Roxy very rarely uses the restroom while tied. Remember, this is mare that I will often leave tied for 2+ hours, and stands to dry after every hosing off or bath. So she is tied a lot.
Recently, like the last 2-3 weeks, almost every time I begin riding Roxy feels sluggish and uncomfortable. She stops after the first half lap (and in almost the exact same spot) she pees. I find this so weird. I find it weird that she does this in the same spot, and almost every time I ride. This is a mare that usually uses her pee to mark her territory (as in peeing in front of her feeder of so bad that we had to stop feeding her there and change the spot). Is she marking the arena as hers? That sounds like an odd answer to me.
Is this some sort of medical issue? I imagine not, I mean she's just using the restroom. It seems like if she wasn't going it would be a bigger issue.
Does anyone have an opinion on why she would do this?
My sweet little mare, with Dolly in the background.
Shyloh does not like to pee or poop in her stall if she can help it. As soon as she gets outside or in the arena, she will pee, every time. She also does not poop when she is tied either, if she does it is very rare.
ReplyDeleteMaybe, she doesn't like to pee where she sleeps?
Oh no, that can not be the answer. She LOVES to make a pee covered mess of a stall. It's been so bad, I need to actually bring dirt in and fix her big pee hole mess.
DeleteJust be glad she'll pee! I think it's just a habit and it doesn't mean anything, good or bad. Dixie pees, usually in one spot in her paddock, before I feed her. Twice a day, every day, without fail.
ReplyDeleteHas your riding routine changed in the last few weeks? I was just thinking that horses are creatures of habit and she may only drink at certain times (particuarly if she is in a large field, our horses only go to drink a few times each day and it's always around the same time eac day). If you're riding at different times than usual maybe she just needs to pee because she's had a big drink. Seems like a stupid idea but I thought I would throw it out there. If she is peeing in the exact same spot maybe it is a territory thing. Is she in season? We have a mare who can stay in heat for what seems like weeks. I wouldn't be too worried about it really as long as her pee is normal.
ReplyDeleteAs for her being sluggish, my gelding is like that at the beginning of almost every ride, then he'll pee or poop, then we can go about our ride.
I've never really had much of a riding schedule actually. I go out, sometime I'm there for hours before I even say hi to my horses, sometimes I get them out right away. Roxy gets bored if things are too routine, she is too smart for that and it gets her into trouble. lol
DeleteI'm not too worried about it, I was just wondering if anyone had an explanation. Personally I think it's a territory thing, Roxy gets reeeeally bossy. She is defiantly the most dominant mare I know of.