"Lifting up" slightly when horse pees?

Hi all, new to the forum so I apologise if I have posted this in the wrong section, I hope I got it right! When I was learning to ride a horse my trainer told me to raise my butt off the saddle a little and shift my weight forward when the horse parked to pee as it was more comfortable for them. Something to do with it being easier for them with their legs stretched out. During my lessons my horse never peed whilst I was riding her, but my trainers often did, and just like she told me, she would lift up a little and lean forward.

I haven't had my mare; Sophie, that long and she hasn't needed to relive herself when I've been riding her yet, but I was wondering if there is any truth to what I was told and should I raise my butt a bit when she stops to wee. I've looked it up and found mixed results, some people say I should, others say I shouldn't and it doesn't make any difference.

Thank you

Michelle

Hmm, I've never heard that before. I've never done anything but just sat there and waited for them to finish and they've never had a problem peeing, so I don't know that it really makes that much difference.

I've always stood up in the stirrups and leaned forward a bit when the horse I'm riding has to pee. Everyone I know who rides does the same thing. We even taught the girls who attended the Girl Scout horse camp to do it. Not sure if it does or doesn't make it easier for the horse to pee, but that's what I was taught to do. The trainer at our barn (who does a lot of endurance riding) is a stickler about doing it.

I generally lean my weight to the front of the saddle and I instruct anybody on a peeing horse to do the same.

I've found that, often times, the beginning type riders I work with will often lean back while the horse pees (since the horse's back is slanting down) which seems to cause the horse to have to work way harder at balancing a rider while being in the peeing stance.
That's why I instruct people to lean forward, then there's no "you can't balance yet, lean forward" and "you can ride well, you don't have to lean forward" and nobody feels put down or embarrassed (beyond the usual "OMG! The horse is peeing! PANIC!!!" lol!).

Another thing is that, with Lacey, sometimes she needs to pee but I'm in the midst of something and need her to be at the ready. Me stopping her and leaning forward kinda her "Here, here's your time to pee, use it" instead of just having her stop whenever to pee. Of course, that's not a cue for most horses but for Lacey, it is.

On other horses, I'll lean forward a bit because most of the time I ride with lesson kids or other people in the learning process and I feel like it's kinda unfair for me to be like "Oh, I don't need to lean forward because I'm 'good' but I don't know about you, so you better lean forward!" haha
If I'm riding by myself, I shift my weight forward but I don't lean forward very much at all. Unless I'm riding Lacey, since it's her cue, but she generally makes sure to get it all out before or after I get on/off.

All the riders around here do that. I was taught to lift up and lean forward to make it easier on them.

I was always taught to raise up and lean forward because it helps relieve some of the pressure on their back and kidneys when they drop down. Sounds reasonable, so I've always done it.

Me too. I do the lift up, lean forward.

I'm in the same camp - lift and shift.

Thank you for the quick replies everybody, I appreciate it :) I will be lifting up and leaning forward if and when Sophie decides she needs a wee when I'm riding her.

Just another question, since I'm still inexperienced and want to help my horse as much as possible. How much should I lift up/ lean forward? I don't think I need to fully stand, but I don't want to lift up too little either.

Michelle

Good info to know!!!!