How to Train a Horse to Urinate on Command

Horse urine can ruin anybody's day. Horses, in particular, always seem to relieve themselves in the wrong place and at the wrong time. But like any intelligent animal, it can learn the errors of its ways with the help of a little basic psychology.

Difficulty:

Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Bell, clicker or trigger device

1. Clean and heavily bed a stall, or wherever your horse most often urinates. For whatever reason, many horses seem to prefer urinating in a stall that's just finished being cleaned.

2. Tie your horse into the stall, until it begins to urinate. As soon as urination begins, ring a bell--you have only a split second to reinforce the behavior--and praise the horse profusely. Give the horse a treat when it has finally finished its business and remove the horse to its own stall, if it has one. Repeat this step daily, making sure to ring the bell as soon as urination begins.

3. After several days or a week of Step 2, bring the horse to the stall as normal. This time, however, stop a few feet away before the entrance. Ring the bell. If nothing occurs, ring the bell again. Ideally, the horses will begin to urinate on command. If not, return to Step 2.

4. Move the urination spot back further and further from its original location, until the original location is no longer important. Instead, the horses will eventually learn to urinate on cue.

Tips & Warnings

• You may use a bell, a clicker, or any convenient trigger. The conditioning remains the same.

• Be as consistent as possible in your praise and behavior.