My two-year-old's mama never taught him how to poop correctly!

[ljc]

The title pretty much says it all! I have a two-year-old mini gelding (have had him for more than a year) whose mama never taught him to lift his tail before pooping :). (well, at least that's how I describe his "problem") OK, I realize this is not the end of the world but I'm getting tied of having to wash his little butt and hind legs every couple of days (not to mention his tail)! He also likes to back himself up against anything before pooping - wall of the stall, fence, whatever. So he makes a lovely mess! He's been on a rigorous worming schedule & doesn't seem to itch back there. He just poops in his own special way. I have seen him do it the "right" way sometimes, for what it's worth.

Other than that, he's perfectly adorable!!!! Any ideas?

[pines4equines]

Does anyone out there know if they ...is it called blocking...tails in minis? Or whatever it is they do to WP QHs? Could this be the problem here?

[rizzodm]

I wonder if he may have spinal issues and it is difficult for him to lift his tail.

Dawn

[ljc]

I wonder if he may have spinal issues and it is difficult for him to lift his tail.

Dawn

I suppose anything is possible but he's an extremely athletic two-year-old (well, as athletic as a 31 inch mini can be) and he's had very thorough vet exams. He's never showed any signs of soreness (unlike my "big" horses) and is capabable of doing the most amazingly wriggly manuevers to get himself into (and out of) trouble. I have witnessed him successfully crawling under a ten-inch gap between the bottom rail of a fence and the ground. He was less successful attempting the same trick with a six-inch gap, managing to get himself stuck!!!! God love minis - they simply lie there and wait for their "person" to come resuce them.

I bought him (and a companion mini) from their breeder. No tail blocking was ever done.

[merrygoround]

Blocked or not, it does sound as though he has had some injury or accident that cause loss of the ability to raise his tail.

[Lexus]

I have a mare that pushes against the stall wall while she poops. She needs her tail washed daily, what a mess. She poops normally outside, it's just when she's inside that she likes to back up against the wall - go figure! We've never been able to figure out why.

[greyshowjumper]

We have a 4 yr old blue/red roan filly shetland that we have had for almost 3 years. She doesn't pick her tail up to pee. Her tail is disgusting and is permanetly is brown. We have washed, bagged her tail and she just soaks bag. We hate to have to cut her tail to remove brown staining from white tail, but nothing seems to get it near normal color. She can pick her tail up to poop, but won't when she pees. When running around field, she acts like her arabian stablemate. Tail flying high. Any suggestions? Thanks.

[Dazednconfused]

I would really guess that the horse had broken its tail or injured it in some way. Even if you didn't see it - for example getting cast (seems unlikely with a mini, but if they can get themselves in a corner just right, it's possible!) You'd never know it if it happened overnight or if you're not there when it happens...

[bugsynskeeter]

I know many horses who have had their tails done (after years in WP and reining) and I've never seen on have a problem with defecating on their tail.

[CosMonster]

I'd bet it's an injury too since he seems fine otherwise. It could have happened before you got him, or like others have said when you weren't around. I've heard of horses breaking their tails and their owners didn't notice until they had problems like yours (not bad owners, either, just not noticeable injuries). What does your vet say?

Also I don't know anything about showing minis but I sure hope they don't block their tails because that would be ridiculous.

[BornToRide]

I don't think moms teach their youngens to lift the tail to poop . I think they do that naturally. ;)

I'd also have a closer look at that tail to make sure there's nothing wrong with it.

[ljc]

I don't think moms teach their youngens to lift the tail to poop . I think they do that naturally. ;)


I know! I just use that description cause it makes me laugh, as does everything with my minis.

I don't mean to sound stupid here, but how do you tell if a tail has been broken? I've spent plenty of time washing this particular tail and there are no bumps or uneven areas and it hangs perfectly straight and he swishes it just fine and he lifts it when he runs and bucks and plays! And he does lift it some of the time when he poops - just not all the time.

What would be the impact of a broken tail?

[CosMonster]

That's weird, that doesn't sound like the broken tails I've seen. I have heard of ones that don't show any external signs like lumps or crookedness, but if it was an injury it should be more consistent IME. When he does lift his tail to poop, does it look normal?

[Lexus]

We have a 4 yr old blue/red roan filly shetland that we have had for almost 3 years. She doesn't pick her tail up to pee. Her tail is disgusting and is permanetly is brown. We have washed, bagged her tail and she just soaks bag. We hate to have to cut her tail to remove brown staining from white tail, but nothing seems to get it near normal color. She can pick her tail up to poop, but won't when she pees. When running around field, she acts like her arabian stablemate. Tail flying high. Any suggestions? Thanks.

I would wash and bag her tail then fold the bag loosely around the tailbone then duck tape it up as high as possible. You'll need to redo it at least weekly but it'll keep most of the yuck away.

[movo]

Does he only do this in confined spaces? I have a mini gelding who is soooo neat and tidy in stall or paddock that he backs up to the absolute limit on the perimeter and poops there and so he is so far back against board fence/wall that his tail can't go up. In the pasture, we have no climb fence and some 3-board, so his poop is generally half on the other side of the fence, on the fence and on the edge of his pasture.

I think your minis mamma taught him very well. It's just backfiring.

Some (a lot of) minis have a very, very low tail set. The bone being set so low on the hindquarters will prevent them from lifting their tail very high.