# Can't Poop and Walk at the same time?



## lacyloo (Jul 1, 2008)

I think its normal.Both my horses stop but they HATE pooping while riding.They prefer to do it at home in the stall :roll:


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## kchfuller (Feb 1, 2008)

Do you use spurs or a crop? 

If she was my horse and she stopped I would ask her to move forward and if she didn't then I would ask more firmly and if she still didn't move then I would smack her on the butt with my crop to tell her I mean it when I asked her to move forward.

Have you tried those things?


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## mls (Nov 28, 2006)

One of my students had her horse pass manure under saddle at a lope last night for the very first time. I've been teaching this gal for almost a year.

My husbands mare will still stop once in a while but I do believe it depends on the rider. If she knows she can get by with it - she will. (She is nearly 23 years old)


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## Alwaysbehind (Jul 10, 2009)

kchfuller said:


> Do you use spurs or a crop?
> 
> If she was my horse and she stopped I would ask her to move forward and if she didn't then I would ask more firmly and if she still didn't move then I would smack her on the butt with my crop to tell her I mean it when I asked her to move forward.
> 
> Have you tried those things?


Good advice.

She can manure and walk/trot/canter she is just choosing not to and no one is making her so why should she.

Follow the great advice kchfuller posted.


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## 1dog3cats17rodents (Dec 7, 2007)

It's not health, it's "I don't want to". I helped train up a pony once who was horrible about it. She. would. not. move. I asked her to keep walking with a squeeze, I told her to keep walking with a kick or cluck, and then I made the sky drop on her, reins flapping, kicking, whacking with the crop untill she moved, then I released and praised. It didn't take long for her to figure it out, lol


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## kevinshorses (Aug 15, 2009)

I'll bet if a bear was after her she could poop and walk with no problem. She has you and your trainer bluffed. All she has to do is force out a turd and she gets to rest for a while.


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## cowgirl4jesus94 (Jun 14, 2008)

^ LOL. Kevinshorses is right.


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## drafts4ever (Sep 1, 2009)

My girl likes to stop so as soon as I feel her tense I squeeze with my legs and tell her move forward. Normally it works. She just needs some coaxing.


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## BaliDoll (Sep 21, 2009)

I let my horse stop.... lol is that bad? I feel like I'd rather not have to walk and poo, so unless it's in the show ring, I let him stop...


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## iridehorses (Oct 22, 2007)

BaliDoll said:


> I let my horse stop.... lol is that bad? I feel like I'd rather not have to walk and poo, so unless it's in the show ring, I let him stop...


Yup, that's not a good thing. Allowing your horse to stop out of the ring may work it's way into the ring. Just because it hasn't doesn't mean it won't - do you want to take that chance?


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## 1dog3cats17rodents (Dec 7, 2007)

BaliDoll said:


> I let my horse stop.... lol is that bad? I feel like I'd rather not have to walk and poo, so unless it's in the show ring, I let him stop...


That's your preference, and I'm not trying to change it. But keep in mind predators and prey are different. A predator (human, cat, dog, etc.) can afford to take the time to squat and go, lol. But prey can't, they are built to run and poop. If a horse was in the middle of pooping and a cougar ran at them, they are biologically capable of running and pooping easily and comfortably, unlike a predator

The diet also plays a role, the high fiber diet of prey is much easier to pass than a meat filled diet


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## AlmagroN (Jul 19, 2009)

1dog3cats17rodents said:


> But prey can't, they are built to run and poop. If a horse was in the middle of pooping and a cougar ran at them, they are biologically capable of running and pooping easily and comfortably, unlike a predator


sorry, just pictured a horse running bug eyed, screaming, and pooing all over and the cougar getting it right in the face..... :lol: im strange, yes... im just so visual. lol


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## MN Tigerstripes (Feb 20, 2009)

^^^ lmfao!


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## Vidaloco (Sep 14, 2007)

I'm very guilty of letting Vida stop to do her business. If a bear was chasing us then yes, I think I would make her keep going. In our world there are not bear so I let her stop. We are never in a show ring and have no intention of ever being in one. My friends tease me for letting her do it, saying she couldn't stop in the wild. Well, we aren't in the wild so there 
She also stops to pee when we are out, I can't see it being possible to make her keep walking and peeing :shock: I can never tell if she is peeing or pooping anyway :lol: till I hear the plop or the puddle


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## masatisan (Jan 12, 2009)

If you absolutely cannot make the horse go forward, bring her nose to your stirrup and really squeeze/nudge. It will make her move, she won't be going forward, but at least she won't be standing totally still.

A friend of mine has a QH gelding who was actually trained to stop to poo, when she first got him he would stop, poo, then wait for her to get off and pick up the poo like his old owner used to do, it took her months to "untrain" him.


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## AlmagroN (Jul 19, 2009)

masatisan said:


> A friend of mine has a QH gelding who was actually trained to stop to poo, when she first got him he would stop, poo, then wait for her to get off and pick up the poo like his old owner used to do, it took her months to "untrain" him.


really? wow, thats different. thats kind of like when you walk your dog and have to pick up the poop after them... i suppose in this case though you will need a much bigger baggy to pick it up with!


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## kchfuller (Feb 1, 2008)

^they can't pee and walk


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## AlmagroN (Jul 19, 2009)

kchfuller said:


> ^they can't pee and walk


actually boys can


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## HorsesAreForever (Nov 9, 2007)

I let Chance stop to poop but I dont think im going to now because lately shes just been stopping to let ONE drop! Which is ridiculous! Shes pooping more just to get outta work xD!!!!


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## kchfuller (Feb 1, 2008)

AlmagroN said:


> actually boys can


Veda said "she" so i was referring to mares.. sorry didn't specify


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## redneckprincess70 (May 5, 2009)

AlmagroN said:


> sorry, just pictured a horse running bug eyed, screaming, and pooing all over and the cougar getting it right in the face..... :lol: im strange, yes... im just so visual. lol


 
That was my thought. LOL


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## NorthernMama (Mar 12, 2008)

One of my horses is a stop'n'poo. The other isn't. I don't show, but I did work with her for a while to see if she had any health issues or just w/couldn't wrap her mind around walking and pooping at the same time. So, I found out with lots of forward encouragement that she could indeed be a walk'n'poop instead. However, now that I know that, I let her stop anyway. I did the whole "sky falling down" thing to get her to move and it worked, so to the OP, it can be done, but you may have to be quit stubborn about it with her.

My other horse is a walk'n'poop, but it is very noticeable when she does. I've been on plenty of horses that you can't even tell unless you paying close attention. 

Almagro -- I always wondered -- do trainers ever give horses enemas before a race? I have had a thought in my mind that my OTSTBreds were never taught to walk'n'poop because they never had to. The only way I could figure that would be an enema before a race.


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## BaliDoll (Sep 21, 2009)

Eh... we only show about 3 times a year, so I'm not really all that worried about it. He can stop if he wants to  but yeah, makes sense that they are biologically able to poo and run... however... they would only do that in emergencies? so it's not like they don't stop in the wild...


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## kevinshorses (Aug 15, 2009)

AlmagroN said:


> actually boys can


No they can't.


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## ShebaGurl (Nov 13, 2007)

Yes I use a whip and have found that after awhile she will just hold it in until we are all done, but its almost like you can tell she is not 100% giving her all in her workout or in the ring when that happens. I was actually thinking about an enema, lol. The problem with Sheba's training before I got her was that they would just kick and kick and eventually she got dull to the leg and ignored it, sometimes she gets that way with the whip too. Funny thing is I've never seen her run and poop in the pasture either.


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## justsambam08 (Sep 26, 2009)

I know I shouldn't, but i just let my boy stop and poop. It won't kill me or him, I never plan on showing him or anything like that, he's just a trail horse. After he's done he starts moving again without question, so it's almost like he presses the "pause" button and after he's finished continues on with what we were doing!


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## AlmagroN (Jul 19, 2009)

kevinshorses said:


> No they can't.


yes they can. i have seen it. same as how male dogs can walk and pee.



NorthernMama said:


> Almagro -- I always wondered -- do trainers ever give horses enemas before a race? I have had a thought in my mind that my OTSTBreds were never taught to walk'n'poop because they never had to. The only way I could figure that would be an enema before a race.


actually many of them do walk and poop. its very discouraged for them to stop. a lot poo during a race. thats so fun- nothing like being 2ft away from a horses rear thats going 30mph and having them take a dump! guess where it all goes????

there are things we do to reduce that though as many horses will start to suck air after the poop in a race like that. we wear towels that are wetted down on the crouper, or heavy rubber pieces. this also helps stop the poop from hitting you so much. 

a lot are given little feed that day and only one flake of hay to reduce the amount of poop they produce. and in the paddock when harnessing and getting ready to race, some get nervous that causes them to poop a lot. most know to poop it all out there so they dont have to race with it. 

but even jogging during the day if they start to poop they are encouraged with the lines or a whip to keep moving. that can carry over into a race which is NOT good.


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## toosexy4myspotz (Oct 7, 2007)

Poco has never walked and pooped at the same time. I dont care if you have a crop whip, spurs, or a bomb, if he is pooping he aint moving.


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## NorthernMama (Mar 12, 2008)

Thanks, Almagro -- great info. Just one of many reasons why I would never be a cart-driver!


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## MacabreMikolaj (May 9, 2009)

Every horse I've ever seen pee needs to stop, stretch out the back legs and hump it's back. Hence we we're supposed to stand up and get off their backs when they need to pee. Regardless if they're male or female. I do not understand how it would be possible for a horse to walk and pee. If you don't allow a horse to stop and pee, they simply hold it in.


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## kchfuller (Feb 1, 2008)

i have never seen a horse pee while moving- i didn't think it was possible and i have always been taught to 2 point if they are peeing.


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## AlmagroN (Jul 19, 2009)

NorthernMama said:


> Thanks, Almagro -- great info. Just one of many reasons why I would never be a cart-driver!


haha. yeah thats definately a drawback! plus the pants part of our colors (racing silks... whatever you want to call them) are white. soooo yeah, horse poop stains!!!


as far as boys peeing and walking. i have seen it happen. i guess i should have rephrased better as i didnt mean they all can, but i meant i have seen it happen. 2 times. they may have been having a problem... i dont know... they seemed to not even know they were peeing. they went about their business like it wasnt even happening...


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## PaintHorseMares (Apr 19, 2008)

Hmmmm...I don't know anyone that pushes their horse along on the trail when they decide to poop or pee. When our mares are on the trail for hours, sometimes they go, sometimes not at all, sometimes they'll stop to poop, sometimes they do while walking. As long as they'll move if I need them to (like to make space on the trail), I really don't care.


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## dynamite. (Jun 21, 2008)

Willow will walk forward if you ask her to while she is pooping, she just won't continue to. Instead she acts like a turd until you let her stop again. Maybe I should make her watch my friends gelding while he poops over a jump, lol. He will do anything!


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## jimmy (Aug 26, 2009)

i,ve a heavy driving cob that always pooped whilst walking i let someone else drive htm for a few mths and they let him stand and now i,m aving murders getting him back to how he was


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## kevinshorses (Aug 15, 2009)

kchfuller said:


> i have never seen a horse pee while moving- i didn't think it was possible and i have always been taught to 2 point if they are peeing.


ditto!


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## Vidaloco (Sep 14, 2007)

^^^ me too (on the 2 point)


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## AlmagroN (Jul 19, 2009)

sorry, i have to ask.. you must all think im an idiot for asking- but i dont ride and know nothing about it! whats pointing?


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## 1dog3cats17rodents (Dec 7, 2007)

Two pointing is the position riders use when jumping. You can also do it on the flat.


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## gypsygirl (Oct 15, 2009)

actually you dont have to 2point when they pee...think about it, just bc you stand up in your stirrups, doesnt mean there is less weight on their back.


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## riccil0ve (Mar 28, 2009)

I'm with most everyone else. It's a matter of training. The horse has you tricked into believing she really can't walk and poo. She can, in fact, walk, trot, canter, gallop, jump, pace, gait, whatever, and poo. 

My friend's horse almost always poos within the first few minutes of riding. The first time I wasn't expecting it, and my legs just weren't enough motivation to keep her moving. So next time I rode her, I kept my dressage whip on me. She stopped to take a poo and I whacked her in the side so hard so never thought about it again. 

It's annoying and absolutely unacceptable in my eyes. If you're working your horse at a trot or canter and you're really getting somewhere, are you going to let your horse stop just to take a poo? I sure wouldn't. We're working. If they want to poo and stand still, they can wait until we're done. A horse can wait to go into labor in the wild until they are in a safe place. They can sure as hell hold a poo for an hour.


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## Vidaloco (Sep 14, 2007)

gypsygirl said:


> actually you dont have to 2point when they pee...think about it, just bc you stand up in your stirrups, doesnt mean there is less weight on their back.


I think the idea is to take the weight off the back of the saddle and more forward onto the front of the tree. That way its off the kidneys. 
It probably doesn't have any effect really, but I feel like it makes my horse more comfortable :?


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## kchfuller (Feb 1, 2008)

^ agree


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## New_image (Oct 27, 2007)

Whoa! Do you all poop on the go? 

I don't expect any horse to poop and walk, I generally discourage it as if I am riding down the road on a horse whos been "taught" to poop and walk they sh*t every 15 minutes all over the road. Vrs my horses who, if they have to go mid ride, hop off to the side and STOP, poop, then go. However generally they just wait until they are home. Guess IMO stopping to poop is natural, thats what I usually do....

Ya'll make them pee and go to? Strange..


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## ChingazMyBoy (Apr 16, 2009)

My boy can .. . .. he can even gallop and poop. Sigh, I remember trying to teach him to poop and walk. Funny times.

"I'm not walking"
"Oh yes you are!"
"Going. .. ."


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## SmoothTrails (Oct 1, 2009)

My horses have never even tried to stop to poop. They know not to change pace unless they are asked to. I also knew a horse that ran barrels and poles, she would poop and/or pee the entire way every time. It was basically like wet farts though because she would get so excited to get to go.


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## 1dog3cats17rodents (Dec 7, 2007)

I still laugh thinking of the 4ft CC jump at a big eventing competition near us with poo scattered all over it. If a horse can jump a 4 ft wide, 4+feet wide fence while pooping, yes, I think they can walk, lol


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## Vidaloco (Sep 14, 2007)

I think I could walk and poop at the same time....Oh wait....I have, but it wasn't on purpose, trust me I'll say it again, it was not on purpose and I'm pretty sure I was running :shock:
I don't recall ever peeing and walking but if I did it wasn't the only thing I don't remember :wink::lol:


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## ChingazMyBoy (Apr 16, 2009)

lol Vida, you make me laugh.


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## gypsygirl (Oct 15, 2009)

its not enough of a difference to get off their back when they pee though. if they arent comfortable with peeing with you on their back they wont do it


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## masatisan (Jan 12, 2009)

I know someone who has a gelding she never cleans his private and when he pees (and in general) he never lets it down. He doesn't even stretch out to pee. His owner was riding him and he started peeing, so she started kicking him and he started to walk while still peeing.

I feel so sorry for that poor horse.


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## Sebastians Girl 360 (Nov 17, 2009)

my horse has never been able to poop and walk. you shouldnt get points taken off. its not something you can control. gotta go gotta go! :]


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## 1dog3cats17rodents (Dec 7, 2007)

Sebastians Girl 360 said:


> my horse has never been able to poop and walk. *you shouldnt get points taken off*. its not something you can control. gotta go gotta go! :]


I have to disagree. It is a training matter, not a health matter. Stopping in the middle of a test/class/course for any reason should get points taken off, especially one that can be easily fixed.


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## gypsygirl (Oct 15, 2009)

1dog3cats17rodents said:


> I have to disagree. It is a training matter, not a health matter. Stopping in the middle of a test/class/course for any reason should get points taken off, especially one that can be easily fixed.


i agree, some horses are really stubborn about it, but its just something theyre gonna have to get over


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## Honeysuga (Sep 1, 2009)

I used to have a mare Brandi and sure she would walk & ect. and poop, but she made sure to walk on the tippy toes of her rear hooves with her legs reallly far apart the whole time like she didn't want to get poo on herself. It was a crack up to watch her... Ive never had a problem with the stop and poo thing, on the trail, sure go ahead and stop, no biggie, i could care less. But ive always trained my guys to never break stride in the ring even for a poo or pee, never once had an "accident". You just have to make sure to reinforce your control and make them go even when they dont want to.


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## riccil0ve (Mar 28, 2009)

Honeysuga said:


> Ive never had a problem with the stop and poo thing, on the trail, sure go ahead and stop, no biggie, i could care less. But ive always trained my guys to never break stride in the ring even for a poo or pee, never once had an "accident". You just have to make sure to reinforce your control and make them go even when they dont want to.


See... I believe that's where they get confused... I believe if you're going to make a rule, it's should ALWAYS be a rule. Consistency is key. It's like how you're supposed to school in the same tack you show in, and how you can't get mad at your horse for trying to rub on you one minute, then let him the next.


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## Honeysuga (Sep 1, 2009)

I see what you mean, and I agree, yes consistency is definately key. I have just never had a problem in the past with how i do things so i'm not gonna fix what ain't broken...Now, if I were to start training or seriously showing again, yeah I would definately stick to it especially if it another persons horse. I guess its really just personal preference. I see no problem either way.


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