT like dogs. They will poop and pee right where they sleep and eat.
I was hoping there was some old fashioned remedy or tip like "put a penny in the corner of the stall" or something crazy like that!
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## MacabreMikolaj

dirtymartini said:


> Funny how horses are NOT like dogs. They will poop and pee right where they sleep and eat.
> I was hoping there was some old fashioned remedy or tip like "put a penny in the corner of the stall" or something crazy like that!
> _Posted via Mobile Device_


You'd be surprised. If given the chance, most horses will actually prefer to keep their waste away from their food and sleeping quarters, we just don't typically allow them the opportunity or the space to do so.

My grandpa used to be SO mad because we had a 10 acre pasture by the house and the horses chose the corner absolutely closest to the house to do all their dirty work. Grass that grows back on top of feces tastes terrible and horses won't eat it - so when given enough room, they WILL create a "potty". You could find the occasional pile out in the pasture, but they pretty much all came up front to pee and poop.

As for actually training them to do so, I imagine it could be done with a LOT of work. Probably more work than it's worth! They have seeing eye horses now, and from what I understand they are trained to request to be let out to do their business so it IS possible.


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## dirtymartini

When I got my first horse here at my place (a mini) my friend brought me some of her horse's manure to put in a certain corner of the paddock, to attract him to poop there. I know that with poop that works...wonder about pee?
I kind of think Walkamile might have a point....they might like the absorbency of the stall bedding.
I could save so much money on shavings, not to mention TIME cleaning the stall! Oh, and my manure pile is growing and growing with all the wet shavings I am adding to it!
(I know this isn't news to you folks...I am sure your feeling the same way. Just wanted to vent!)
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## tinyliny

I was going to say that it's the stall bedding. Which makes me ask, why is it bedded? If your horse can come and go freely, won't they lay down outside when they want to lay down and sleep? Our horse have no place that is bedded. They lay down on the ground, in the sand or on the grass or even on the mud. Sure they are dirty, but they have no trouble sleeping on the ground, all year long. Now, we don't get a ton of snow, but even during the snow weather, they find a place to sleep. 
It is definiitel the shavings. Clean them all out, down to the matts and put a pile outdoors somewhere and see if she doesnt' change her habit.


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## dirtymartini

Yeah...I was thinking about that. When she first got here, she was stalled at night. Now we never close her in, she always has access to the paddock. I will say, sometimes at night I peek out there and she is laying in her stall
My 2 minis are in the adjoining stall/paddock and they do not have any shavings
The stalls are matted...not sure if that makes it better or worse to have no bedding?.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Gizmo

Gizmo does the same thing! I think it is the shavings too. I only use them during the winter time for extra warmth for him in his stall, but he goes pee in there and it sucks because they are expensive and they have to be cleaned out a lot when he does that. But he doesn't go outside, ever since I put the min there. My other two ideas on it is the he doesn't like to let "it" out in the cold, lol. Or he knows that it will turn to ice and make his paddock icy. But I feel your pain for sure.


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## Rachel1786

MacabreMikolaj said:


> You'd be surprised. If given the chance, most horses will actually prefer to keep their waste away from their food and sleeping quarters, we just don't typically allow them the opportunity or the space to do so.
> 
> My grandpa used to be SO mad because we had a 10 acre pasture by the house and the horses chose the corner absolutely closest to the house to do all their dirty work. Grass that grows back on top of feces tastes terrible and horses won't eat it - so when given enough room, they WILL create a "potty". You could find the occasional pile out in the pasture, but they pretty much all came up front to pee and poop.
> 
> As for actually training them to do so, I imagine it could be done with a LOT of work. Probably more work than it's worth! They have seeing eye horses now, and from what I understand they are trained to request to be let out to do their business so it IS possible.


My horses have a almost 3acre pasture, i had JUST put hay out and i watched my mare pee right in the hay, i could not believe it, she could have at least walked 10 steps before peeing!


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## Tymer

As for training I would imagine you would train a horse to pee in a certain place the same way you would train a dog. Lots of praise and good things when its outside, no response when its inside.
I guess no one does it cause it's not worth the effort?


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## Delfina

I had a family member who swore that if you matted the stall with no bedding the horses would only pee outside because the mats would cause it to splash up on their legs.

I have no idea if she was right or not. Both her and my horse never peed or pooped in their matted, unbedded stalls but they had HUGE runs and unless it was pouring on their heads or unbelievably cold, they never went into their stalls.


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## dirtymartini

I just want to add that cold weather is really not an issue here in South Florida.

I can't imagine training a horse to pee and poop outside like you would a dog...I mean, a dog poops twice a day, and I let my dogs out a minimum of 3 times a day to pee. Horses poop...what would you say, about 10 times a day? And probably pee that much, too?

Ok, I am considering keeping bedding out of the stall. Like I said, I do that for the minis, but they rarely go in their stall and never really did (I did have shavings in there at one point), whereas this mare seems to like her stall, so I feel it might be a little mean to keep it bare. I will decide, but thanks to everyone for their comments and input!


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## horsplay

Rachel1786 said:


> My horses have a almost 3acre pasture, i had JUST put hay out and i watched my mare pee right in the hay, i could not believe it, she could have at least walked 10 steps before peeing!



I cared for a horse once who did the same thing. I never saw that horse eat a bite before peeing on its hay first. It makes me think that maybe there was a deficiency in his diet and the pee helped him get what he needed or he was just weird....

As for getting a horse to pee out side..... the only thing I can think of is to remove the shavings and see if that has any effect. Most horses will grow thick winter coats and not need to be in stalls. I would leave her the option of going in but I don't think the shavings have much effect if she is aloud to come and go as she pleases.


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## Alwaysbehind

MacabreMikolaj said:


> You'd be surprised. If given the chance, most horses will actually prefer to keep their waste away from their food and sleeping quarters, we just don't typically allow them the opportunity or the space to do so.


No one told any of the horses I know this.

I have one very neat horse who makes his manure all in one big pile. 

MFM tends to make a huge pile of manure too, but her pile is right under her hay bag. Not the actions of a horse that is trying to keep her waste away from her food, considering the door to her paddock is wide open an she can manure outside or in any other spot in her stall.

BF is just a slob. And like was described by others, is more than willing to manure and pee right on her hay. I do not think this is a lack of something in her diet either. She is the type that soils her food and then has a complete hissy fit that her food is ruined.


I cleaned stalls for years to pay my board. I would say there are far more horses who are slobs and do not care where they manure (in relationship to their feed) than there are horses that do care.


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## Katesrider011

My horse pees and poops in the corner of the stalls. She also pees and poops in the corners of the paddock as well. She's picky about where she goes.


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## vivache

The mare I show's owner taught her to pee on command, and has her do it before she goes in her stall.

I kid you not. 

I'm a little afraid of parking her out at a show now...


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## CharliGirl

If you give a horse a litter box, they will likely use it. :wink: I don't use shavings in my lean-to shelter, so my boys pee out in the open. They all pee in generally the same area (easy to tell with all of the snow).

The vet I used to work for would have me run the hose out to the pasture and let it make splashing noises before the horses came in. The noise of running water made several of them pee. If we didn't do this, the horses would go to their stalls and pee before eating, so we knew that they had to go already.


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## kitten_Val

Folks, you gonna laugh, but one of my mares does not pee when locked in stall for the night. She hold it and in morning run out and pee next to the barn. Well, my other one does it all over the stall though. It depends on horse, I don't believe it's something that can be trained.


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## Sarahandlola

Where I work...The ponies always wait until they are in the field to pee. They never ever do it while waiting for lessons etc unless you really really have to... It is so funny bringing them into the field and seeing them all peeing XD


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## Walkamile

My gelding who is always looking for _interesting_ things to do, will often pee or poo in his mothers food dish. :evil: Of course he never does this in his. So, I think with the right motivation and time, you probably could teach a horse where to go. But, like anything, it's the constant reinforcement that would be difficult.


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## kitten_Val

Sarahandlola said:


> Where I work...The ponies always wait until they are in the field to pee. They never ever do it while waiting for lessons etc unless you really really have to... It is so funny bringing them into the field and seeing them all peeing XD


Actually my horses never pee and paint never/qh VERY rarely poop when I ride. They always try to poo when they see me coming to the field to pick one for the ride. It's very hilarious: both square, pick up the tails, and do the business.


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## twogeldings

Oh man, my guys used to ALWAYS pee RIGHT next to the waterbucket in the lean-to. Then it would rain and all the rain would drain in and it would be a bog of urine and nasty. Boy was THAT a pain to have to clean out!

My guys are awful though, they pee and poo all over the place. Loki likes to pee on really good hay, for whatever reason.


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## sarahver

kitten_Val said:


> Actually my horses never pee and paint never/qh VERY rarely poop when I ride. They always try to poo when they see me coming to the field to pick one for the ride. It's very hilarious: both square, pick up the tails, and do the business.


This is going to sound like I am the most unobservant person in the world but often I see horses have a big poop when they see me coming and I don't often have one do their business while I am riding. I never put two and two together until I saw this KV ha ha. 

I wonder if it is because I expect them to keep doing whatever I was asking them to do undersaddle while pooping and they learn that it is just better to offload beforehand? Hmmm, interesting.


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## kitten_Val

sarahver said:


> This is going to sound like I am the most unobservant person in the world but often I see horses have a big poop when they see me coming and I don't often have one do their business while I am riding. I never put two and two together until I saw this KV ha ha.
> 
> I wonder if it is because I expect them to keep doing whatever I was asking them to do undersaddle while pooping and they learn that it is just better to offload beforehand? Hmmm, interesting.


I don't know frankly. My paint never does it under me. QH never poo in ring, but does on trail sometime. Not sure why they try to unload just before the work (or hold it for after) - may be they are just too busy working. Most other horses I rode (usually lessons) have no problem to poop whenever they want to.


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## Walkamile

kitten_Val said:


> Actually my horses never pee and paint never/qh VERY rarely poop when I ride. *They always try to poo when they see me coming to the field to pick one for the ride*. It's very hilarious: both square, pick up the tails, and do the business.


Maybe seeing you coming scares the poop outta them! :shock:

Just kidding, couldn't resist.

My husbands hunting beagle always peed and pooped on the way to the hunt. Needed to clean himself out, because he knew he wouldn't have time during the hunt. Was an awesome dog. Maybe your horses know that riding means business, no time to poo or pee.

Mine even stop to poo on the trail. God help me if I ever want to show, will be most embarrassing!


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## kitten_Val

Walkamile said:


> Maybe seeing you coming scares the poop outta them! :shock:


He-he-he... I was waiting someone to say that! :lol: 

The trailer scares a poop outta my paint - that's for sure. She s***t all around and inside from the floor to the ceiling (no kidding).


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## Carleen

My friend's gelding loves to poop in his water bucket. Nearly every morning there is at least one, if not more poops in there. I think he finds it funny...


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## Sarahandlola

It happens a lot with the horses here too...They like to poop in their water! Problem is their water bucket fills itself and cannot be emptied so the poo has to be taken out by hand XD I think the water needs to be put up a little higher =/


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## horsplay

vivache said:


> The mare I show's owner taught her to pee on command, and has her do it before she goes in her stall.
> 
> I kid you not.
> 
> I'm a little afraid of parking her out at a show now...


I had a friend who told me once that she had a mare that watched her very closely when she mucked the yard into a trashcan. One day the mare backed herself up to the can and pooed in it. So I guess it partially depends on the horse but could probly be trained if your willing to put in the work.


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## kitten_Val

Carleen said:


> My friend's gelding loves to poop in his water bucket. Nearly every morning there is at least one, if not more poops in there. I think he finds it funny...


Mine used to do it for fun (she almost grounded her butt on top and pooped). We solved it by hanging the bucket higher.


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