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OK, I have a good laugh for all.

5K views 22 replies 14 participants last post by  TxHorseMom 
#1 ·
Hi, I'm new to this website and trying to find out some information about horses and training them. Please don't laugh to loud, only kidding. Laugh as hard as you want about these questions. I do have to give you some background info on the neighbors. They are being investigated for wetlands violations. They claim that their horses are trained so well that they do not defecate while being ridden in a horse ring. They also claim that they had to train them so well because points are taken away during horse shows if they defecate. They also claim that their horses do not eat grass. They claim that they feed them so much inside the barn that they will not eat grass while out in the pasture. Mind you, there is barely a spot of grass in their pasture as the horses have eaten it all. Since stating these facts at a wetlands hearing against them, these folks have been spreading bales of hay all over their pasture to try and keep the horses from eating what is left of the grass there. I would appreciate any comments on these issues. Ok, you can stop laughing now.

I had a reply from a horse judge that went on to say that these folks should have their horses on Animal Planet and that they should go on the road to train other peoples horses for them since they have done the impossible with their horses.

I've also had a reply saying that it's no wonder they don't defecate, you have to feed them in order for them to do that.
 
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#2 ·
Our barn owner (Patty) has all these stories, One of which someone actually trained there horse to Pee or Poo on comand...No lie. I dont understand why someone would want to do that though...

Sounded to me like the horses did eat, just not enough... (in the story above.)
 
#4 ·
Training not to defecate in a ring or while working, very possible. Watch a video clip of the Lipizzaner stallions and you'll notice no defication. In Europe with high class showwing horses, it is not uncommon for this to be taught. It is like teaching a dog to be house trained, they wait to go in the appropriate area.
Everything else is rediculous, I think.

Edited to add: Whether or not these horses are trained not to deficate in a specific area is one thing, whether they've done it is another.
 
#5 ·
kristy said:
Training not to defecate in a ring or while working, very possible. Watch a video clip of the Lipizzaner stallions and you'll notice no defication. In Europe with high class showwing horses, it is not uncommon for this to be taught. It is like teaching a dog to be house trained, they wait to go in the appropriate area.
Everything else is rediculous, I think.

Edited to add: Whether or not these horses are trained not to deficate in a specific area is one thing, whether they've done it is another.
My wife and I have been to two Lipizzaner horse shows in the past. These horses do in fact defecate in the ring during the shows. There were arena people waiting outside the ring with pooper scoopers to pick it up in between events.
 
#7 ·
kristy said:
Which one?
I do not disagree that not all shows have horse trained this way, but I hope you're not implying that I'm completely wrong. It is possible.
I am not saying that you are wrong. The shows we saw were at the DCU Center in Worcester Ma.. I believe the horses where from Europe if I recall correctly. I remember the announcer saying that the show was direct from Europe. They also mentioned that these horses were the most highly trained animals in the world.
 
#8 ·
In endurance we encourage horses to pee when we whistle. We do it by whistleing when they do pee and eventually they get the idea to pee if they need to when they hear whistle but it hardly ever works!! :?
I have also heard of people training birds to poop on cue!! and i've ssen it done!!!
 
#9 ·
That is funny about the bird pooping. I bet my neighbor's come up with another tale on thursday when they have their next hearing. If it happens I will post it. They damn near had everyone laughing about the grass at the last eharing. That must be why their pasture is grassless. Their horses can't eat it because they already have.
 
#10 ·
JimR said:
My thought on this subject goes like this. I can't train myself nor my two female dogs to not pee or poop. How can someone possibly train a horse not to poop or eat grass.
:D while i can't train you Jim, i can and have trained dogs to pee/poop on command. :wink:

hubby's male lab (now deceased) was trained (by me) from 7 wks old, when and where to pee/poop. this was done by, repetitiously,
taking him to the same spot everytime and told "Go pee/poop" then after doing so, "Good pee/poop!!!!"

i took him to the vet one time and they needed urine/feces samples, so i took the necessary items outside with him and told him his commands. they all (vet/techs) stood there kinda laughing at me. he immediately went to do his business and i "caught" his samples in the cups that they had given me. they couldn't believe it and said they had never seen anything like it. he never failed to do his business on command. hubby liked to brag about how well trained his dog was, and would show anyone that would watch, just what he could do. :oops:

now i agree that it SHOULDN'T be taught to a horse, but i don't know why it COULDN'T be. after all, they are repetitious animals and will learn anything, eventually, if done often enough.
 
#11 ·
That is funny that you were able to teach your dog how to pee and poop. I've enever had any luck with either of my dogs to do that. i tell them and they look at me stupid. Then they walk off elsewhere to where they want to go and do their thing.

How would you teach a three horses not to eat grass? :)

Do you smack them in the side of the head everytime they put their heads down? Since the horses are alone all day in a pasture that is bare to the bone from almost any grass (due to them eating it all) I in fact have witnessed seeing all three horses eating grass in their pasture. I see this to be an almost impossible thing to do. Hence my crazy questions to find out the truth. I personally believe that my neighbors are liars and trying to cover their butts here. So far their lying has done them well. Tomorrow is another day for them as it will be their last chance at the hearing to diclose everything or else.
 
#12 ·
I swear, human beings in general are the most idiotic and rediculous creatures on the planet. That said, I did get a good laugh. :lol: While I do agree that horses could be taught not to poop or pee in the show ring (although I'm not sure how or why I'd go about doing it personally) I think it's absurd that anyone could say they've taught one horse - much less three horses not to eat grass that they are pastured in. That's like expecting a lion not to eat a carcass in the savana. :roll: Horses eat grass whenever they have the opportunity. Period. Not to say one couldn't teach a horse not to eat while being ridden, but we're talking loose horses in a pasture. Come on. Some people should be shot.
 
#14 ·
that's me. how in the world do you get your horse not to poop? mine do it no matter what we are doing? they dont care that people are standing right there or if the are circling or running or eating or whatever if they feel the need the do. i think those people are just not feeding them. a horse will eat grass. that is what they are made to do. wether you feed them enough grain etc or not they are made to graze all day and night.
 
#15 ·
Good question and I'm not sure I can explain the answer. All I know is that when I'm showing, my horses have never pooped in the show ring. How did I manage that? Not a clue. I know my (now retired) dressage mare was always so nervous about show days that she would poop constantly all morning so chances are that there was simply no poop left by the time I got in the ring. :) Other than that I can assume that someone out there has mastered the art of training a horse not to poop in the ring - wouldn't surprise me - but that secrect is lost on me. Personally I don't see why it would be an issue at all. So what if the horse has to go? As long as they don't come to a dead stop to do it, that's fine with me.
 
#16 ·
hi,

Yes it is mossible to teach horses to poo and wee on command, and where you want them to. it takes a lot of training and patience.
I have a filly who has been taught to poo and wee in an area of her yard, makes it so much easier to keep clean :lol: , she caught on fast. every time she pooed, we put it in the corner (the same one every time), she now goes there all the time.
Just to prove it was not luck, we moved her to another yard she started pooing and weeing everywhere, we put it in the corner and now she is doing it in that corner.
we have done the same with our older horse, and he too is catching on :lol:
This is not easy to do in an open paddock :?
We have not yet train her to do it on command.
 
#18 ·
Hi all,

At my old yard, a lady I knew bought a horse, that cost her an arm and a leg. (£16000, I think thats about $8000) In his younger days he had been quite well known over here for dressage. (cant remember his full name, only his stable name which was jiffy). 17.2hh pure black, beautiful horse.
The only time that poor horse would wee or poo, was if you placed a large bucket in the middle of his stable!
He'd never lived out, and the place he came from was that prim and proper, they trained all horses to do their business in these large tubs/buckets. He lived in 24/7, except for exercise, so of course when he came to us, he didn't go to the loo for a day or two as no one knew he needed a bucket. It wasn't till his owner rang the previous owners, as he was getting so stressed bless him, that we found out. The relief on that poor fella's face!
He eventually stopped relying on the bucket, but it took a good few months. It took him a while to get use to playing out too, he was terrified.
I personally dont understand why he was kept like this with his previous owners. Makes me very sad, such a sweet horse, but he's having a super fun life now. :D
 
#21 ·
You can trian a horse to pee on command. Just whistle in the barn when they pee, eventually when you whistle they will pee. It is really helpful at a show for a horse that only pees in sawdust. If they can't find a place to pee they will dance and be really bad. My horse will pee before I take him out of his stall so he won't have to go while we are riding. Also I would think pooping on command would be possible, all you would have to do would be something like whistling while you pee, such as ring a bell for them to poop.

My horse also only poops and pees in the back of his stall. You can get them to do this by moving everything to the back of their stall during the day. If they poop in the middle of their stall move it to the back. Eventually they will learn the poop goes in the back of the stall.
 
#22 ·
i think that the Lipizzaner stallions summer in vt ( i think i herd that once) ........as for a horse going to the bathroom, when i was a kid and at ridding camp they had a horse that was trained to go to the bathroom out side, yes it was a pain in the butt to walk a horse every night before lights out but every kid fought for that weekley care of that horse.....lol.... you only had to feed it....although i almost got a job in ma once where the owner of the farmette required that the pastures be rake out every day after use....
 
#23 ·
You can train a horse to pee/poop on command (or not to as the case may be.) My daughter works for Mounted Patrol (The horses you see at the mall etc patrolling the area for security)(and my son worked there too until he went into the AirForce.) We have several horses that are, in fact, "potty trained" This is how you do it. (it is similar to potty training a dog) It starts out that the rider is in fact the one "trained". :) You take them to a certain area every hour or so. When you "catch" them doing the right thing, they get praised a lot and get a treat. (alfalfa cube or something) When you take them you say something along the lines of "go potty". You continue this for a couple of weeks and they usually get the hang of it. We have a 19 y/o gelding who has been working Mounted Patrol for about 4 years now. He is SO potty trained that he WON'T go with a rider on him unless told it's ok to do so. :shock: Several times I have ridden him and he'll start "dancing around" and I'll say "What is WRONG with him!?!?" (I forget sometimes)My daughter will laugh and say, "he has to go potty, tell him it's ok."

The reason they are potty trained is that people don't like stepping in horse poo when leaving the mall on their way back to their cars. If the horses aren't trained, then the rider must dismount and "clean up" after the horse. :wink:

As for the other stuff, I'd have to see it to believe it.
 
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